Our contractor went out of business after receiving a huge deposit from us so let us be a model for what not to do with a contractor. Do not hire a contractor that hasn't been referred to you by someone you know. That is the best advice I can give. Even though we had a referred contractor, we went with the other "guy" because they had a showy showroom, bigger staff, better design overall plus they were cheaper. That shows you that it doesn't matter. 9 months later and after additional incurred cost including lawyer fees we went with the "referred" contractor and our remodel is going well. Make sure they are licensed with your state. Ask for references and see an actual kitchen that was completed by the contractor. Good luck

Finding a contractor is kind of like dating. If you call and they don't call back, they're just not that into you. If they're not into you and you're going to be PAYING them, you need to find the next INTERESTED contractor. It doesn't get better once they have you in contract, it usually gets worse. Find a contractor who wants your business, treats you like a client (like returns your calls, answers your questions and seems professional and qualified). It's a very long and challenging process so go with your gut when it comes to picking your contractor.

What jf595 said is the best advice: "Do not hire a contractor that hasn't been referred to you by someone you know. That is the best advice I can give." There are a lot of people out there who know just what to say until the day they show up to do a job, small or large. I learned the hard way on a small job.

Get names from architects, friends, great subcontractors you might know, and high end stores that sell tile, lighting, windows etc.

I agree with fern4 - word of mouth is the best way. I ended up using the contractor that my cabinet guy referred me to, but when I was looking for one I posted to all the local Internet lists I am on to ask for referrals.(many municipalities have informal Yahoo lists or other forums for residents to talk to each other) I got quite a few. Ask everybody you know who has had any work done in the last 3 years for a referral.

Great advice so far, I completely agree. I talked to 3-4 contractors after I got my first plans, only 1 sent me a bid (which I thought was high and didn't feel comfortable with the guy anyway). The rest just did not call or return my calls, they were simply not interested in my tiny remodel. All these were recommended by 2 different kitchen design places.

Another contractor was recommended by a coworker ... he walked into my house with "I'm in the middle of $800K addition but we may be able to squeeze you in" ... right, I'm not dumb. Of course I haven't heard from him.

I got desperate and started to ask absolutely everybody I knew, met, heard about ... :)))

Then some friends recommended me a guy they've been working with and extremely happy. He doesn't advertise (gets more than enough referrals), has just 1-2 people working for him ... He came, actually couple times to check different things before giving me an estimate, always called when he said so, returned calls, just a dream contractor. I got an estimate but he's billing me for actual expenses along the way. I know if I told anyone we don't have a written contract (oops, now you know!) they'd think I'm crazy but I felt extremely comfortable going this route -- because of my friends excellent references and their experience. They did exceptionally excellent job on everything, the one mistake they made they acknowledged, fixed, absolutely no problem. I just could not wish for anybody better. Communication and integrity are crucial.

LOL, Petra. You could be talking about my guy. My contractor started yesterday and handed me a handwritten contract of sorts - he had given us a verbal and we had nothing in writing, including a start date. He calls when he is on his way, he works clean and is an absolute sweetheart. Once he came in to give us an estimate we never even called anybody else for one. I have no idea where he falls on the $$ spectrum, but he seems fair for the job. His references RAVED and I feel absolutely comfortable with him.

My suggestion after three contractors is....

Interview seven contractors at once. Line them up against a brick wall when "chatting" about the design, and then whip out a pistol...start shooting...the one who escapes is probably your guy/gal :o) At least you know they can move fast when properly motivated...

(Oh hush contractors!!!! I'm kidding....kind of) :OP

Do you have a good relationship with your realtor? The woman who helped us purchase our house has been an amazing resource for references on all sorts of tradespeople. She's been in the business of decades and knows everyone. Plus, as our foundation guy told us,"if I do a bad job for you, and you tell Chris (my agent) I may never work in this town again!"

We got our best lead from my midwife/gp. If you can't trust her, who can you trust? Seriously, though, ask your doctor, massage therapist, hairstylist, etc. People babble about all kinds of things when they're in the chair/on the table, and you can end up with some good recommendations.

