We’ve all heard the horror stories: contractors who take the money and run, shoddy work that falls apart before the paint is even dry, we call that the taillight warranty. As in once you no longer see the contractor’s taillights then your warranty is over.
As someone who’s been a residential interior remodeling contractor in Southwest Michigan for over 20 years, I’ve seen many of these situations play out. Today, I’m here to talk about how you can avoid these nightmares by choosing a contractor who is licensed, vetted, and proven. We will also discuss briefly (not legal advice) ways to try to work thru issues with a contractor for problems with or without payments still being due.
The Risks of Hiring Unqualified Contractors
Subpar Work and Costly Mistakes
I remember a client, Tom, whose previous contractor incorrectly measured and installed kitchen cabinets that were not accurate to the layout. It was a disaster—and a costly one to fix for the homeowner as the original contractor walked away after realizing the mistake and that someone would need to be responsible financially to correct the cabinets.
About 4-6 months and $34,000.00 later we worked with the customer to keep the cabinets we could and remove and install the properly sized cabinets for the space. Don’t think that this is a one time thing and that your neighbor’s son and his college friends will do much better with your kitchen reno. Hiring unqualified contractors can lead to subpar work that often costs more to fix than starting fresh not to mention some of the other issues that stem from when these situations turn bad.
Why would a contractor not be licensed? Well that is probably a lack of work ethic. If you were an accountant wouldn’t you strive to have certifications identifying yourself as a professional in your field. Contractors lose their license due to being unwilling to correct mistakes or work with clients in situations where the state of Michigan is brought in and levies penalties. These are extreme circumstances and takes years of bad or unfair practices before a contractor gets to this point, at least in most cases.
Other contractors that work without licensing are just those who refuse to comply with basic rules and regulations in our industry. These are obviously not someone who you want to trust your home and hard earned money with. Let’s talk about what other factors could put you in a bad spot when working with an unlicensed contractor.
Legal and Financial Liabilities
Without proper licensing, you, the homeowner, could be on the hook for any accidents that happen on your property. It’s a risk that just isn’t worth taking. This includes things like injuries but also includes work being improperly completed and not being permitted. This is where you can really be in a bad spot if you pay an unlicensed contractor to complete work that requires permitting, work gets done without a permit, then the work completed is discovered to be non-compliant and requires to be redone or more in depth work is required to correct the issues.
This is the WORST situation and I have received many phone calls with people asking for help, there is only so much that can be done in these situations as a licensed contractor must be building code compliant per the licensing agreement with the state of Michigan. If you find yourself in a situation like this contact your local building department and discuss the situation with the building officials, they are there to help and can recommend local licensed contractors.
The Importance of Licensing
Michigan’s Contractor Licensing Requirements
In Michigan, we contractors have to earn our stripes—and our licenses. This includes passing a rigorous exam and maintaining our credentials through ongoing education. There is a 60 hour accreditation process / pre-licensing program that walks contractors thru how to handle difficult situations and money management.
Contractors are not often business men they are hammer swinging, sun on their face loving, builders. The details for many people in the trades is focused on work being done well, on time, and on budget. There are many aspects to a business that can be difficult to control between invoices outstanding, monthly bills, labor costs, uncontrollable costs that arise for equipment or changes to projects, so you can see why working with a proven contractor is the best choice.
The licensing program for the state of Michigan can be verified using this website to verify a contractors license – https://www.michigan.gov/lara/i-need-to/find-or-verify-a-licensed-professional-or-business
How Licensing Protects Homeowners
A license isn’t just a piece of paper. It’s a promise that we know what we’re doing and that we’re accountable to a higher authority.
When a licensed contractor pulls a permit the work being performed is verified by a local building department. This is often done by either on site inspections or by providing plans to the building department before the project starts to verify the work scope and that the contractor displays a level of knowledge to complete the work proposed.
When the building department requires inspections they will physically inspect the job site and specifically the work being completed (examples of inspections: plumbing must be left exposed before you can tile a shower when a valve is replaced, ice and water shield must be verified before roofing materials are installed).
Not all building departments require inspections for all permitted work and because of this you will always want to call to verify. There are sometimes changes to these building departments and thus changes can happen over time. Just because your contractor is local does not mean he knows the current building requirements and in our company’s case, we call for every project to be safe.
The Value of a Vetted Contractor
Our Rigorous Vetting Process
Every member of our team has passed extensive background checks, completed intensive training, and comes with solid experience. We focus on hiring for skilled positions yes, however we are working in residential remodeling which means inside someone’s home. With this in mind we focus on personality and fit with our team to ensure we have friendly and professional team members. This is something that reflects in our work as our clients often enjoy the process and not just the final results. This extra effort in getting the right team on site has proven to be successful for our projects and our customers time and time again, and we feel helps highlight the benefits of working with a local professional.
