5 Contractor RED Flags | How To Avoid Bad Apples 🍏

How do you know when a Contractor is lying? 5 Tips that'll save you time and money. Learn the secret signs Contractors use when they are not telling the truth. How you can avoid hiring bad contractors. These are tips that I've used to weed out the good from the bad. Do you know Why Contractors Complain? What every homeowner should know before hiring a contractor. Tips with licensed general contractor, Daru Dhillon
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QUESTION: Have a question about Hiring a Contractor, Red Flag of Your Own or anything else? Post in the comment section of this video!
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About: If you are renovating, planning a remodel or a homeowner hiring a contractor. These are the 5 Red Flags that will help you separate the good from the bad. Help you save time, money by hiring a good contractor. Learn how to find a good renovation contractor Planning a DIY remodel of Home Improvement? Learn Contractor Scams, How to Hire a Contractor, How to Avoid a Bad Contractor, Bad Contractors, Hiring a Contractor, Contractor Check. DIY, Renovation, remodel, contractors, bad contractors, general contractors, hiring contractors, building a house, renovating a house. #renovation #homeimprovement #buildingahouse who hired them. How to catch a liar, liar.

[@polgara28]

One of the most useful and informative videos I've watched in my life, period! Bravo! Sharing this link in some fb groups I'm in. Thank you! 💕

[@ENomadi-3009]

This is great advice for weeding out shady or inauthentic people in general, especially when money is involved. Thanks for putting it so plainly. I’ll keep these in mind next time!

[@DaruDhillon]

Hey Elizabeth, thanks! Finding authentic people to work with is the best. I also find it important to trust your instincts or intuition about people when you first meet them. Your gut will tell you when something is off. Hope it helps!

[@drywallsurgeon]

Great advice! Thanks$

[@harrisonjoa]

Your videos are always on point.

[@DaruDhillon]

Thanks so much Joel!

[@GavinVox68]

Excellent. This is good information.

[@DaruDhillon]

Awesome to hear Gavin. I use these tips often. I hope they help you out in your projects! 👍🏽

[@sas-lt4qv]

Thanks, great video. I have experienced all of the red flags you mentioned. Another red flag for me is when contractors give you an instant unwritten cheap quote to get the job. I think a genuine contractor will take time to consider the job properly and go away and prepare an itemised quote on their letterhead and then send it to you for your consideration. Thanks for the great videos. Susan

[@DaruDhillon]

Absolutely, Susan, great point! Thanks for sharing your experience hopefully, it will help someone watching. The more informed we are the more likely we are to make good decisions when hiring.

[@rollthers3157]

Good advice!

[@DaruDhillon]

Thanks so much!

[@davidalau]

Awesome content Daru.

[@DaruDhillon]

Good to hear Mihr! Thanks for the support.

[@ivoted7199]

Whoa now. 25 years as a B General Remodel Contractor (Oakland, Ca. East Bay Area) and I have NEVER had an online presence, facebook, website or even Yelp. Word of mouth only. People find me that have been referred and have already seen my work... The rest of Daru's advice is spot on!

[@DaruDhillon]

That’s terrific I appreciate your take. My favourite carpenter I worked with was fresh out of college but I trusted him on the spot. To my point, word of mouth is better than anything else. No advertising needed. Your work will carry you far. Continued success to you!

[@ivoted7199]

@@DaruDhillon Happy New Year Daru and a big thumbs up for offering rather astute observations/insights and how-to's for your subscribers. ;)

[@DaruDhillon]

@@ivoted7199 Happy New Year to you! I went to SFSU so I spent a lot of time in the Bay Area and the East Bay. I have lots of friends there. Good people, I miss it.

[@TINA7HEAVEN]

Excellent video I have met all of the red flag people. 🚩😉

[@DaruDhillon]

It’s great you know what to look for thanks, Tina! 🤗

[@DaruDhillon]

What is a red flag that you've experienced? Let us all know here. "I don't cut any corners" has a whole new meaning for me.

[@Mr._Chievous]

as a contractor, i never cut any corners. i think you are making an unfair characterization based only upon your own personal experience

[@DaruDhillon]

@playpen Some people tend to build up their flaws. It’s also called the Dunning-Kruger effect: when people with low ability at a task, over state their ability. It’s simply people who are bad at a job, who think they are great.

[@Mr._Chievous]

@@DaruDhillon i guess i didn't talk about it much. i just took pride in my work and did it as perfectly as i could. i have not experienced or heard of this dunning-kuger effect. as an older stay at home dad, i don't have much contact with adults anymore, especially since my dearly departed wife left us.

[@homerenovations6544]

​@playpen or people who are always praised tend to undersell for a long time. When they genuinely feel they are masters they start to accept the compliments and that confidence builds to a point where they know their worth.

[@DaruDhillon]

@@homerenovations6544 Well said. It's important to know your worth.

[@Teleman01]

Here is a tip for Contractors, as a home owner - homeowners are very reluctant to handover thousands of dollars to strangers. No matter where they saw you online etc. So… when you go to someone's home to look at a possible project, introduce yourself. Without the homeowner having to ask, immediately tell them how long you have been in business, your license and insurance information, pictures of projects you have done, why they should choose YOU and your guys, and anything else that would put the homeowner at ease. I can't tell you how many contractors come in t and want me to do all the talking about my project. Then they say, thanks like their getting ready to leave lol. Then I have to say wait… And... who are you???? Tell me about your business!. Amazing how many do not volunteer anything. Also, tell them when they would expect the estimate. God knows, contractors are amazing at ghosting people with estimates instead of just telling them they don't want to do it. Eliminate this and he will have better customers and better business.