We weren't as happy with most of our realtor's recommendations, but maybe that was our unique experience. She didn't know what she was talking about, just had a convenient network from whom she probably got kickbacks. Sorry, realtors out there. I really think it was just the one. Do keep in mind, though, that some professional house builders, remodelers, and sellers will give you references just from their network, not from their positive experience.

raynag, that's exactly the kind of relationship I'm talking about! My guy is 75yr-old, so sweet, patient with my 'how do you do this' questions, SO proud of his work (well, he has a good reason to), and his estimate was about a half of the 1&only other estimate I got. He's also making me a free-standing cabinet for mw etc at less than a half of what my cabinetmaker asked for.

cate1337 is right, the professional network is out there waiting for innocent remodelers to suck them in :)

WHOOP THERE HE IS! May I share some golden advice for you about finding a contractor? This advice is worth thousands of dollars.

My advice is to learn how to search public records in your county, adjacent/neighboring counties, and state online. Most information that I am telling you to research can be done online. If you find something that you need to go 'eyeball' (like complete court case files), then do so. Due dilligence does not take long. This is more than an ounce of prevention. This will protect your sanity, your investments, your marriage, and your health... and may keep you out of prison. Rage comes hard and furiously fast when you find that you've been screwed when you've been nothing but upfront, honest, and hard working.

1. Shop for a contractor like you'd shop for a great hair colourist/hairdresser. BE PICKY, PICKY, PICKY. Don't just go by one referral from a friend or family member. Get several references. Go see new homes in your area and find out 'who' did the cabinets. If the same name pops up many times, then you **might** have the right guy. (More on this later.)

2. VERY IMPORTANT: Go to YOUR State's Division of Corporations web site and look up ALL the names associated with a potential contractor's business name(s), personal name, incorporated names, and fictitious names, as well as, cross searching for any other names that appear. Research if he/she is a partner in other businesses of similar nature. IF you find that your contractor has changed incorporated business names multiple times or operates with several business names out of the same location, then this is a
DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! SIGN. Also, ON THE SAME SITE, BE SURE TO check out if he has any outstanding liens, judgments, or debts on that same site. (More on this later.) It's easy to find info if you know where to look. Most of you won't have to leave your home for this search. For reference, my state of Florida's web site is http://www.sunbiz.org.

3. DO THIS BEFORE YOU EVER MEET WITH A POTENTIAL CONTRACTOR THAT YOU MAY WANT TO HIRE: Once you have a potential contractor's name that you think you can trust to do business with pull up your county's Clerk of the Court's web site and search for any and all civil records for court cases with your contractor's personal name and all business names. You may be SHOCKED at what you find. You man not be able to read the entire details of a case, but you can certainly pull up final judgments from those cases. You can also see if your contractor files liens on his clients. IF you don't find court cases, you may find a slew of liens. Liens tell me as much about a contractor and the way he communicates with people as a thug with a baseball bat. Some people threaten and try to intimidate instead of finishing a job correctly. A lot of people fear liens on their property more than court, even when the clients know they are right. They **think** the law will be on the side of the contractor OR they don't want their neighbors seeing they "had a problem" with a contractor. Remember, I know it's hard to believe, but there are liars and thieves out there that prey on individuals IF YOU LET THEM.

4. Do the same research on your potential contractor in neighboring county's Clerk of the Court records, too. Pigs sling mud far and wide when they operate. I found six cases on the shoddy cabinet maker I hired.

5. IF you find nothing significant on your potential contractor, then meet with them. When you decide to hire, make sure every single architectural design element and costs associated with the designs, detailed drawings, inspiration photos, a list of every model number/color/size of every single element you want is written down and included in the contract.

6. WHEN YOU CHOOSE YOUR CABINET: Have a cabinet maker ORDER YOU A SAMPLE DOOR, then have them paint or stain your sample door showing the process to be done to your door, with each coat of product to be shown. Make sure your sample door is the EXACT DOOR PROFILE and WOOD TYPE you desire. When the sample is finished and approved, then cut the door in half so you will have 'your half' for court, should you go there. Tell the cabinet maker you want to match flooring, counters, etc., so you MUST have the door.

