In this series I'll be talking about tips on how to choose the right bathroom contractor. That being said, there's no such thing as the "right" contractor for everyone. Your choice in contractor will be affected mainly by two factors:
- Budget
We all want to get the most value for our money, I think that goes without saying. Even if you had all the money in the world to spend on your bathroom, you probably aren't looking to get ripped off or to pay more for something than what it's worth. However, as the old saying goes, "You get what you pay for."
For example: Let's say you're on a very slim budget and you have the time and expertise to do some of the work yourself, but you need a plumber. The least expensive contractor for this job is the "guy working out of the back of a truck". I don't mean get a dodgy contractor. I mean by hiring a contractor with little or no overhead, you're eliminating some of the cost of getting the work done, because you're going direct to the source of the work: the plumber. If you can find a ticketed, journeyman/woman plumber who is self employed with no office to run and no overhead, most likely that contractor will charge you a modest hourly rate and material cost. If budget is your only concern, this may be the way to go.
Same situation, but you don't mind spending a little more on plumbing? Well if you hire a service company out of the phone book, the same plumber will carry a much higher hourly rate (probably 50% or more), materials cost plus a fee, travel time or a "trip fee", plus possibly a "truck fee" as well. This isn't necessarily because the service company is a rip-off. It's because it has lots of overhead that you're paying for: employee benefits, payroll expenses, worker's compensation insurance, accounting costs, advertising costs (so that you could find them quickly and easily), the cost of stocking inventory in a company vehicle that has maintenance costs and fuel costs, etc. etc. etc. You get what you pay for in that you invested very little time to find and contact them, and they will (hopefully) arrive on time at almost anytime that you need them, with the necessary materials stocked in their van, providing proper invoicing and a good warranty on their work backed by a solid reputation.
The same goes if you're hiring a general contractor to take care of all the work. Now you're paying someone to not only perform the work, but to coordinate and manage all the disparate portions of the work being done. Of course a contractor will cost more, but they can also save you money by having things organized properly and by using their well-established resources and vendors. Also, the time you don't need to invest in the project can now be spent earning money, presumably by doing something that you're better at than contracting. And if, for example, you want to go away on vacation and come home to a finished project, your only choice is to pay extra for a contractor or project manager.
Now ask yourself these questions: Do you want a contractor who will also design and specify your project? Do you want one with a good warranty and good reputation? Do you want proper record keeping, invoicing and a clear-cut written contract? Do you want a contractor who's properly insured and certified? Do you want them to take special care protecting your home and property from damage during construction? Do you want a contractor who will return your calls quickly and deal with (the inevitable) problems with professionalism and courtesy? These are all things that can add to the cost of hiring a contractor because they add to their overhead. By accepting the lowest bid without asking these questions, you're bound to get the wrong contractor for your job, because once again, you get what you pay for.
In the next article we'll talk about another vital consideration in finding your contractor: Personality.
Also see my series on Bathroom Design.