Resolving Job Site Conflicts between Homeowners and Contractors

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When Fern Dickey saw what a fantastic job a contractor did on her neighbor’s remodel, she had no problem figuring out who to call when she needed work done in her own home. She didn’t get estimates. She didn’t check references. She signed a contract that offered a ballpark figure and no timeline. But the contractor was a nice guy, she thought, and he did such impressive work. Dickey was confident everything would be fine. From day one, it wasn’t. It took nearly a year for drawings to be approved and permits issued. Then, once work began, Dickey learned that her contractor’s business now consisted not of a full crew but only him and his young, inexperienced son. The contractor never started working before 10 a.m. When he left for the day, only five hours later, he left behind trash and open paint cans. “I had never hired a contractor before,” Dickey says. “I hadn’t read anything about it. I was so busy with work. I just assumed everything would be okay.” A year and a half after starting the project, Dickey fired her contractor. The project—to remodel the den, add a deck and re-side her Fairlawn, N.J., home—remains incomplete and has major flaws that will have to be fixed by a new contractor at added expense. Dickey admits she wishes she had ended the relationship sooner, but the contractor always promised that problems would be fixed and projects completed as soon as possible. Now, with the benefit of hindsight, Dickey can pinpoint all the mistakes she made. “Contracts should be very detailed and have dates for when things are going to happen,” she says. “Any change or discussion regarding work should be in writing and signed by both parties.” Getting everything in writing upfront is one of the most basic ways to avoid conflicts on the job site. Other ways are hiring and scheduling well and limiting changes to the original plans. Here are some other ways to resolve on-site conflicts. BEFORE WORK BEGINS Hire a Reputable Firm Many job site conflicts can be avoided by making sound choices. Ask friends for referrals but also check references and licenses, says Monica D. Higgins, founder of Renovation Planners of Culver City, Calif. “Check references and actually go out and see the work, and it should be work that was done recently and maybe work that was done five to 10 years ago so they can see how the work has held up,” Higgins says. Also, ask how many jobs the contractor takes on at once and how many hours per week they will spend on your project. Seek bids but don’t make lowest price your final determinant, Higgins adds. In fact, many of the horror stories you hear come from small, less-expensive contractors who, unbeknownst to you, have cash-flow problems. For example, a contractor will tell you everything you want to hear, take your deposit and then disappear for weeks. This is often because he needed your money to pay the people he has working on a current project. Once you do settle on a contractor, get everything in writing and make sure that contract is extremely detailed. Add factors that are important to you. Require contractors to clean up after themselves daily. Mandate that notice be given before certain kinds of work—like anything that involves turning off the water or work that will be especially noisy and might disturb the neighbors. Require a Schedule From the contractor’s perspective, scheduling is the most challenging part of any project. “Estimating and scheduling are the crux of this industry,” says

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