Before you hire a contractor: A construction guidebook for consumers [Paperback]

Steve Gonzalez (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1994

Before You Hire A Contractor covers details every homeowner needs to know before hiring a contractor for building, home improvements, remodeling, or other construction projects. This enlightening guide provides consumers with the five essentials to consider when selecting a contractor, proven ways to recognize and avoid scams, and a host of answers to commonly asked questions. Topics covered include contracts, bidding, lien laws, insurance, bonding, warranties, and consumer rights. A blank contract and lien release form are also included in the book as part of Gonzalez's renowned step-by-step project planning system. Written in easy-to-read layman's terms. Recommended by industry leaders.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Gonzalez, a certified residential contractor, tells consumers how to avoid the pitfalls of home improvement and construction. He argues that consumers must educate themselves and specify exactly what they want, make their own choices, and have realistic expectations. Gonzalez discusses the essentials of selecting a contractor, negotiating contracts, and avoiding scams and provides rudimentary information about liens, insurance, bonding, and consumer rights. He also devotes one chapter to the art of writing specifications. The numbers and addresses of consumer protection agencies are listed state by state, as are construction regulatory offices. Good, basic information on this complex subject plus checklists and sample forms make this a useful tool for the beginner. Recommended for public libraries.
Judith M. Nixon, Purdue Univ. Lib., West Lafayette, Ind.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

In the halcyon, largely imaginary days of yore, hardy Americans would have a few neighbors over to slap together the house or addition thereto, but now home building and remodeling are major professional undertakings. Indeed, one of the few constants left in American life is rising construction costs. The escalation of materials and labor prices shows no sign of abating, and as building codes grow in complexity and extend to previously unregulated areas, the cost of merely doing business rises, too. Into this world of hurt and need comes Gonzalez's primer on hiring contractors. Gonzalez advises on what to look out for during every construction stage, from planning to financing to complaints after completion. He offers five essentials to observe in the selection of a contractor, explains contracts and lien laws in lay terms, and covers warranties, bonding, service contracts--in short, all the ancillary stuff consumers often don't think about until it's too late. Well organized, easy to understand, this adviser is a highly usable resource. Mike Tribby

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Product Details

• Paperback: 180 pages
• Publisher: Consumer Press (1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0962833665
• ISBN-13: 978-0962833663
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,187,249 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful book, November 9, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Before You Hire A Contractor: A Construction Guidebook For Consumers (Paperback)

I recently had a house built (I was a first-timer with little experience in construction) and found this a very useful little book. It reinforced the importance of being thorough in checking references and provided concrete information about how to develop a construction contract. I found it extremely useful in developing my Owner's Specifications that were the foundation for my bid request and later became part of the construction contract documents. Use a highlighter to highlight the recommendations as you read this book: the useful tips can get lost in the text, much of which is devoted to consumer horror stories.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Learn about what could go wrong, and how to prevent it., March 19, 2000

By 

Elizabeth Van Pelt (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Before You Hire A Contractor: A Construction Guidebook For Consumers (Paperback)

My highlighter got quite a workout during this easy to read book. Tells about disastrous contractor scenarios, and how they could have been avoided. Lots of matter of fact warnings about contracts, even gives a sample one. There is a very useful section on specifications. He stresses the importance of VERY specific specifications -- right down to how many layers of tar paper. I felt much more nervous after finishing the book because I realized the phenomenal number of decisions ahead of me, but once I started making my list with the help of the book, I felt like I had a handle on it. The list of things to specify could have been a little more complete, which is why a 4 instead of a 5 rating.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Common sense book, June 28, 2003

By 

S. Gabrielson "Cuzin G" (VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Before You Hire A Contractor: A Construction Guidebook For Consumers (Paperback)

This book has a lot of common sense ideas, most easy to follow, when hiring a contractor. In some cases I could see that following all the advice might cause some contractors to run away and play with somebody who is not a pain in the ***, but the advice is to protect the homeowner and is written in such a way as to be easy to understand. The book lacks a summary of the ideas, which I condensed into 2 pages for our project