While starting a new home project is exciting, it’s still a confusing task as it entails a lot. If you’re not keen enough, your contractor can make or break the renovation. If you go for the wrong person, you’ll end up living at your place for fewer years than you had planned. Moreover, wrong contractors might mess up your project and force you to get back into your pockets.
That’s why it’s crucial to know when to walk away from a contractor who is about to turn your home into a money pit. But with everyone claiming to be top architecture firms Singapore, how do you separate the good from the bad? Here are some red flags you need to avoid while hiring contractors.
The Architect Doesn’t Mention Permits
Different municipalities vary in their ordinance requirements for varying home remodeling projects including outdoor spaces. Most projects need to be permitted and engineered, and they also require a substantial amount of expertise to execute properly. Your potential contractors will probably need to address this as it can affect timelines and costs to pull permits.
You’ll definitely get to know that you are working with an unlicensed contractor or someone whose license has been revoked, whenever a contractor asks you pull the permits. You as a homeowner should never obtain permits as whoever obtains and signs for a permit is responsible of everything that goes wrong including fines and fees. Rather, let the contractor carry the burden of doing the work by telling them to obtain permits.
Requesting a Large Down Payment
Of course, you’ll never expect a contractor to work for free, but your sense should start tingling if you get architecture firms Singapore who ask for large down payment before they get started. Though it’s typical to collect an advance towards securing large-ticket items such as cabinetry, it’s still illegal in certain states for a contractor to exceed a certain amount of down payment.
Not to mention, when you get a contractor who wants to be down payment in cash, then it’s quite possible that the individual is trying to avoid paying taxes for the business or for employees. Such signs in your contractor will mean that you are dealing with a dishonest person. It is important to note that some architecture firms Singapore can claim that you never gave them any down payment, costing you big time.