10 Things

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Why so much? Because making changes midconstruction is the most expensive way to proceed, since work has to be undone and redone to accommodate the new plan. Indeed, Baker has described "while you're at it" as "the four most expensive words in the English language." Architect Richard Hornberger advises that you spend time on the front end devising a plan, then commit yourself to living with it. And if you need to make a change, do it the way architects do it: "Give the contractor a proposal request, in writing," he says. "Then, in writing, you get back a change order that lays out what will be done, how much it will cost and how much additional time it will take."

7. "My best work is on the surface."
Unless you have X-ray vision or the time to spend entire workdays watching your contractors in action, all you may ever know about your job is whether it looks good. Evelyn Yancoskie, director of consumer affairs for Delaware County, Pa., knows of at least one family in her area who got a new roof that, indeed, looked just fine. But the roof was lacking a key element: An ice shield, a three-foot-wide rubber lining that's crucial for a roof in this part of the country. "The contractor figures that nobody will miss it anyway," says Yancoskie. "But if you get a cold winter, any water that gets into the gutters will freeze, back up onto the roof and go underneath the shingles. Without an ice shield, the ice under the shingles melts and leaks into your house."

Other popular ways that contractors can cut corners without your knowing it include skimping on insulation, but packing it in with care so that it looks filled in; leaving out plumbing lines and pumps that give you hot water fast; and using lower-quality wood, but laying it beautifully so that you don't notice. "Guys will use substandard plywood, shingles, siding," says Herr. "In situations where homeowners aren't likely to ask what's going on, contractors use subpar materials." Or just do a subpar job.

8. "I delegate to novices."
Mark Herr recounts the tale of a family that wanted their kitchen redone in time for Easter. One night before the holiday, a subcontractor was sweating to install the garbage disposal. When asked why the job was giving him so much trouble, the worker replied, "When they showed me this morning at Home Depot, I thought I understood." The story points out a big problem: It's not just your contractor you have to worry about, but the subcontractors whom he hires to do the actual work. "You need to know in advance who the subcontractors are," says Herr. "You can't let the contractor sub anything out without your permission."

Mark Levine suggests taking things a step further: Visit homes in which your contractor's carpenter has done the finishing work, and if you like what you see, get it in writing that that particular guy will be hired. "Look to see if there are tight joints in the molding, if cabinets are screwed into the walls rather than nailed, if margins between doors and frames are even all around," advises Levine. "Those are signs of a good finish carpenter, and they serve as a litmus test. A general contractor who has a real pro doing his finish carpentry is probably hiring real pros to do other stuff as well."

9. "If I come knocking on your door, don't answer."
Courtney Yelle was in his Bucks County, Pa., yard raking leaves when a gleaming pickup truck pulled into his driveway. A clean-cut workman emerged and told Yelle that it looked as if his driveway needed to be repaved — which, Yelle admits, was actually true. But before he would commit, Yelle, director of Bucks County Consumer Protection, said he'd need a written estimate along with the worker's phone number and address. The guy said, "Okay. I'll leave it in your mailbox." Then he backed out of the driveway and disappeared forever.

Yelle says that the "worker" who came by his house is better known as a Traveler, a type of scam artist who approaches people's homes offering to do jobs at bargain-basement prices, often on the premise that he has leftover materials from a nearby project. In reality, if he does the job at all, he's doing shoddy work with low-grade materials, says Wendy Weinberg, executive director of the National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators. While it sounds like common sense to be suspicious of solicitors, clearly such con artists can be convincing: Curtis estimates that Travelers bilk Colorado homeowners out of $20 million per year.

10. "I'm bad for the environment."
You have a contractor in your home, replacing those ugly acoustic tiles that have covered the rec room ceiling for 20 years. Early into the job he realizes that the tiles contain asbestos. If he's responsible, he'll insist that the poisonous materials be taken out by a licensed asbestos removal contractor. This will take time and could, ultimately, cost you thousands of dollars. If he's less than honest, he'll ask for an extra few hundred bucks and offer to do the job himself.

Even if the contractor doesn't make a mistake and release particles of cancer-causing dust into the air, he's still breaking the law, and the long-term repercussions are consequential. Contractors who aren't licensed to deal with such materials can't dispose of them at licensed (and safe) facilities, says Ross Edward, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. And if hazardous materials aren't disposed of properly, they could leach into soil and ground water. Scary, yes, and also illegal: If your contractor gets caught dumping, you may be liable since the pollution came from your property. "These days," says Edward, "the homeowner has just as much responsibility for the environment as any factory owner."

This article was originally published on June 2001

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