08-07-2006, 05:03 AM
Aloha Dave,
This is a good article with good timing. As construction slows down, many of the new "contractors" will be going elsewhere and if folks follow these guidelines, hopefully those "contractors" won't be taking clients' money with them.
Another point which the newspaper article wouldn't have been allowed to mention, but as a private citizen I can say, is if I were to be hiring a contractor, I'd hire one who had been in business since 1990. Folks that have been around since then were here before the last down turn and survived so they aren't as likely to disappear as the newcomers. It might seem a bit of a severe requirement, but when you consider the amounts of money involved in constructing a house, then it doesn't seem severe enough. Even folks that are careful and follow all the guidelines can still get burned and with the construction slowing down, it is much more likely for spurious "contractors" to take the money and run.
This is just addressing the financial factors of hiring contractors, you still have to find one who does good work as well!
A hui hou,
Cathy
This is a good article with good timing. As construction slows down, many of the new "contractors" will be going elsewhere and if folks follow these guidelines, hopefully those "contractors" won't be taking clients' money with them.
Another point which the newspaper article wouldn't have been allowed to mention, but as a private citizen I can say, is if I were to be hiring a contractor, I'd hire one who had been in business since 1990. Folks that have been around since then were here before the last down turn and survived so they aren't as likely to disappear as the newcomers. It might seem a bit of a severe requirement, but when you consider the amounts of money involved in constructing a house, then it doesn't seem severe enough. Even folks that are careful and follow all the guidelines can still get burned and with the construction slowing down, it is much more likely for spurious "contractors" to take the money and run.
This is just addressing the financial factors of hiring contractors, you still have to find one who does good work as well!
A hui hou,
Cathy
Kurt Wilson