‘Stop Yelling at Us’—and 5 Other Things Your Home Contractor Wishes You Knew

By Jamie Wiebe
Nov 11, 2015

Planning a major renovation can be absolutely terrifying.

First, you have to make a thousand decisions—about everything from kitchen layout to backsplash patterns to whether you want the chrome or brushed nickel finish on your faucets. And then you have to trust strangers to make those dreams a reality—without decimating your home and wallet in the process.

Putting all your faith in a contractor is tough when you’ve been bombarded with horror stories about builders going rogue or cutting corners only to present you with a mind-walloping bill at the project’s completion.

But it turns out that you have the power to influence whether a collaboration with your contractor goes well or not. Here’s how to make the process go smoothly—straight from the mouth of a contractor we trust.

1. Check out our work in person

Don’t rely on photographs to prove potential contractors know what they’re talking about, says Arthur Sadura, a New York City contractor with more than 20 years of experience.

It’s easy to make something look fantastic in a photo. In person, shoddy workmanship will reveal itself. You can easily spot cheap materials—such as composite swapped for plywood—or an obvious aversion to using a level or plumb line, leaving everything crooked. Doing your homework beforehand can mean the difference between a well-executed project and a mess that drags on for months.

2. Know what you want beforehand

No contractor expects you to know the nitty-gritty details of construction (that’s what experts are for!), but understanding the look you want—and the materials needed to achieve that look—expedites the process.

Make such decisions as pine versus oak flooring before your contractor arrives for his first day on the job.

“My favorite clients know what they want at the end of the project—and leave it up to the contractor as to how to get to that point,” Sadura says. “They’re involved in the process more than most homeowners would be. They pick out their products beforehand.”

Sure, you can delay those decisions, but that will throw off your whole timeline, and you know what they say: Time is money.

3. Assess compatibility early on

In an extended remodel, you’ll be seeing your contractor all the time—so if you think there might be personality conflicts at the outset, don’t be afraid to move on. (Potential contractors will be sizing you up for this, too.)

In Sadura’s experience, conflicts are rare—“I can tell right off the bat” if it’s not a good fit, he says—but the two times he’s encountered them, “we amicably walked away from the project and parted ways.”

But why waste a few (overly tense) days? Size up your contractor from the beginning and save yourself some cash.

4. Issues happen—learn to deal with them

If you’ve watched half an episode of any remodeling show, you know the one undeniable truth of renovations: Bad things happen.

For newer homes, this may not be an issue. An older home, on the other hand, is likely to have major problems: crumbling foundations, rotting woodwork, or roofing issues, for example.

“Once you open up floors, there could be problems,” Sadura says.

A good contractor will outline any potential issues at the beginning of the job and keep you updated throughout about any problems that occur. But getting mad because the renovation unveiled an expensive complication serves no purpose.

5. Stop with all the yelling

If things aren’t going your way, don’t vent your frustration with a raised voice. Your house may be your home, but it’s your contractor’s workplace. If you’ve chosen the right person to get the job done (see above), you need to treat them with respect.

“I will not accept a client that screams and yells at me,” Sadura says. “That’s not the way I talk to my workers.”

Failing to keep your attitude (and anxiety) in check is a fantastic way to lose a good contractor, or create a frustrated group of inefficient workers.

6. Have a problem with our crew? Let us know

During renovation, your home will play host to a number of men and women, from carpenters to electricians to your foreman. Your general contractor won’t be on-site every day—he may be managing a number of renovations besides your own—but he can quickly resolve issues if his staff is underperforming.

Did you find a man sleeping in the bathroom? Is your plumber packing away six beers a morning?

“Always contact the contractor if you have a problem with someone on the site,” Sadura says.

For a quick resolution, the foreman might be able to intervene—but still, keep your contractor abreast of the situation.