Tips for choosing the right tradesperson Part Two
Tips for choosing the right tradesperson Part Two
In the previous blog, part one of three discussed licences required and the importance of a written quote when finding the right tradesperson for your renovations or the building of your new home and we will continue in this blog with more tips to make life easier for you the customer.
Insist on Insurance
Tradespeople should have two types of insurance, one is income protection and the other is liability insurance. The later, liability covers any damage that occurs to your property whilst renovations and building work is going on, something we hope never occurs. Public liability insurance is compulsory and gives liability protection against third party injuries and property damage caused by the contractor. The other type of insurance is income protection that covers their own losses should they be injured on site. The most important elements of a tradies insurance are the amount their insurance covers, but more importantly are their insurance certificates current and do they remain valid for the entire period of construction with you, always insist on checking these certificates.
The completion date for the works being carried out
The completion date needs to be provided by the tradesperson before the actual work begins and unless there are unavoidable circumstances, such as injury or damage to the property or weather conditions that might cause delay. This can be avoided by the tradesperson providing a clear progress of the building works and the days when the workers will be on site. This communication between your tradesperson and yourself hopefully helps avoids any unnecessary delays.
Don’t pay upfront
The Domestic Building Contracts (DBC) Act of 2000 governs payments and deposits for building projects, and offers advice for consumers and contractors alike. It states that smaller contracts ($3500.00 to $20,000) should not incur deposits of more than 10 per cent, inclusive of labour and materials, and major projects over $20,000 require a 5 per cent deposit with phased progress payments. Should the renovation or building work cost less than $3500.00, deposits can be negotiated.
The final payment should not be requested until after the work has been completed and that you are satisfied that all work has been completed in accordance with current regulations. It is very reasonable for home owners to provide the funds to the tradie or builder to purchase the materials required for the project but it is extremely unwise to pay a business for work that has not started.
At Australian Property Building Inspections we conduct New Home inspection and Pre-handover inspection for each stage of a new home development the slab stage, frame stage, lockup and completion stages that helps the homeowner understand any issues or problems with the building work before it becomes something serious, thereby making it easier to fix.