Food For Thought- Contracting Edition

As you are searching for a contractor that you feel confident in getting the job done, please keep a few things in mind. As we all know, home repairs can be on the expensive side of life depending on how you view your finances. Although these prices tend to not be on the lesser side of the meter, they are truly worth every penny when thinking about what your money will be going towards. I wanted to bring this discussion to you all to ensure that everyone is well aware of where their money is going to once that contractor is hired. Whether your contractor is present for home replacements, repairs, alterations, remodels, etc.; they are required, per TN T.C.A. § 62-6-102, to be licensed by the Board for Licensing Contractors. Let’s discuss what this may or may not look like for your specific job.

For ANY contractor that is licensed (which you should be researching prior to scheduling estimates), they are required to obtain a Tennessee contractor’s license prior to offering up a price for their services. This is regardless of the amount. If they are not licensed, they cannot legally provide you any services. Keep this in mind when searching for the very best team to provide services to your home. Contractors are recognized as followed; General (Prime) Contractor, Subcontractor, and Construction Management. Each of these categories are all required to be licensed, even if it looks great on paper. This is not to discredit any form of contract-based professions, but to pinpoint the professionals that are in our areas. There are monetary limits set for each of these branches, but all are required to obtain licensure requirements prior to quoting any job over a $25,000 minimum.

With that being said, Frontier Foundation and Crawl Space Repair proudly services our customers as a licensed contracting company. We take great pride in staying up to date with thorough training and other requirements from our service areas to ensure that we provide the top-of-the-line experience that our customers seek. Finding a professional to meet your needs is not an easy task, so here are some tips to help keep you on track during your search efforts.

                -Hiring a Contractor 101:

                                1) Only hire a licensed contractor. -It is perfectly fine to request that your contractor provides proof of their licensing, or you can ask that they verify their status by obtaining their TN license ID number; where you can check the status yourself at http://tn.gov/commerce/boards/contractors/ (see “License Search” via the hyperlink provided once you reach the site).

                                2) Require there to be a written contract. -Not only does this provide protection for the contractor in which selected, this also gives you a blanket of security as well. Make sure that your contract includes the expected completion and start dates.

                                3) Look around before you dive. -Searching the area for the best contractor makes sure that you receive the work that is best for you, but it also lets you get a feel of the appropriate price range that fits your personal budget/timeframe of completion needed for your project. It is often the best practice to check the references and referrals for about 3 bids, minimum, before deciding which contractor is the best for you. Never rush into repairs that could alter your home permanently.

                                4) Let’s talk inspections and permits. -This step is often the best one in the repair process as it is the defining step with your contractor. It is mandatory for you to ensure that your professional obtains the service-area’s permits for inspections of the project. This is not something the homeowner should be getting- this is the contractor’s responsibility. Code officials diligently verify that the contractors are up to date with their licensing prior to the release of any permits sought after. (Keep in mind that mid-pandemic, some service areas are waving fees for permit-based work).

Below is a link for you to verify these licensed professionals that service your zip code area as you get started with searching for the best team to begin your project. Trust Frontier, we can help you!

https://tnbear.tn.gov/Ecommerce/FilingSearch.aspx