Landau Real Estate is a general contractor in Chicago, Illinois. We provide general contracting services including painting, flooring windows & doors, and many more general contracting services. Today, we help you examine seven warning signs of a bad general contractor.
Desperate.
If a general contractor is coming across as desperate or seems to be overpromising the expectations of the job, it is a bad sign. The desperation is an early sign that corners may be cut and they are more than likely not qualified.
Unprofessional Attire.
The general contracting process is very transformative and is a visually appealing process. If your prospective contractor shows up in unprofessional attire it is not a good indication of the ultimate outcome of the job. You should look elsewhere.
Unlicensed.
If you ask your prospective contractor to see their credentials and permits and they are unwilling to, it most likely means they are unlicensed. Not only is this extremely unprofessional but it is possibly a huge liability for you to allow them in your home to do work. Move on and keep searching for a reputable general contractor.
Large Deposit Requested
If your general contractor is asking for a large sum of money upfront, that is a huge red flag! The industry trend is 33 percent down. Any more than that and you should be very cautious about moving forward.
No References.
When you ask the general contractor you are about to hire for a list of references and they decline to give them to you, walk away. This may be the biggest red flag of all. Either they are inexperienced and don’t have any completed jobs or they are doing poor quality work and are afraid to give them to you. Either way, don’t go with a contractor that doesn’t have verifiable references.