uknowa

Finding a Contractor

So there you are: you've planned out your renovation or you're finally really in need of that repair and it's time to hire a contractor to do the job. And strangely, despite there being tens of thousands of contractors in places like the GTA, it's still really difficult to find one.

To complicate things futher, while finding the right contractor for your job is the end result, you won't need to just find one, you'll have to find multiple to ensure you will have a choice between price, quality, and the time your job will take to complete.

Homeowners often ask, "how many contractors should I find?" and we like to refer to Mike Holmes book, Make it Right for an answer. Wisely, Mike recommends going well beyond the 3 contractors most customers seek out. In fact, he recommends you check out "way more than three" contractors. We think that's bang on.

Friends and Family

This is likely your first place to answer the question, "you know a good contractor?" Ask your friends and ask your friends to ask theirs - get as many first-hand accounts as possible. Ask to see that friend's renovation if possible and be sure to check out our lesson on References to know what you should ask them.

We want to remind you here, however, to always be a bit wary of references from friends and family. First off, if the contractor is a friend or friend of the family, there could be a bias in their referral. Perhaps they want to get their friend some extra business - who knows. But more importantly, remember that contractors on larger jobs work in teams and the team that worked on your friend or family's renovation may not be the same team that works on yours, despite it being the same contractor.

Online search and directories

Our customers overwhelmingly tell us that their next stop for search is Google and other rating and review sites. This is a great next stop. The thing to watch for here is that a search engine's ranking is not related to a contractor's quality. Just because a contractor appears at the top of your search, that by no means indicates that they are the best in the city, or even a business that is used or searched for often! Check on those businesses by searching specifically for their business name. See who has written about them and see who links back to them. If the websites that link back are legitimate - i.e. not just spam sites - it's a good sign. If they're linked back from sites that verify their qualifications like your municipality or sites like ours, it's an even better sign.

Neighbours and Fliers

One really great way of finding a contractor is simply by collecting and saving those ads you receive all year from local contractors in your area. Local is good because you can then often find other neighbours who may have used their services. Again, check out our section on References for what to ask and always, try to see the job if possible.

Online Classifieds

Websites like Craigslist + Kijiji are great for buying and selling items locally and with a quick turnaround. They are an interesting way to start your contractor search but if you choose to use them, remember that contractors can list their businesses there completely anonymously and for free. This should be a last-ditch place to look if you really can't find someone. Just be sure that you read our other sections to know how to verify their businesses are legit.

Sites like uknowa

If searching for contractors doesn't sound like the way you like to spend the first two weeks of your renovation, sites like ours offer a way of posting a job and having contractors come to you. Our word of advice here is to ensure you read how these businesses use your information. Many of them will get you a 'quote' by simply taking your contact information and forwarding it to their contractors. Whatever service you choose to use (we do recommend ours, of course! :) ) just make sure your personal data is being handled securely and that the site really can get you quotes instead of just spam and phone calls.