Proven Experience and Quality
Our Past Projects Speak for Themselves
Our portfolio spans everything from repairs to small bathrooms to large additions on beautiful homes, all right here in Kalamazoo County & Southwest Michigan. We have years of specialized experience in kitchens, bathrooms, basement finishing, and all kinds of custom carpentry. If you are looking for a standard remodel or need inspiration and design work help our team has the knowledge and experience to help.
Understanding the Remodeling Process
We Keep You In the Loop
When we renovated a lake property with an out of town client, the homeowners were overjoyed with how we kept them updated at every stage. This is done with great communication yes, but also done with technology using our Customer Portal which tracks invoices, photos, and messages with our field team and customers (check out the Customer Portal introduction video here).
We treat your home like our own, and we believe in clear, constant communication. If ever during your project you feel that is not happening please reach out to me, my name is Collin Winfrey and I am the owner of the company.
Local Knowledge and Relationships
Kalamazoo, Michigan is our home, and its unique needs are one of the things we love most about the area including the eclectic homes. We also have long-standing relationships with local suppliers and subcontractors, ensuring that your project can go smoothly and efficiently, and if something comes up we have the team to get it back on track and complete the project.
Why Our Services Stand Out
The Customer Service Difference
We are professional, communicative, and respectful. From the project beginning thru to the end, we want to demonstrate a clear understanding of what comes next as the process moves toward completion.
Our company is not perfect; but certainly in tough times or challenges, our responsibility and focus on customer service shines. Unfortunately not every contractor is focused on customer service before profits; they think those things are not synonymous with one another. Let’s talk about what to avoid when hiring an unlicensed contractor.
Avoiding the “Nightmare”
Red Flags and Essential Questions
You should always check references using online reviews. Verify that the information you are being told about the company is accurate (ie. length of time in business and certifications) via the Better Business Bureau. (click this link to review a business on BBB). Contractors get excited when a client does research about a company. This means the client is serious about working together. If you are seeing bad reviews or questionable responses to criticism ask the contractor to explain and see how you feel about their response.
We are not perfect. Our company has had projects that did not go perfectly. However we do not leave projects undone or a client without a plan on how to complete their goals. If there is an issue we want to provide the best outcome we can. Any local contractor should feel the same, even in a difficult situation.
Another big red flag….. Asking for large deposits or final payment before the project is 100% complete. This happens when contractors open up too many projects or have quality issues causing clients to delay or withhold payments. Stay away from contractors focused on money over project completion, these types are focused on the wrong things!
What Our Clients Say
We recently completed a large addition project for our customer, Mike. He was beyond grateful when we were able to correct some issues from a lesser experienced contractor.
Mike feared that Character Interiors would discover several issues once they took over the project. Our team quickly resolved his fear. We discussed best options and ways to ensure the property is up to building code standards. Character Interiors’ licensed team of contractors was able to correct the issues and the client was able to relax and enjoy the final stages of his project. He now knew his home was safe, functional and updated with some really neat custom features. He has repeatedly expressed his elation with his choice to work with Character Interiors! Check out the google reviews to see for yourself.
Your Next Steps for a Dream Remodel
Ready to start on your next interior remodel project? Give us a call or schedule an appointment online 24/7 to start the design and inspiration process today. We are a local Kalamazoo, Michigan based remodeling company. We are excited to help highlight what makes Character Interiors one of the best at what we do!
Conclusion
Your home is often one of the largest investments you’ll make. Take time to decide on who is the best contractor in Kalamazoo for your project. Investing in a licensed, vetted, and proven contractor means investing in peace of mind, and often a smooth and efficient project process. Call us today @2695690132, and let’s start making your dream home a reality.
Read more: A Bathroom Transformation in Portage, Michigan: The Character Interiors Advantage
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Is your company insured?
A: Absolutely; our company is fully insured. This gives you one less thing to worry about. This includes Workers Compensation and General Liability.
Q: How long will my remodeling project take?
A: Each project is unique. We’ll provide a detailed timeline before we start and keep you updated throughout the process using our Customer Portal.
Q: Do you provide a warranty for your work?
A: Yes, we stand by our work with a comprehensive workmanship warranty that includes a Lifetime Warranty on workmanship. We believe in our team and the work they do for the long term. If you have an issue with a project give us a call anytime!
Q: Can you work within my budget?
A: We pride ourselves on transparent, competitive pricing. We’ll work with you to create a plan that suits your budget and provide options for alternative scopes of work.