[@DaruDhillon]

Thanks for sharing your tips Carl! I agree with you. A contractor should be providing you with a good explanation of what needs to be done and how. Chasing down estimates is frustrating and a simple heads up when one can be expected is a good idea. Thanks for mentioning Ghosting. I'm with you I have more respect for an honest, direct answer. If you can't or don't want to do it. Just say it. :)

[@jewdd1989]

Great ideas

[@franzfranz]

I love your videos Daru.

[@DaruDhillon]

Thanks for the watching and the support franzfranz!

[@jorgehodgson715]

Good video, the last pint tho not so much a red flag.

[@Myraisins1]

What is considered a good deposit or money up front?

[@xArchesx]

WSIB insurance is a must yes, but Liability is a total scam I think. Well, depends for which trade probably. Been working roofing 15 years - no property damage, and what can realistically happen? A broken window at the most.

[@nonelost1]

How about contractors (electricians and plumbers for example) who ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT even give you a conditional non-committal ballpark figure over the phone(or email/text) on what a simple job will take? Instead, they insist on coming over for a live in person estimate before they will give you a quote. Is this a red flag?

[@DaruDhillon]

That's a great question Marshall. Especially when hiring plumbers of electricians I will always ask for a ballpark price over the phone. If they are unable to give one I don't hire them. They should be able to give you a per fixture cost based on your description. If someone doesn't want to give one I assume their prices are above market rate and I move on.

[@enlightened69]

I'm a contractor ..10 years in business on long island. I learned through wasting alot of time(money) on estimates that not giving a ballpark over the phone is a bad. I will never give a firm price without seeing the job. But the client and myself can usually figure out if the project is even feasible by talking for 5 minutes about what they want over the phone. It's not a red flag but it can save you as the client and me ahead the contractor a ton of time and effort.

[@enlightened69]

I'm a contractor, and I agree with everything you said except the online presence. When I first started 10 years ago I had social media, website the works.... as I grew I decided to switch to referral based work and to keep an detailed portfolio. I will also invite clients to active job sites to see the work as it's being done. Too often have I seen companies with amazing websites...tons of pictures.... testimonials etc.. to have them be either scammers or salesmen. And not who you want on your project. I've actually had photos of MY work end up on another contractors website. I had to get an attorney involved and everything. Besides, If you are a listed business on google you already have ratings and very little control over removing negative content.. You cannot rate a website and the website owner would delete anything negative if they were shady I would think even if you could. Not to mention people did business way before social media and websites ... so I totally disagree on that point. But besides that, your spot on. Good video!!

[@jewdd1989]

Thank you, great to know

[@jerrycho9869]

i do not believe you would ever have to hire a contractor.

[@DaruDhillon]

Hired one once. Helped set me on this path. There are good people out there. When you find them, keep them!

[@jerrycho9869]

@@DaruDhillon awesome! i've always been the diy type. enjoying your videos! you lived in toronto at some point? very cool. went to s.u.n.y buffalo so i got to visit a few times *mostly for the lower drinking age at the time :)

[@netm203]

My painter wants 30% upfront. But he's licensed/insured and has good youtube content

[@DaruDhillon]

Trust your instincts…are you trying to bait me? 🙃

[@netm203]

@@DaruDhillon hire you**

[@rocbey]

we are a floor refinishing company and we require 50% the first day we start work no exceptions . we have had 3 people and 2 contractors not pay us before we started getting 50 % . it protects us so if the client for any reason cannot pay atleast we are at cost or dont lose too much. one client was for a woman who was trying to sell her house so she could move to a different state we completed the job she was unable to sell and wound up declaring bankruptcy. another woman had us in we completed the job she wrote us a check it bounced we took her to court won the judgement and still didnt get paid eventually she declared bankruptcy as well. the 3rd was a woman who after we completed the job with the finish she supplied didnt like the sheen and would not allow us back to her home to put down another coat of finish to remedy her "issue" she just refused to pay. the contractors are big guys who i later found out is just how they run business they give you a ton of work and never get you the final payment luckily for me it was only a couple thousand dollars i have met other guys who they robbed for wayyy more. so that door swings both ways and it doesnt make you a bad contractor if you require a 3rd or half down contractors are people just like home owners. you have good ones and bad ones

[@MM-og6wt]

Little too late for me unfortunately

[@DaruDhillon]

Sorry to hear that. Despite my best efforts it happened to me too earlier on. You’ll get through this. 💕

[@MM-og6wt]

@@DaruDhillon just in the midst of it now but hopefully in a couple months with family and friends being amazing as usual this will be a memory

[@cheezychungus967]

So how are new contractors supposed to get experience if you never hire them exactly? I've been a certified welder for 5 years and I was thinking about starting my own business, but you just make such high expectations, and then you act like you know the job better than the contractor. Am I supposed to lowball the price and keep me and my family in poverty to save you a couple of bucks? If you can't afford good work just say it. Stop trying to lowball our skills as tradesmen.

[@DaruDhillon]

One of the best carpenters I’ve ever hired was fresh out of college. In the video I explain the point about experience in more detail. A new contractor will have references from clients, college, trades school, teachers etc. There are so many talented tradespeople who are getting started and are deserving of opportunity and success. Let’s support and encourage their work so they can shine. ⭐️

[@AmenMama-qe4sq]

They should have references as an apprentice.