Yoel Borgenicht

Just as clients prefer to work with certain types of contractors, contractors prefer certain types of clients....Here are four examples of clients contractors try to avoid.

1.Clients who argue in front of our crew

When working in someone’s home you see a lot of their private habits:  What they talk to their friends about, what they like to eat, etc.

The culture of tardiness in construction is rampant among many NYC firms both large and small. This can cost you a lot of money and aggravation.

Here's how to minimize the risk of a project not finishing on time, and what you can do about it if your contractor is not meeting his deadlines.

AVOIDING DELAYS:

First, hire the right contractor.

If you are interviewing prospective contractors and one  is late to your meeting and does not call beforehand to let you know, do not hire him.

When planning a renovation, there are a lot of expenses to take into consideration, especially in New York City. These include labor, materials and fees to the managing agent, as well as some hidden fees like parking  — all of which contractors, if not apartment owners, tend to be pretty familiar with and (hopefully) have factored into their estimates to you.  

When it comes to apartment renovation, there are few DIY projects that can compare with professional work. Sure, a lot of homeowners know how to paint well, but almost none of them know how to properly patch plaster or sheetrock walls.

Plus, busy New Yorkers are unlikely to make the time to learn how to do things that they can pay others to do. 

In my experience, most contractors are honest and competent professionals, but if you hire one who is not, your project can become a nightmare. Think twice before hiring a contractor with...

1. The lowest price by far.
 
One of our clients received five bids to gut renovate their single family townhouse. The lowest bid was $500,000 less than the next highest bid. The owner hired this contractor and after three months the Department of Buildings slapped a stop work order on their project because of unsafe job site conditions.