Licensed to Build: Choosing a Certified Contractor

Licensed to Build: Choosing a Certified Contractor

Remodeling your home – whether it’s your entire living space or one small room or fixture – is an exciting undertaking. However, what generally tends to be not so thrilling is the thought of what these lovely upgrades will cost. So, many people understandably find themselves shopping for the lowest prices on everything from materials to manpower.

Comparing costs and searching out the best bang for your buck is certainly wise. But it’s also important to consider the fact that all too often, you truly do get what you pay for, especially when it comes to the contractor you choose.

And the best way to ensure outstanding results in a timely manner is to only hire licensed contractors who insist on using only the highest quality materials and working with an elite team of committed design professionals.

When someone offers to do your remodel at a massively discounted rate, it’s absolutely tempting to say yes. But more often than not, that low cost means they are using substandard materials and untrained workers. So, it’s quite likely you’ll end up spending more in the long run to rework shoddy craftsmanship or – worse yet – redo an entire job that ended up creating a safety risk due to things like faulty electrical wiring or unstable construction.

Victoria and I feel privileged to do the work that we love in our adopted home state of Arizona. So, it’s all the more important to us to make sure that not only is the reputation of C&C a stellar one, but that the impression of Arizona contractors as a whole remains elevated, as well. Thankfully, our local government feels the same as we do, and created the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (AZ ROC).

Their mission of AZ ROC is to “protect the public through a regulatory system designed to promote quality construction by Arizona contractors.” Their website offers a brilliant “Consumer Resources” section that includes simple steps to take before you hire a contractor, as well as a search engine that helps consumers locate a licensed contractor in their area. And as an added safeguard, they also have a “Most Wanted” list of unlicensed contractors with background information, mug shots and complaints filed against them to help the public to be aware of who they might be dealing with.

The old saying that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” definitely applies when it comes to entering into a relationship with a contractor. There will always be the proverbial bad apples, but doing just a bit of proactive homework goes a long way toward creating both a beautiful remodel and a solid, trustworthy relationship with your builder.