Spring and early summer are when they move through suburbs across America, knowing that everyone's looking to spruce up their exteriors in the nicer weather.
Here are five signs that should raise a red flag when you're dealing with a contractor:
• 1. The Doorbell. The vast majority of good, licensed contractors don't go door-to-door in search of work, because they're too busy working. If a guy shows up and says he can paint your fence this afternoon for half of what you paid six years ago for the job, remember that you're getting what you pay for.
• 2. No Trace. His truck doesn't have a company name or a local phone number on the side, or it's got out-of-state plates. He seems to have "run out of business cards" too.
• 3. Cheap Materials. "Hey, we've got some leftover paint/shingles/concrete from a job we did yesterday..." Yeah, the paint is watered down, the shingles fell off of a truck on the freeway. If it's a contractor you don't know, there's a good chance these materials have been damaged, stolen or both.
• 4. Right Now. He and his crew have to do your job this afternoon, because tomorrow they're headed to a big job 50 miles away. And a contract? Sorry, all out of them! Can I see one of the jobs you've done? Sorry sir, it's now or never? Pass.
• 5. Show Me the Money. He asks for cash and wants it before they start. Many trusting souls give it to him and he walks away saying he'll be back in 10 minutes with his crew to start the job. Uh huh. Another variation: He brings a couple of guys with him and they begin sanding, scraping or preparing the work surface and the contractor returns to the door asking for money to run to the nearest home center to pick up a needed material, he says he'll deduct it from his final fee. He leaves, the workers hang around a few minutes and slip away down the street never to return.
