ASK THE EXPERT: Sourcing tradespeople

By Alex May

There are some fabulous tradespeople in this country, and there are dodgy ones. Some of us learn the difference the hard way.

Like the tiler that did my bathroom. I hired him because he was the cheapest and could start the next day, not realising that his ready availability was more like a flashing red light than a convenience.
After he tiled over the hole for the new toilet and then poured cement waste down the drains, I had to admit I had joined the ranks of the idiot renovator. I was in too much of a hurry to get the job done rather than take time to plan and hire someone who could do it properly.
Whinging about hopeless tradies – plumbers, carpenters, electricians and the like – might be a great dinner party past-time, but more often than not it is the client that is at fault.
Inviting workers into your house to repair or renovate is probably more demanding of your skills than the tradesperson’s. You need to manage time, manage people, manage money and maintain the tolerance of a kindergarten teacher and the negotiation skills of Donald Trump.
Easy? Not.

QUOTE AND UNQUOTE

Just how do you pick the good tradesperson from the bad? Most decent builders and tradies rarely advertise and are often booked up for weeks in advance. References from friends and the trusty Yellow Pages are as good a place as any to start sourcing a local tradesperson – stick to locals because the closer a job is to home, the more likely they are to want to take it on and offer a competitive price.
Ask people to come on site to quote for a job and explain clearly over the phone what you need done. Think about the materials you want used, the size of the room being worked on and any other details that can help a professional gauge the scale of the job.
The quote process also allows you to judge the tradesperson – do they arrive on time (or at all!), do they send the quote promptly, and do they give you a mobile phone number AND a landline number to contact them on.
Depending on how dedicated you are to the seeking-quality-tradesperson-cause, you can also ask them for contact details of people who they have worked for and who will vouch for them.
Some tradespeople really don’t want a job and won’t bother to turn up for the quote or will simply pick an outrageous figure from the air and plonk it on the bottom of a quote in the vain hope that if they have to do it, at least they will get rich in the process.

THE NITTY GRITTY DETAILS

Specifying the details of the work you want done is the best way to make sure the tradesperson understands your expectations. Don’t just casually explain “oh, I think I want a new white kitchen”. Take the time to work out the types of cabinets, the material for the bench tops, the appliances, the floor plan.
Even small jobs are worth detailing. If you want a light switch moved or another power point installed, note the exact location of the new items on a floorplan or with an “x” on the walls. Are you happy with a bog standard plastic light switch or do you prefer the swanky chrome ones? Will you want any extra cabling for pay TV or a computer installed at the same time to save on future call-out fees?
These details prevent the communication breakdowns that cause most disputes with tradespeople and builders.
“Why doesn’t that floorboard match the others?”
“Well, luv, you did say you wanted the cheapest timber for the job.”
“But it was supposed to match, right?”
“Well you asked for a new floorboard, not a matching floorboard.”
These details are known as specifications and they can actually form part of a contract with the tradesperson. Legally, most states require a contract for work on jobs worth more than a certain amount, ranging from $5000 and up. Smaller jobs don’t need a contract, but it can sometimes be worth the effort to detail the costs, payment schedule and materials to be used, along with an all-important completion date.

DO UNTO OTHERS …

Most professional tradies don’t expect you to make them cups of tea or cucumber sandwiches, but they really like it if you are pleasant and make them a cuppa.
Treat the tradesperson in the same way you’d like to be treated in a work environment – keep things honest and open and remain approachable. After all, if your attempts at being assertive come across as aggressive, you won’t get the best out of the tradesperson.
When things don’t go to plan, it’s important to negotiate a solution that works and the tradesperson is more likely to go out of his way for a nice client than a nasty one.
The easiest way to make a tradesperson beat a hasty retreat and never return to finish your job is to threaten to not pay. You are always obliged to meet the payment schedule – but it does help to withhold a final payment until the job is done right.

AND DON’T FORGET THE PETS

Cats, dogs and tradespeople. Not a good combination.
Cats come in and sit on wet paintwork. Dogs don’t like the look of the electrician.
Some tradespeople even insist on bringing their own dogs on the job, which your dainty little bichon frise may object to.
Keep your pets restrained or in one room when you have a tradesperson coming on site. And whatever you do, don’t

THE GOOD:

A professional will always turn up on time; give a written quote with licence details, an address and telephone contacts; take time to explain the job and how long it will take to complete; tell you the access they need to the property, how much furniture needs to be removed and any other tasks you need to complete to smooth the job; will rectify any faults as quickly as possible; leave the site clean and tidy every day.

THE BAD:

Are always late; park behind your car in the driveway; only tell you their first name and mobile number; leave you in a mess or send their apprentice when they get called to a bigger, better job; play heavy metal music; demand cash payments; chuck their takeaway containers in a big pile outside your front door (known as the tradies midden); ruin your newly painted walls or polished floors with their dirty boots and tools.

THE UGLY:

Steal things; leave the job in a more distastrous state than it was to begin with; disappear.