No Insurance

First and foremost, always ask if your contractor is insured. If you are suspicious, you can ask for their policy number and details, and they should be able to provide it for you. If they are uninsured and property damage occurs, you’re going to be looking at a court battle to see any kind of settlement, which can be lengthy and costly to you up front, and may not always cover the entire cost of the damages. It’s better to just hire a contractor with liability insurance from the start, that way any property damage is covered by their policy.

No reviews

If your contractor doesn’t have any reviews, that should certainly be a red flag. Also, it’s worth noting how many reviews a contractor has as well. If there are only a handful, they could be fake reviews from family members or close friends to bolster a page, or even worse, made up entirely by the contractor him or herself! It usually doesn’t take much digging to tell when that is the case.

Facebook Marketplace "Contractor"

There is nothing wrong with finding a contractor on Facebook. However, look into who is making the post. The wrong contractors often make a posts looking for work doing handyman jobs, simple repairs, and remodels. However, they won’t have a page for their business, no other real internet presence, or records of their previous experience. Look for contractors with business pages that are separate from their personal accounts, have links to websites, and have pictures of their prior work.

Don't Research Their Background

If you like throwing away money, not researching where it’s going is a good way to do that. You might get lucky and someone will manage to do your project right, but there’s always the risk that someone will take advantage of you. Unfortunately, there are many out there who take the money and never complete a job, or just don’t do a job well/ as requested. You want a licensed professional with experience in the project you wish to have done. Check on the BBB website and around the web to see what others have written about a contractor before you have any work done by them.

Pick the Lowest Bidder

I know this one is tempting, but I can tell you it isn’t usually the best idea. There’s always a reason (or reasons) someone is the lowest bidder. Here are a few:

1. They have no insurance

2. They only have 1099 employees

3. They might not pay their employees and/or subcontractors

4. Only quotes bare minimum, then charges for “extras” that should have been part of the original quote for the work

If a person takes pride in their craftsmanship and work, it will be evident as well in their quoted prices.

Don't Have a Contract

Let’s face it: nobody likes it when courts and lawyers have to be involved to settle a dispute. A great way to lower the chances of that happening is to hire a contractor that has a contract. This contract protects you as the property owner, as well as the contractor. It outlines exactly what work is to be performed so that you are in control of exactly what you’re paying for, and you know what to expect.

Doesn't Have Their own Tools

A contractor, particularly one with a specialty, should have their own tools to perform a job. I realize sometimes certain jobs may require a tool that isn’t used on a regular basis, but I’m talking about things that should be used on nearly every job. For example, someone who works with tile daily should already have a tile saw.

Needs you to Pull Permits for Them

This should be another red flag. A contractor with a license should be perfectly capable of going and pulling their own permits for work in counties they are licensed to work in. If they ask you to pull a permit for them, make sure to find out why.