3 Reasons Why Hiring a Licensed Remodeler Matters to You
We have all heard horror stories of home remodeling. When we visit with people here in the Greater Lansing area on our initial remodeling consultations, we have hear quite a few stories that make us realize that many contractors have a bad reputation for a reason. There is a lot though that can be done to make sure you aren't stuck with one of the bad apples that spoils the bunch.
One question that we often get is "Are you licensed?". The quick answer is "Yes!", but why should that matter to you? What are the benefits of hiring a licensed contractor versus a non-licensed contractor to handle your home remodeling project?
- First, the short answer is that in the State of Michigan, a contractor's license is required to perform home improvement work if the project is worth $600 or more. Therefore, the first reason to hire a licensed contractor if the project exceeds that amount is that the contractor respects their industry and customers enough to comply with the legal requirements. If your contractor is willing to break the law, will they be willing to break their commitments to you on your remodeling job?
- Second, being a licensed contractor means the contractor has a revocable (can be removed) license with the State of Michigan. By having a license, the contractor is obligating themselves to certain standards of conduct, quality and both state and federal building codes. Failure to comply may require fines and penalties up to and including loss of their license. This give you the benefit of having your remodeling done in a manner that is up to current code.
- Third, having a licensed contractor means that you can verify how long they have been in business. Additionally you will have access to view any complaints or actions that the State Licensing Bureau has taken against that particular contractor. This gives you the ability to dig a little deeper into what to expect while working with that contractor in your home renovation project.
We have heard so many complaints or reservations about contractors in the Lansing area. Making sure that your home remodeling contractor is licensed is an easy step to help you weed out some of the bad ones, and hopefully make your remodeling experience a great one!
