by Neil B. Ulder

The average person works 44 hours per week and commutes in excess of one hour each way.  With this being the case people seem to have much less time for doing things around the house.  When it comes time to consider doing major projects like remodeling usually the best solution in these instances is hiring a bathroom remodeling contractor.

The bathroom is the most used room in the house.  The challenge when remodeling a bathroom is to plan it out carefully so that the job can be completed as quickly as possible with as little inconvenience as possible.  The second obstacle though is finding someone who can appreciate and understand your needs and will complete the job quickly for you.

Many of our customers begin the process of bathroom remodeling by looking in the Yellow Pages.  There is a lot to choose from.  However, if you try this you will quickly find that many of the numbers have been disconnected.  The second thing our customers find is that from the numbers that you have contacted you often will receive very few callbacks.  The reason for this is that many contractors consider bathroom remodeling to be one of those tiny jobs they will only do during the quiet times of their business.
The most effective way to select a bathroom remodeling contractor is to ask family and friends that have had their bathrooms remodeled and worked effectively with the contractor.

Good references are worth their weight in gold.  Taking on a job of this nature without references is usually a precursor to problems.  Another possibility to consider is to visit a home warehouse center and request a list of recommended contractors.  This provides a good starting point but always get and check references before you hire a contractor.  

 It is common business practice to ask for references.
The word contractor is derived from the word contract.  This is very important to understand because you need to get everything in writing.  Agreements are essential but documenting those agreements is what keeps the integrity in the transaction.  Things like materials, time and payments schedules need to be worked out and determined before work can begin.

We have found that a minimal down payment for materials is normal.  You want to make sure there is an incentive for the contractor to finish the job.  The strongest incentive to getting the job done is the contractor knowing that they will not get paid until the job is done to your satisfaction.
Follow these simple guidelines to find a professional that will get your project done and fixed on time.