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The Right Contractor

By Dave Henderson
Thursday, November 8, 2007

With the destruction of over 400 homes in our local mountains, many of our neighbors will be dealing with the need to rebuild and start the next "post fire" phase of their lives. In a disaster such as this, many con artists see this as an opportunity to take advantage of those who have lost their homes. In an effort to help our neighbors make informed decisions about choosing the right contractor, I conducted an interview with a licensed contractor who can shed light on the right questions to ask when making a decision.

The following is information obtained during my interview with Troy Walker of HSH Custom Builders, a licensed contractor in Running Springs and RIMOFTHEWORLD.net sponsor.

LISCENSED BY THE CSLB

Contractors must hold a valid contractors license to perform construction work over $500. A contractor should make their license number readily available to you and the license number should match the name the contractor is doing business under. It is monumentally important to verify that the contractor has a valid license. This is the first and most important thing that you can do to protect yourself. A contractor's status can be checked with the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) at http://www.CSLB.ca.gov.

An unlicensed contractor performing construction work without a valid license in a natural disaster area is subject to FELONY charges. Keep in mind that the individual willing to take this kind of chance is doing so with the expectation of profiting from you.

INSURANCE

WORKER'S COMPENSATION

Worker's Compensation coverage is compulsory for contractors with employees. When researching contractors, verify the existence of worker's compensation coverage for the contractor's employees. You can check the CSLB profile on potential contractors at http://www.CSLB.ca.gov. You should also request a certificate of insurance in your name directly from the contractor and then call the insurer to verify that coverage is in place.

GENERAL LIABLILITY

General Liability coverage is an additional protection for property owners. It protects you from unforeseen events, which could occur due to the contractor's presence on your property. This coverage is not mandatory for contractors but most legitimate contractors have the coverage. You can check this coverage by requesting a certificate of insurance from the contractor. At the least, a contractor is required to notify you whether or not they carry General Liability at contract signing.

CONTRACT IN WRITING

Get it in writing. CSLB rules require a contract for any work over $500.

A contract with your builder lays out the nature of your relationship. A good contract sets pricing, beginning and completion dates, the scope of work to be performed, and addresses the many circumstances that could occur during your project. It is a template of the working relationship with your contractor and should be detailed and specific. Additionally, a legitimate contractor will provide you with state mandated notices on subjects such as Lien Rights and Releases. Take the time to go through the contract and notices. Spending a few minutes up front going over the details could save you days or weeks dealing with frustrating or potentially costly issues down the road.

DEPOSIT GUIDELINES AND CANCELATION

Contractors during normal circumstances are required to offer you a 3-day right to cancel a contract. During an emergency, you have 7 DAYS TO CANCEL. You should be notified of your cancellation rights at the contract signing.

NEVER give a contractor, licensed or otherwise, a deposit of more than $1000 or 10% of the project amount. State law dictates that a contractor must only accept the lesser of the two amounts; meaning that on a $5000 project the maximum deposit amount is $500.

REFERENCES

A contractor should be anxious to provide you references and proud of the work that they have done in the past. If your prospective contractor does not offer references up front, request them. Check out the contractor's references by asking about the quality of their work, if the contactor finished on schedule, and if the contractor was professional throughout the construction process. Also, ask the contractor directly about past projects. Hearing the contractor's account of a project, walking former projects, or even looking over pictures can go a long way towards making sure you are choosing the right contractor.

BUILDING PERMITS

Building permits are required for most any job that is performed on your home. If a contractor tries to tell you that a permit is not needed for a job, he is one that you should avoid. That is a major red flag. It is the property owner's responsibility to ensure that one is in place prior to the start of a project. The building and safety department is there to protect you from poor building practices. If you have a question about what you see during the building process ask the building department, they are there to help protect you. If in the middle of the job your contractor is performing sloppy work, stop the project and seek advice.

THE BENEFIT OF HIRING LOCAL CONTRACTORS

Hiring a local contractor is a great way to ensure additional accountability. Local contractors have a vested interest in the community. Walker said, "We believe in the mountain communities, as it is our home as well as yours. Our reputation on the mountain makes or breaks our operation and pleasing you is the only avenue to maintain our standing. Hiring local contractors who use local suppliers such as Deer Lick Lumber and Rim Forest Lumber boosts our mountain economy. Using local businesses, which fund local employees, keeps our community strong and enables the mountain as a whole to offer higher quality and more diverse goods and services. Your rebuild or repair could play a key role in the future of our community and help to facilitate others to do the same".

HSH Custom Builders is based in Running Springs and is managed by Troy Walker. Troy can be contacted at (909) 867-9501.

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Dave Henderson is the Vice-President of Operations for RIMOFTHEWORLD.net and it's parent company Vicinitas, LLC. Dave is the commercial and operational manager for the site.

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of RIMOFTHEWORLD.net. This column is copyrighted by Dave Henderson.