How Much Should You Pay Your Contractor

If we are honest, most of us would rather decide how much we want to pay for something, than be told how much we should pay. But I’m here today to help others achieve their goals, by helping everyone understand why it’s better to pay what you should, than it is to pay what you want.

Most homeowners are aware that when it comes to repairs and renovations, there are many options available. There are also a number of online digital marketplace resources to help homeowners contact various service providers. The philosophy behind the digital marketplace is that the homeowner wins when service providers compete with each other for a job. But as with all things, there must be some ‘give and take.’ And an important question homeowners should be asking is “what is being sacrificed in order to achieve the lowest price?”

There are numerous ways in which a service provider can control their costs in order to provide their services at a lower price. Typically this would include the use of a lower quality product, and employing less experienced, less qualified staff. Other methods might include the reduction of overhead and the elimination of unseen expenses; such as licenses, insurance coverage, and permit processing fees. In the end, you could end up with unlicensed, uninsured, inexperienced workers installing low quality products on your home.

When this is the case, results vary; but given the option, I expect most of us would decline this offer, because we know we don’t want to face the disappointment of having to do the same job over again within a few months or a few years – or worse: immediately, because the work is just that bad. Of course, we all want to get the best products at the best price; but it’s true what they say: ‘You can have the highest quality, or you can have the lowest price – You can’t have both.’

Whether we are aware of it or not, what all of us are actually seeking is value. We want a quality product, and quality work, that will stand the test of time, and justify the expense. Which, frankly, is unobtainable when you’re working with cheap crap-tastic materials, and hired hands who know next-to-nothing about the trade.

I know this is easy for me to put in a blog, and it can be much harder to keep in mind when we’re looking at 4-figure or 5-figure price tags; especially when the cost is unexpected. But consider this: I mentioned the unseen expenses of a professional contractor (licensing, insurance, permits, etc) – and the truth is you will pay for these costs one way or another.

When hiring a licensed and insured professional contractor, you will pay a higher price to offset his overhead expenses; but in exchange you gain access to the benefits associated with those costs – such as knowledge of the trade, experienced and skilled craftsmen, and the assurance of a successful track record. (Note: the busier a contractor is, the more work they do, the more insurance companies charge them for coverage.)

When hiring an uninsured, unlicensed, faux-contractor, you pay for the lack of these benefits, by other means. Typically these costs manifest in the following ways: an unhappy experience while the work is being performed, dissatisfaction with the end results, and a higher-likeliness that the same work will need to be performed again in the near future.

As the old saying goes, ‘you get what you pay for.’ So we must ask ourselves then: “what am I paying for?” For most homeowners, it’s so much more than just a necessary repair, or a desired renovation. You’re paying for peace of mind; you’re paying for complete comfort; you’re paying for lasting security.

Your home is the one place on earth where you can consistently ‘let it all down,’ and ‘let it all hang out’ whenever you want. Your home is the last place on earth that you want to have recurring issues causing stress and anxiety. When you hire professional contractors to install high quality products, you’re not just investing in a house; You’re investing in yourself; you’re investing in your future, and you’re investing in your own quality of life.

In the end, the real reason you should pay for the good stuff is not because the product is worth it (though it is), and not because the contractor is worth it (though they are); But because you’re worth it, and your family is worth it. It’s worth it to make a home that inspires joy for years to come. And with that, I would like to conclude with a reference to a famous ad campaign –

Professional contractor: This many dollars

Quality materials: that many dollars

Living free of heartache, in a home you absolutely love: priceless!