I am so disgusted with one of my contractors, I thought he had changed his bad ways. I was told he could get work done in a quick manner, but I should have asked for references of the work he had done. Mistake 1) Ask for referrals of the work you are asking to have done. See examples, review past work, speak to the owners and find out if they enjoyed the work.
I should have laid out a project schedule of when things were to take place, electrician, plumbing, roof, paint, kitchen etc. I should have made the contractor sign an agreement that he pays me money each day that he goes 7 days past the drop dead date. Mistake 2) Get a project plan, and a good agreement to hold the contractor's feet to the fire.
Followup by phone, email, or text is one thing, but you cannot escape progress or lack of it when you mandate that the contractor needs to be there to see the progress. I would prefer to pay contractors onsite and see them face to face and pay them based on reviewing their work. It works better and is easier to validate their work. While I still have a large amount in escrow with the contractor, Mistake 3) Paying people by echeck or check without being in person.
Add up all these mistakes, and it makes it hard to sleep, function and live. If married, your spouse will notice and your health will suffer as the fear is an issue. Learn from mistakes and find other people who can work with you and your parameters. Don't settle for contractors based on referral, do you due diligence and check backgrounds of people! Good luck!
Jack
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