Is Hiring A Home Addition Contractor Based On The Cheapest Bid Smart – Avoid Becoming A Hostage!!!!

If your family is planning on a Home Remodeling Project, will you hire a home addition contractor based on the cheapest price? Hello David Pangione here from Pangione Developers Inc. We are going to touch on this topic based on what I know and have seen over the years throughout New Jersey as a Bergen County Contractor. Hopefully this prevents you and your family from becoming a hostage to a contractor that decides to simply stop building at your home.

Hiring Your Home Addition Contractor

If you’re a homeowner preparing to get bids on your remodeling project, of coarse you will want a few bids to compare each with. Often times there will be a few bids that come in lower than others. For a family on a tight budget that is trying to get all the bells and whistles stuffed into the contract, the lower price bids look awfully enticing.

However, I have seen and heard of construction firms at times make unrealistically low bids in order to get jobs. Later they will find plenty of reasons that your family will need to increase the reserve fund. At this point what is your choice, if you don’t then they either walk away or you need to find another contractor. Don’t become a hostage to this type of situation.

Choosing The Low Bid – Beware

It’s tempting to choose the low bid when the others are above your budget that you have in mind. Many times the low bid never works out and the build process starts to fall apart. I have seen it many many times. The first signs are the obvious. Slower response times from your home addition contractor which eventually leads to them not arriving on your site. Imagine yourself in the middle of a major project and your contractor disappears.

As a general contractor in New Jersey, we are presented with thousands of projects each year. I have seen first hand homeowners select lower bids. I have also seen those sites start up and eventually come to a halt. We have also received calls from those homeowners that became trapped in that situation looking for help. At times, some of these sites sit dormant for 6-12 months.

Why Be Wary? Choosing Your Home Addition Contractor

1) Start with a google search and type in something along the lines of “ Contractor leaves job unfinished” and click the “ News” tab. You will find hundreds of results. Its is simply gut wrenching that contractors would do this.These contractors walk away while the job is incomplete. Were they even licensed? How much funds were taken compared to how much work remains?

Had the homeowner performed a simple google search on the chosen general contractor, this may have been avoided.

2) These low balling contractors will provide a lower bid to get the job and contracted. Unfortunately the project usually is lacking many finished items. Also miscellaneous costs such as debris removal, painting, permits and allowances are not included. These types of items the homeowner wont discover until its too late. In order to avoid these problems, make sure the contract is thorough. A detailed contract will prevent this from happening.

3) If the lower bid is 16% lower than its competitors, you aren’t getting the same job. This should raise a red flag immediately. The next thing to do is to see exactly what is different. An unsuspecting homeowner needs to be aware of why there is such a difference in pricing and not just assume everything is covered.

4) Don’t be fooled by the nice person act. Check the references. When I state to check references, make sure the reference pertains to a similar job. If your having an entire home remodeled, make sure the reference isn’t a family that just had a bathroom remodeled. Makes sense….

5) Is the contractor licensed? Most states require a contractor to have a home improvement license. The ones that don’t, obviously they wont play by the rules with the state nor with you. Here they avoid paying the costs associated with being insured and certified.

If your family is seriously thinking about hiring a general contractor with a low bid, make sure you perform your due diligence. You will be surprised how many projects I personally see  while driving in which construction has completely halted in all stages of the build. Don’t become a hostage to low bidding contractors.

David Pangione

About the author:

David Pangione is a 3rd generation builder. David grew up in a family of 4 boys during the 70’s, Dave says “ mom would ship me off to work with dad as early as 5 years old. I grew up on job sites with dad as he built thousands of homes in the tri state area. It is during these years that I learned building inside and out.”

Over the years David has built an amazing reputation having formed Pangione Developers in 2000 specifically for those families interested in Entire Home Remodeling. Specifically home addition and add a level packages.

David also hosts a video channel on youtube featuring over 900 Major Home Remodeling Videos all filmed on location in New Jersey.

See the video channel here: CLICK HERE

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Better Business Bureau Review

David let’s his customers do the talking. Read amazing BBB reviews from our customers. These reviews are based on Entire Home Remodels in New Jersey. These families had the same questions and concerns as you prior to the build. You will be amazed.. CLICK HERE

Want more:

See our website http://www.BergenCountyContractors.info

Here you will find thousands of pages of information pertaining to Major Home Remodeling.

Want to speak with Dave?

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( 201 )–774-3733

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Home Improvements – Add a Levels vs Home Additions