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You Get What You Pay For...
Do You Want to Risk Everything Based on Price?
Some people choose products just based on price. When making an investment to add extra living space to your home, or simply improve the layout and functionality of your home by renovating your kitchen, bathrooms, master bedroom, home office, screened patio, pool area or any other area of your home, choosing a contractor solely based on price can be dangerous.
There are hidden costs associated with using the lowest bidder.
Read this information to discover 6 Things to Consider Before Going With the Low Bidder, What You Can Expect from the Low Bidder, and what the true costs of going with the lowest price may be. This information is not meant to scare you, but intended to make sure that your story does not appear on the horror story page of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
Don’t let your project become a home remodeling nightmare.
This may be your first home remodeling experience and we would like it to be a positive one. Unscrupulous contractors that prey on homeowners in Palm Beach County, however, would like to take advantage of you. They simply want to take your deposit money and run, start your project and never finish it, or spend as little money as possible and leave you with shoddy, possibly dangerous, work.
Every homeowner wants three things – top quality products, outstanding service, and the lowest price known to mankind! The problem is that you are entitled to only two out of three – the choice is yours. The smart homeowner realizes that a contractor has to make a reasonable profit on a job to be able to provide top quality products, outstanding service, and be able to stay in business to honor their warranty in the future.
When hiring a company, we suggest that you ask the questions on the How to Select a Professional Design-Build Contractor and FAQ pages to help avoid making a costly mistake. Remember, a contractor who gives vague answers or is reluctant to put things in writing should be eliminated from your list.
Asking the design-build or remodeling contractor to provide a detailed description of the steps they will take to complete your project is totally reasonable. Then you can compare each proposal.
Leading Edge Homes has provided our pamphlet “Understanding Your Construction Project” to our clients for years. It not only specifies the steps taken on each project and when inspections occur, it also provides all the ways to contact us, what to expect before a project begins, and answers to the most commonly asked questions.
6 Things to Consider Before Going With the Low Bidder
- If the proposal has little or no details – you are headed for trouble. Honest contractors provide a detailed description of all work and products that comprise a project in their proposal.
- If the “contractor” can’t show you a copy of his Florida Certified or Florida Registered contractor’s license, which has not expired yet – show him the door. Chances are he does not have one. Without a license, you are subject to a $5,000 fine if you knowingly hire an unlicensed contractor.
- If the “contractor” can not show you a copy of a certificate of insurance for general liability, which has not expired yet – you could have to pay to repair damages the contractor or his employees may cause to your property, especially if they don’t show up until years later. Low bidders are typically improperly insured or not insured at all.
- If there is no mention of the contractor providing a notice of commencement, a waiver of lien from the contractor, waiver of lien’s from the subcontractors and suppliers, a builder’s affidavit, and a notice of termination – you could end up paying for services and materials twice or have liens placed on your property. Low bidders don’t comply with regulations and they don’t protect the consumer.
- Low bidders typically do not honor any warranty they promise to you. They don’t make enough money to stay in business over the long haul so they won’t be in business if you have a warranty claim in the future. This could cost you tens of thousands of dollars if there are structural problems. Don’t be an unnecessary victim.
- Low bidders have not included any money to keep your job site clean. Some don’t even haul away their construction debris. That’s why their price is so low. Do you want to do back-breaking manual labor to clean up their mess or foot the cost of having their debris removed?
Do yourself a favor and check out all contractors with the Better Business Bureau, Dept. of Business and Professional Regulation, and the Palm Beach County Consumer Affairs Division. You might be surprised with what you find.
Here is Just a Little of What You Can Expect from the Low Bidder
Concrete – Low bidders use concrete reinforced only with nylon or plastic fibers, not welded wire mesh. If the concrete shrinks too much (this is common in Florida), the concrete will crack far more than the fibers can hold together. Expensive repairs may be needed and extra expense will be incurred if tile needs to be installed over the cracks. Oh – and the surface will be furry!
Reinforced Walls – There have been reports of unscrupulous contractors pulling out reinforcement steel in beams and columns after it’s been inspected but before concrete is poured in so they can reuse the steel on the next job. This sounds to me like something a low bidder would do.
Windows – Well-made windows that will open and close easily for years to come, seal properly, and not fall apart prematurely cost money. Low bidders use the cheapest windows they can find and rarely install them with any care or the proper sealant.
Drywall – Bathroom walls and ceilings are subject to moisture and should be covered with moisture resistant drywall. Shower areas are subject to water and should be lined with 6 MIL plastic sheathing before being covered with cement board. Doing things the right way so they don’t have to be replaced in the future costs money that a low bidder does not have in his budget and he will not spend. Also, are you sure your low bidder isn’t using drywall from China which carries very serious health consequences and exceedingly expensive replacement costs?
Cabinets – Cheap cabinets often come from China. Many times these cabinets are stained and sealed with products banned in the United States due to health hazards. Don’t expect the miter joints on cheap cabinet doors to stay together for long and the thin vinyl covering over the particle board will not give much protection for the cabinet interiors. I also wouldn’t expect a very good installation.
Roofing – Many municipalities do not have an “in progress” inspection which allows the low bidder to cut corners. Proper installation and sealing of flashing is critical. Fastening roof tile with roofing foam is far superior to using nails which requires the accurate placement of sealant and puts lots of holes in the roof membrane. Low bidders use nails and could care less if you have unnecessary leaks in the future.
Painting – There’s cheap paint that will come off on a wet rag when it’s wiped on the wall and there’s high quality paint that is washable – some that the manufacturers claim can even be scrubbed. Cheap low bidder paint will not last long and may even peel off the surfaces because there was no money to prepare walls properly before applying paint to them.
Leading Edge Homes, Inc. believes you should know the insider information that other contractors want to keep secret so you can make an informed decision about, probably, your biggest investment. That’s why we created the “Your Dream Home Remodeling System” – our way of holding your hand so you can safely make it past low bidders and unscrupulous contractors and achieve “thrilled” status with you home remodeling project.