7. If you expect a light in a cabinet, then YOU do the research and make sure that you have the EXACT model/color/size/number of puck lights is listed. IF you do not, then you are leaving a huge element of interpretation wide open for improvisation.

8. Get a colored copy of everything thing you sign. Please take the time to see 'why' this is so very important. Read the below ordeal that could happen to any of you.

I hired my sister's cabinet maker. I LOVE her cabinets! The same "wonderful guy" became my shoddy cabinetmaker. When I got to the cabinetmaker, he was desperate for money and promised to make me proud. I am proud, too. I am very proud that I did not commit bodily harm to this guy.

Don't be like me saying, "Whoop! There he is!" Fix yourself a rum and soda or cup of coffee and share in a life experience I hope to never repeat, nor would wish this on my least favorite person. Let this be a warning...

My Day in Court with CabFiascoGuy
My Day in Court with CabFiascoGuy II
Judgment

Sherilynn - great great great advice! and to some it may seem like overkill but until you have been burned, you will realize it is not, just protection for your hard earned money. I would also add not to go into any agreement without a contract! Critical. You may have a good relationship with your contractor, good vibes and may get lucky but when things take a turn for the worse and have to prove things in court, it becomes a he said, she said game that could be avoided with a contract. Have your contractor detail all the work that is expected and include (very important) a completion date. I would also get permits. Also in your contract try not to put down a huge deposit, stagger it throughout the cycle of the project. The last payment should be a substantial one like maybe 30% of the overall cost because if you near the end, and have any issues or contractor doesn't finish in a timely manner, you have no leverage with him/her because most of the project would have already been paid for.

jf595, I totally agree. I had a very detailed contract and did as you suggested. The judge even commented on how detailed the contract was. CFG wanted to take credit for what I made positive was put in the contract. The judge did not believe him for a second when he tried to say that he was the deatil oriented party.

I eventually gave $10,000 to CabFiascoGuy, staggered. I went to see *MY KITCHEN CABINETS* at his shop, too, before I gave him each check. HE DID A BAIT AND SWITCH deal with my cabinets. I did not 'see' the actual unpainted door profile that he ordered "for me" until two days before he was to install. The cabinet doors and hood that I saw when I visited his shop, that he identified as mine, which was exactly what I ordered, obvioiusly went into someone else's kitchen!!!! I am getting sick thinking about all of this again...

If I had to do it again, I would also have at least 25% of my final payment withheld until I was happy with the install. SOME Subs don't blink walking away from the final 10% for punch-out issues when they have a huge downpayment waiting on them for their 'next job'.

i made two appointments with two different contractors last week, neither of them showed up or called! I just don't get it. We've met with others, and their estimates range from 7K to 15K. I am fairly certain that 15K is a ridiculous amount for my modest remodel (which entails no structural work, just take out the old and put in the new). ALso, he is requesting 50 % downpayment AT SIGNING, NOT when the work commences. Since there are no materials he needs to buy (this is the installer, NOT the cabinet maker), i am wondering what is up with this guy. He actually has good reviews on Angieslist. Anyway, I am wary about going with 7K guy, though he also comes with glowing recommendations, as people on this site have warned against going with the lowest estimate. Any thoughts??
thanks,
LC

A very good friend had her old kitchen cabinets taken out and new ones installed. She paid $2,500 to a sub to do this about two years ago.

If you have a couple of handy Dan's or sons around, it's not rocket science taking down cabinets. Most are installed with a few screws or on a notched board and they will lift off the wall. Of course, the counters can be a bear depending on what you have to remove.

I got a guy to give me an estimate for he and a helper to take down my parents kitchen (12'x 10'). He said $500 and figured it would take no more than a day to dismantle and remove everything.

lacuisine- I worked for AL for years. Most AL members (not all) just want someone to handle it, so be sure to check the actual job prices instead of the grades. If they have a ton (20+) of reports, they should be ok. I know some contractors charge like that to make sure people actually go through with the job at the stated time rather than flaking and/or trying to reschedule 55 times.

And some people just don't realize how much they're worth, or they charge less since they have less overhead (a GC with a full time job who builds houses on the side and works from his truck will cost less than a company with a showroom, for example).