Hiring contractor just for labor requires careful consideration

In the world of home improvements, you may sometimes be faced with a situation where you want to supply the materials for a project, but you don’t want to do the labor.

It could be that you don’t have the time or the necessary skills to do the work that the project requires, but you found the perfect materials on sale at a price that was too good to pass up.

Or maybe you have an antique or something previously used that you want someone else to install.

It’s not an unusual situation, and it does present homeowners with a way to save some money on a project while still having a professional do the installation.

At first glance, hiring a contractor to only perform labor on your job may seem pretty simple and straightforward. However, there can be a lot of hidden problem areas that you may not have considered.

Here are some potential problems.

If you offer to provide the materials, do you literally mean all the materials?

Suppose you’re providing tile for a kitchen floor. Many homeowners would only think of this in terms of supplying the tile itself. But what about the cement board, thinset, grout, adhesive and other materials that will be needed to complete the job?

Will you be supplying that, or will the contractor?

And if the contractor supplies it, what’s the markup going to be?

Who does the material calculations, and what happens if they’re wrong?

Let’s say the floor in this kitchen is 10 feet by 12 feet, so you buy exactly 120 square feet of tile. You don’t factor in anything additional for waste and breakage. The contractor is almost done with the installation, and runs short of tile. Will you have to take off work to go get more? Does he have to leave the job to try and track down where you bought the tile, and if so, will he charge for his time? And worst of all, what if there’s no more tile available — what becomes of the incomplete job?

What if there are unforeseen expenses?

Perhaps you buy an expensive imported chandelier and hire an electrician to install it for a set price.

But the instructions are in Italian, and some of the parts require special tools. You weren’t aware of any of this beforehand, but it took the electrician a lot longer to install the fixture. Who pays for the extra labor?

Where does the responsibility lie for used materials?

Perhaps you’re remodeling your home, and you ask the contractor to remove and reinstall existing appliances or fixtures, or maybe install some other used item, such as an antique light fixture. You need to be aware that most contractors won’t guarantee the condition or operation of any used materials that they install.

Who’s responsible for future problems?

Here’s one of the biggest potential problem areas. What happens if six months after the job’s finished, some of that tile you supplied starts to crack, or that imported chandelier starts flickering? You might claim inferior workmanship, while the contractor claims inferior materials. As you might imagine, this could lead to a tremendous number of problems.

When you’re hiring a contractor for any type of laboronly project, be aware of some of the potential gray areas I’ve described above, and then protect yourself. Here are a few suggestions and precautions to consider.

• If possible, hire an experienced contractor that you know, or at least someone that’s been recommended by a person you trust.

• Verify that the contractor is fully licensed, bonded, and insured as required by law. If you’re using a general contractor who’s also using subcontractors, you’ll want to verify that the subs are similarly licensed, bonded, and insured.

• Have a clear, detailed, signed contract with your contractor that spells out all the details of your agreement. Clarify as many of the labor and material issues as possible before the job ever starts, and don’t accept vague assurances such as “we’ll work that out as we go.”

BOTTOM LINE: If you discussed and agreed to it, get it in writing!

Have a home repair or remodeling question for Paul? He can be reached by email at improvingyourhome@ykwc.net.

Clarify as many of the labor and material issues as possible before the job ever starts, and don’t accept vague assurances such as “we’ll work that out as we go.”