How to Find & Keep Good Contractors
By, Maura McGraw
Finding good contractors can be very difficult, so here are a few tips that might help you find and keep good contractors.
1 – Trusted Referrals
The best way to find good contractors is through referrals. If someone that you know and trust refers you to a contractor, that is usually a solid start. A trusted friend or business relationship will want you to have a good experience, so they will usually only refer you to contractors who have done good work for them in the past. In this way, your friend or business partner has already done part of the vetting process for you.
A great source for trusted referrals is experienced realtors. Any good realtor who has been working in the industry for a while will have a solid network of industry contacts, including contractors. Additionally, if a realtor does not personally have a good contact for you, they are usually connected with a brokerage that will have a larger database of contacts and resources that they can reference for you. Other good sources for contractor referrals are property managers and other good contractors.
Numerous online resources can also assist you in your search for good contractors like Angi’s List, Thumbtack, and local real estate investor groups on Facebook.
2 – Other Ways to Build Your Database
I use two other methods to build my company’s database of contractors daily. The first method is to take photos of contractor trucks while I am driving to and from my job sites (caveat–I drive a Tesla and do this when I’m driving on autopilot). I then upload the photos to a Google Photo Album and then add the contact information to our database when I get back to my desk. I made a TikTok video about this recently to show the simple process. Over time, you can easily build up a large database by doing this.
- Tik Tok Video Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@realestatemamma/video/6965948701093154054?lang=en&is_copy_url=0&is_from_webapp=v1&sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6980302514633852421
- Here you can see my real Google Photo Album for the contacts I have collected over the past few months.
Although these contacts are not vetted like the referral contractors, this will at least give you several options of people to call over time.
A similar strategy is to go to your local Lowes or Home Depot early in the morning a few days per week to seek out contractors. Many good contractors start their days by picking up materials at Lowes or Home Depot, so you can either record the contact information from the many work trucks in the parking lots or you can directly approach some of the contractors and talk to them about what you are looking for.
3 – The Trial Period
Once you have some contractor contacts in your database, it is important to test them on small projects before setting them loose on a large project. Even if someone is highly recommended to you, it is best to make sure that they work well with you on a small project before giving them a big project. If a contractor does well on a small project, try to give them a slightly larger project soon after, and move up from there. Even though a contractor might work well for a friend, that does not necessarily mean that they will be the right fit for you. Unfortunately, trial and error is just part of the process.
4 – Holding On to a Good Thing
Good contractors are in high demand, so once you find a good one, you will need to put forth some effort to hold on to him or her. Make sure you do basic things well–set clear expectations, give positive feedback, and make sure that you pay on time. Being pleasant to work with goes a long way.
Another thing that we started doing recently is showing gratitude for a job well done by giving our good contractors a cool gift at the end of a completed project with a note expressing our thanks for their hard work. Here is an example of a gift that we gave to two of our contractors upon completing a project recently (along with their final paycheck).
A small gesture like this can help set you apart from others and can go a long way towards building loyalty.
COMPANY UPDATES
We have a new property on the market–169 Bayview Drive, Daphne AL 36526. Check it out and share it with any friends who might be interested in a newly renovated home in Lakeforest.
We wish all of you a Happy 4th of July Weekend!
