What You Should Do if the Contractor You Hire Is Not Good

Owning a property or two is definitely a delight, considering the volatility of today’s housing market. However, every now and then, there comes a time when your beloved home or business is due for some well-needed repairs, or a full-blown remodel for that matter. If you’re like most, you will restrain yourself from taking any side projects you are not skilled enough to perform and leave it in the hands of professionals.

Hiring a general contractor is your best bet, or at least that’s what they say. Just squeeze out some cash, sit back, and relax while all the handy work is done for you. But what if the work executed by a contractor on your property is subpar to the standard you were expecting to receive for the money you paid? If you’ve found yourself in a tricky situation such as this one, don’t get discouraged yet because not all hope is lost. Let’s look at your next steps if the general contractor you hired did a sloppy job on your property.

How To Recognize Poor Workmanship

An underperforming renovation job is relatively easy to spot if you know what to look for. One of the clearest tells is an uneven paint job or corners and edges within the walls that simply don’t look as sharp as they are supposed to. Other red flags that you should be able to identify include:

Use of cheap materials
Lack of experience within the workforce hired
Failure to comply with standard building regulations

Simply said, even to the untrained eye, it’s quite easy to distinguish between mediocre workmanship and a job well done. Come to think of it, the first impression that a general contractor will personally leave you with will dictate the quality of the job they will perform. All you have to do is just look in the right direction with an open mind.

Best Ways To Approach a Bad Renovation Job

If you are completely certain that you did not receive the type of workmanship you paid for, it’s time to take appropriate action. There are quite a few ways that you can go about it, depending on how quickly you want to get your property straightened out and how far you are willing to go. Let’s have a look at what your best options are.

Seek Out for a Second Opinion by an Expert in the Field

In many cases, our minds tend to play tricks on us, allowing us to see the things we want to see. If you do not have any past contracting experience, perhaps it would be best if you seeked out a second opinion. There are plenty of reputable contractors out there such as Bluegrass Haven that would be happy to pay you a visit and offer you some of their expertise.

Alternatively, you can take a couple of dozen pictures of the work performed and post them online. You would be surprised to find out just how many people you’ve never met are willing to help and lend a second pair of eyes for these things.

Request Corrections from the Contractor

The first natural instinct after noticing poor workmanship on your property is of course, reacting in a negative manner. Before resorting to any unnecessary disputes however, try to talk it out with the contractor and see if they are willing to make the necessary repairs to retain a happy customer. For some of these people their reputation is everything, and they will do whatever it takes to stop it from being tarnished.

Review the Contractual Documentation

Regardless of whether you are doing renovations to your home or business, you are in full control over the project’s scope. All of the work that needs to be done, as well as the terms surrounding it should be carefully written down and signed by both parties, making it a legally binding document. Some of the most important things any contract should feature include:

The full project scope: Make sure to include every little detail that you want refurbished on your property, to avoid any loopholes in the contract.

Timelines for delivery: Typically, general contractor jobs are done on a milestone basis. If deadlines are constantly missed, it might work out in your favor.

Quality of the work: A thorough contract should include what type of quality is expected from the contractor performing the work.

Payment terms: If you were late on your payments, it might backfire at you. However if your milestone payments were prompt throughout the project, you can use that to your advantage and build a case.

Warranties: A reputable general contractor will almost always give out some type of warranty to their craftsmanship. A good example for this are the 1-year warranties issued by Bluegrass Haven. If the warranties are properly noted down in the contract, you can build yourself a solid case in case of a poor job.

Build a Case and Take It to Court

If nothing seems to work and the contractor is not budging, perhaps your best option might be to escalate the situation and take it to court. Filing lawsuits is never easy though, so make sure to have the proper documentation solidifying your case in order to win. Lawsuits for a poor renovation job can be filed in a:

Small claims court: Small claims court cases are easier to go through and certainly more cost-effective. You aren’t obliged to hire any legal representation and if you have a solid case, defending yourself should be a walk in the park. However keep in mind, the amount that you can recover is limited depending on the state you’re in. You are typically looking at around $5,000 in damages at most.
Civil court: If you’re willing to take it up a notch further, you can take your case to a civil court. This is typically your best option if a significant portion of your time and finances has been lost because of the poor work the general contractor executed. In these cases though, hiring legal representation is a must.

Your Next Steps After Discovering Poor Contractor Work

Finding out that your contractor’s work isn’t what you expected can be really disappointing, especially after spending time and money on a project meant to make your home better. But it’s important to know that you have ways to fix this. No homeowner should have to accept something they’re not happy with. At Bluegrass Haven, we’re dedicated to making sure every remodeling job meets high standards of quality and makes our clients happy. Let us help you fix any problems with your remodeling, so your home can be the comfortable place you deserve.