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When you need contracted labor completed, and you've never had that type of work done on your property before, you may not know how to find a contractor, or where to even begin looking. Obviously, you want to ensure that you find someone who is reliable, affordable, experienced, and has a good reputation among their previous clients. But how do you ensure that you're getting all of those things from a contractor? Here are 3 ways that you can try finding a contractor along with the pros and cons of each method. Phone Book If you're like most people, you haven't looked in your phone book for services in quite a while. But once upon a time, this was the go-to resource for finding local contractors, whether it was for plumbing, electrical, construction, or any other kind of contract labor. The benefit of going this route is that you will be able to quickly and easily see a list of contractors in your area that provide the kind of work you're looking to have done. You will also have instant access to their information, such as phone number and address, so that you can contact them quickly for a quote on your project. The drawbacks of this method for finding a contractor are many. For one thing, you don't know anything about the contractor's work history. How long have they been in business? How many jobs like yours have they done? Have their past customers been happy with their work? You also won't be able to see any examples of the work they've done to see if it's what you're looking for. Overall, finding a contractor through the phone book won't really provide you with the information you'll want before hiring someone. Referrals from Friends Another option you can try is simply asking your friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers if they have ever hired anyone for this type of work in the past. If they have, they may be able to provide you with the name and phone number of a company that they had a good experience with. Or, if they were unhappy with the contractor they used, they can at least tell you who to avoid. The pro of using referrals is that you get the opinion of someone you trust before hiring the contractor. Additionally, if you live near the person, you can go to their home and see the work that the contractor did for yourself to ensure that it's the kind of labor you need. The major con of this method is that you will most likely only get one person's opinion, and you may not ever hear about another contractor that can provide you with better work at a lower price. However, using referrals can be a great starting point that can be supplemented by further research. Online Databases In today's world, most people turn to the Internet to find contractors for any work they need done. This is because information is easily accessible this way, and you can compare a lot of vendors quickly. But many people don't know that there are online databases that specifically provide information regarding contractors. The benefits of finding a contractor this way are boundless. You'll be able to read numerous reviews of each contractor, and compare the work history and pricing of several suppliers at once. You can also search for and sort contractors based on specific qualifications that you are looking for. It's a fast, efficient, reliable way to get all of the information you need before hiring anyone. The cons? Well, there aren't any, really. So if you're wondering how to find a contractor, this is definitely the best route to take.
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