Finding the right contractor

With the renovation season open, homeowners are once again reminded and cautioned by the Ministry of Consumer Services to do their homework before committing to a contractor for any work on their property.

Tips from Sophia Aggelonitis, MPP (Hamilton Mountain) and Minister of Consumer services includes:

• Getting everything in writing, resisting the temptation of an offer to work for cash and avoid the GST (and HST effective July 1)
• Avoid contractors that approach you because they are “working in your area” and notice “something wrong” that needs to get “fixed right away”.
• Do your homework, make a list of what you want to do, get written, detailed estimates from at least three contractors. Continue Reading…

Three Types of Construction, What you need to know

Many people don’t realize that contracts fall into three categories: Lump Sum Tender, Construction Management or Design/Build.  Depending on the details of your project, owners may opt for one category over another, so it’s important to know what type of contracting a job you need. Continue Reading…