Contractor Work Order Request
How to pick a paint contractor!
1. The best place to get referrals for a painter is either from friends and family or by going to you local paint store and requesting the names of reputable contractors. Make sure to call at least 3-5 painters for bids.
2. When you are scheduling a painter to come and give you a bid, make sure to request that they bring along a list of at least 2-3 references and proof of liability insurance. Also, any bid should always be free of charge. If a contractor charges for a bid then you don’t want them.
3. When the contractor arrives, make sure that he/she is courteous, respectful of your home, and has a pleasant attitude. The actual amount of time a contractor takes doing a bid is not that important. However, a contractor normally will take measurements, inspect any problem areas, and ask relevant questions. If a contractor does not do at least 2 of these 3 things then a warning flag should be raised in your mind. When I was a painting contractor, I would rarely take more than 10 or 15 minutes for a bid. If a contractor spends an hour giving you a bid for one room, then that should also be a warning, as they are likely to take much longer than usual on your job or try to sit around and chat instead of working. Also, do not expect a contractor to give you a price on the spot. Most contractors prefer to take the information back to their office and work out a price. It is better that the contractor give you a definite price rather then just a quick estimate. During he bid be sure to make your desires known for the job. Make sure they are clear on what is being painted, how many coats of paint you want to be applied, what order you want rooms painted in (example: kitchen first then the den), how long the job will take, and any other concerns or questions you may have.
4. When you receive the bids, remember that the lowest bid is not always the best one to go with. The same can be said for the highest bid. You need to look at the cost of each bid, the details on the bid, and think about how comfortable you felt about each of the contractors. Many times the bid in the middle is the best one to go with, but not always. When you choose the contractor, make sure you spell out the terms of payment for the job. Many times a painter will request 50% up front for the job and the rest when they are finished. Also, make sure both parties are clear about the start date and on who is responsible for picking up the painting materials.
5. When the contractor arrives, do not hover around them. This distracts the contractor and I can say from personal experience that a client who hovers is a real irritation and tends to get in the way. However, don’t hesitate to stop in and check out the progress once in a while. If you see something that you don’t like, make sure to say something right away before it’s too late to fix. Remember, the contractor is working for you, and since you are paying the bill, you deserve to get the job completed in the way that you agreed upon. When the contractor is finished, make sure that they clean up after themselves. Lastly, make sure to walk around and inspect the job before you give them final payment and they leave.
6. If you find problems after the contractor leaves, contact them immediately. Any reputable contractor will stop by to correct the problem as quickly as quickly as they can. If you have a problem with a contractor doing a shoddy job and not fixing major mistakes, then you are well within your rights to call the Better Business Bureau and to threaten a small claims suit against them. If you take all of the steps listed above, then you will most likely never have to worry about this unpleasant situation.
About the Author
Steve
Previously owned and ran Gunther’s Painting LLC
Many years of experience in the commercial and residential field
http://www.thepaintprofessional.com/
What is the best route to take for continued delayed payment under contract?
I work as an Independent Contractor with various cliental mostly with organizations that assist acadmic and leisure establishments by providing them with the arts and the artist. As a working artist I have wittness time and time again unfortunately how artist are taking advantage of by the very people who are suppose to be arts advocates. I know that some just jump on the ban wagon so to speak for the grant monies. The situation is this…the after school program that I was contracted to do stated that I’m to be paid bi-monthly. In order to be paid I must fill out a timesheet and submit it on the due date. The PS says at times she doesn’t receive all of the timesheets over the facts due to so many people grabbing at the stack. So, I started scanning and sending over email with request confirmation of received. She doese not like me and nor does the director, but they can never say I do not give what was contracted out to do. Now they sit on my money until they are ready to give it.
This is illegal. They are not allowed to sit on it because they do not like you. Who contracted you? What company’s name is on the paycheck? Call the person ins charge of payroll for this company. Go over her/his head to the office manager. Explain nicely without pointing fingers that there seems to be a problem with the system because you do not get paid like you should. Ask is there anything you could do to get paid on a more regular basis. Ask the person’s name and write it down with the date you talked to them and what you talked about. If the person is not helpful go over their head. If she says their is no one over her head ask to speak to the owner. If this does not get you anywhere write a letter to the company explaining the situation and that you are filing a complaint with the labor board. Document everything! Usually a complaint to the labor board will get you results because a labor board investigation is usually unnerving for most businesses.
Work Order Express – Automatic Shop-Load Scheduling
In by gone days all a contractor had to do was give the customer good quality and good service and he/she would be set. Then set back and let your customers do your selling for you. They would tell a friend and then that friend would tell a friend. Your phone would be ringing off the hook. I remember as an Architectural designer some days I would have up to four people wanting to schedule appointments for designs. Those days are long gone! But Fear Not! Click Here For Help
