Customer Reviews

Tips & Traps for Hiring a Contractor (Tips and Traps)

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I'm so glad I got a chance to read this informative book before starting the renovation of our home!

The author is clearly an expert in this field and goes into detail in every aspect of the process, with the bottom line of making the consumer a savvy, discerning shopper. The author covers all angles of the contracting process, from making the plans and specifications, to hiring a contractor, to what forms are needed to be filled out. I learned about how to spot a shady contractor; how to get things in writing - especially specific time frames; how to make sure the contractor has a physical address and telephone number, and much, much, more.

The eye-opener of this book was the lien waiver. Unbeknownst to me, if a disagreement occurs with a contractor, and I do not pay, they can place a lien on the property! The lien waiver releases the property from the threat of a lien. The author has a sample copy of what a lien waiver looks like.

This book is a must for any homeowner thinking of remodeling/renovating their home! I recommend it highly.

Avoid falling prey to unscrupulous contractors with a guide authored by a 30-year contracting veteran and the author of many other titles on the topic. Tips & Traps For Hiring A Contractor: Expert Advice On Hiring A Contractor Without Getting Taken covers all the basics, from the initial screening of home-improvement professionals to eliminating the bad ones before signing anything, negotiating effectively, understanding contracts and agreements, and even understanding design, planning and maintenance options. An excellent guide to handling contractors, no matter what the job.

This is actually a pretty good book. It is a quick read and the author has a good writing style that makes it a fun read. Now the book essentially is geared towards being your own general contractor vs hiring one, and also major remodels.That isn't the major takeaway from the book, however; that being said if you do even half of the things he tells you to do I think you would be much safer with any contract work even if you decide to be your own general or not. Author does a great job explaining how they could/would screw you over and how to stop them from screwing you over before they even set foot in your house. It really isn't a "every contractor will screw you" kind of book. It just provides some solid material to help you spot it when they try it and what to do to minimize the butt hurt on your wallet. Worth the money. Hit the "add to cart" button. You won't regret it. Look at it this way, if you do only one thing on the dudes list you will save the 10 bucks the book costs.

Lots of detail and mostly easy to read, but some important terminology and practices are not explained that a 1st timer would not know.