Why and How to Fire a Contractor

There will come a time when you have to fire contractors. You will find people showing up to work with or on drugs and alcohol. You will find contractors doing unacceptable work. You will have to fire contractors because of unmet deadlines. You will have to fire some because there is a lack of acceptable communication. Some won’t respect you or your employees and they’ll have to go too. There will be numerous reasons for letting contractors go.

One particular contractor I hired built a wall in a closet to hide trash so he didn’t have to pay dump fees. Another time, a contractor hired some people from the neighborhood he was working in, and left and finished the job without paying them. Another, who was contracted to do more than he knew how, asked me to pay him for the entire job’s worth even though he hadn’t completed any of the work and had no intention to complete it.

When I say fire I use that term loosely. Really I just mean they won’t be getting a call to do another job. One cav eat though: if in the middle of a project you realize that you’re going to have to let a particular contractor go, make sure they finish the job and stay on them to make sure it comes out right. (This is a good time to reassert your control in the situation.) Let them go only after the job is done. Switching contractors in the middle of a job will cost you more money. It could even be damaging to your business. It may be advisable to just finish paying a contractor for a job even when you are going to immediately discontinue working with them. A mad, vengeful contractor could easily cost you thousands more than you owe them through an act of vandalism. This is a very real possibility, so play your cards right in difficult situations.

You will want a contractor that will stand by their work for at least a year and a good reputable contractor will have no problem doing this. Contractors that won’t warranty their work aren’t worth working with. Would you buy a new computer or a car from a dealer that had no warranty with it?

Each situation will have its own set of unique circumstance so be reasonable and give warnings when appropriate. Just be aware and strong when you do not want to use a contractor again. I think the number one reason for firing a contractor is shoddy work. You want to be able to turn over the best product reasonably possible to your customers and you need to hold your contractors responsible to that.

Mandy Sheckles is the author of "Renovate Your Success." She is a rehabbing millionaire with over a decade of experience flipping houses.

http://www.rehabmillionaire.com

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