Is this a feeling that you or someone you know has experienced? It usually stems from a true story. Someone you know, or someone that someone you know knows was taken for a ride by a general contractor. Yes, we are contractors, and this may seem like a bad topic for us to address, however we are not afraid of this question. It is valid and sadly even with measures taken to avoid it, less than reputable companies still prey on the consumer to this very day.

Here at Drive Construction and Remodeling LLC, we are on a mission to educate and demystify the construction industry. Sharing knowledge and touching on sensitive subjects should not be something that only lives on Reddit. Too many companies for far too long have been unwilling to discuss touchy subjects out of fear that it will turn away customers. We believe that raising our hand and saying yes, we are in a tough industry and there are serious issues to address will bridge trust. In fact, it is really the only way to do so, we could talk about all the same topics as company B, or we can be candid and even vulnerable.

Now to the advice portion of this post. To avoid getting ripped off by a contractor there are a few key things that need to occur.

• Due diligence – This is more than reviews, and quite frankly reviews are not very trustworthy. Google does what it can to make a natural flowing honesty seeking algorithm, but the best they can do is flag posts that seem paid for or shady; hurting your organic relevance. There are many companies that get real quality reviews; however, they are usually offering something in return. Diligence is more about checking on licensing information, how many bond violations or lawsuits does the company have, are there lapses and compliance issues. This will lead you to a real reputation.
• Understand the contract – If you sign the contract make sure you understand what you are signing. There can be clauses in there that give the contractor rights to bill excessively or any number of one-sided paragraphs. These should be red flags that what you see may not be what you get.
• Ask questions and use your instincts – Getting ripped off is usually a function of lack of attention. No diligence in the beginning and a feeling of being stuck by the time one knows something is wrong. If there isn’t a trust between you and your contractor there is already a problem.

We hope that you don’t need to find out any hard lessons on this topic, and should you have direct questions for our team we welcome them. When you want a contractor you can rely on for your home remodeling project, give us a call for a free consultation.