Guest Blogger: Top Tips for Resolving a Home Contractor Dispute

 Guest Blogger #731, Entry #1707, October 9, 2012

Hiring a contractor for home renovations can definitely be a harrying process. Not only do you have to find a vendor that is willing to work with your budget and deadline, but you also need to secure the services of a professional that you trust. After all, your home is in his hands. And if you can’t get any referrals from family and friends you may find yourself winging it by going through a directory. In short, you could end up with a contractor that doesn’t work out as well as you hope. And whether you end up in a dispute over the cost of the project, the work to be done, the amount of time it will take, or some other aspect of the remodeling process, you might find yourself in a pretty bad spot, with work only partially complete and a contractor that refuses to move forward for one reason or another. So what can you do to resolve the issue? Here are a few tips.

Start with a clear contract before you enter into a home improvement project

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Start with a clear contract.

When you have an ironclad contract in place at the start of your project, conflicts are far less likely. Aside from having the power of a legal document to bolster your position on any issue, a written contract signed by both parties means that any changes your contractor wishes to make will result only through renegotiation, which gives you the opportunity to gain some advantage. For example, if your contractor needs more time to finish the project, you may be able to negotiate a lower price for this allowance. Just keep in mind that setbacks and overages do occur on such jobs, so your contractor will likely want a little wiggle room in the contract.

Talk it out.

The best thing to do in any conflict situation is sit down and talk like rational adults. You have wants and needs and your contractor does, too. Since this is your home you have an obvious emotional investment at stake (in addition to the monetary expenditure). But for your contractor it’s just another job. So don’t make it so difficult that he takes a walk. If he is the one being unreasonable then you might be stuck with a problem. But you can do your part to work through a dispute by making an effort to meet your contractor halfway through rational discourse.

Cave to his demands.

Nobody wants to pay more to replace ancient pipes that were hiding under the floorboards when they only budgeted for a cosmetic bathroom remodel, but if you want your build to be up to code you might have to cave to your contractor’s suggestions. Or if you need to get back in your house post haste, you might be willing to pay more to get your contractor to shake a leg, even though it’s not your fault that he’s behind schedule. Always remember that you have legal recourse after the fact if you’re somehow dissatisfied.

Try and resolve problems between you and the contractor

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Sue.

Unfortunately, you may be unable to resolve a dispute with a contractor any other way. As long as you have a contract in place and you can prove that he broke it you may have a case for reimbursement of some sort.

Hire someone else.

If you’re at the end of your rope with your current contractor, it may be time to start reading business reviews to find someone else. Just remember that if you break the contract before your vendor does you could be on the hook to pay him regardless of how much work he has (or hasn’t) completed.

For more home improvement ideas on Stagetecture, click here.