Things To Do In SW Florida

When you are choosing a contractor, you need to choose one who is honest, trustworthy, reputable, licensed, skilled, insured, and fair. You need to get a quote and decide if you communicate and get along well with this person. If so, hire them and you can begin the project.

If you’re doing a home remodel, the contractor will come by your home to view the current look of the room. He/she will learn what you want to change, keep, or improve. You want to give the contractor an idea of how frequently you use the space and the purpose of the room.

The contractor will ask you what you want the remodel to achieve. Do you want just an updated look? Do you need more space? More storage?

The contractor, most likely with his/her designer, will help you come up with different ideas to design your goals. He/she will let you know what will work and what cannot work.

The contractor will let you know how he/she operates during a home remodel, so you will know what steps to expect and what will be going on in your home. He/she will let you know how many people are working on the project and who to expect inside your home. read more

In the state of Florida, being an unlicensed contractor is illegal. If you accidently work with an unlicensed contractor, know of someone else who is, or suspect there’s an unlicensed contractor working on a project you know about, you need to report it. Unlicensed contractors give licensed contractors a bad name, and they take away jobs from credible, licensed contractor.

If you’re working with a contractor who fails to do a project as promised, contact them and try to give them a chance to fix the problem. If they don’t fix the problem and/or disappear, there’s a good chance they were an unlicensed contractor.

You can file a complaint against them at your town or county’s sheriff’s office or police department if there is fraud involved. You can also file a complaint with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation by calling 850-487-1395 or visit www.myfloridalicense.com. To report unlicensed contractor activity, visit www.myflorida.com/dbpr/os/and click on “unlicensed activity.” In this section, you can verify a license, file a complaint, and/or search for complaints. You can also file a complaint with your county’s consumer affairs division. You can also file a complaint with the Florida Department of Agriculture Division of Consumer Services – this agency helps people with info, protection, and complaintsin all industries. You can reach them at 800-435-7352 or visit www.800helpfla.com/ccform.html. If you suspect fraud of price gouging, you can call the Florida’s attorney general’s hotline at 866-966-7226. read more

With the popularity of DIY TV shows and Pinterest boards, it’s a no-brainer that more people are trying to complete their own projects at home. However, not all tasks should be done by a homeowner. Many projects are dangerous, require expertise, or a permit, and should not and cannot be done by a “regular” person. If it’s a maintenance issue or a vanity project, you will likely be able to do it on you’re on, but if something is very broken or you need a permit, you’ll need to call in a professional.

For this post, we wanted to share with you some things you can do on your own at home:

• Clearing out the gutters
• Changing the furnace filter
• Maintaining locks
• Testing smoke detectors
• Killing/cleaning any mold
• Unclogging toilets and drains
• Painting the walls
• Carpeting the floors
• Hangings shelves
• Cleaning the chimney
• Filling holes in walls

Here are some things you should call on a contractor for:

• Rewiring a room
• Fixing a broken pipe
• Fixing a burst pipe
• Fixing a leak
• Adding an addition
• Renovating a kitchen or bathroom
• Putting in a pool
• Laying down tile
• Putting on a new roof

If you are a novice at home repairs, you may want to consult a contractor for even the smallest task to make sure you do it properly. You don’t want to make matters worse. It’s better to be safe than sorry – call a contractor!

Interested in a contractor license? There’s a lot of job openings right now in the contracting world, so now is the perfect time to enter this field. In Florida, you’ll need your contractor’s license to work legally, and we can help you get it! We are a Florida contractor licensing company who has helped thousands of contractors all over the country get their licenses. We also help contractors get their business license. We can also help you with a contractor license renewal. To get your Florida contractor’s license or other state license, click our Florida contractor’s license page or call us at 239-777-1028. read more

There are bad people in every industry. So, it makes sense why people or homeowners dislike contractors. In a report out of Finland, many people would rather deal with a used-car salesman than a general contractor. So, why do people dislike contractors? As a Florida contracting licensing company, we wanted to share with you some reasons people dislike contractors:

• Poor communication
• Poor quality of work
• Lack of environmental safety
• Messy work site
• Poor site supervision
• Not following the schedule or contract
• Hidden costs
• Not showing up to work
• Not reachable
• Lack of safety gear for workers
• Empty promises
• Lack of communication
• Lack of order
• Project taking much longer than promised

To avoid problems with contractors, it’s best to do your research. Find a contractor that clicks with you, your values, your needs, and your budget. Find a reputable contractor who has great references and a great portfolio. Once you find a contractor, sit down with him and come up with plan for your project – communicate effectively. If you both communicate, you will have far less to complain or worry about.

If you have an issue, talk to your contract immediately about it – don’t wait or hesitate! Fix problems before they get bigger or become more frequent.

Hiring a licensed contractor is important, especially in the state of Florida. Unlicensed contractor activity is illegal. read more

Relationships are hard – between a husband and wife, mother and child, friend and friend, boss and employee, and contractor and homeowner. It’s easy for people to butt heads on many different topics and decisions. One of the best ways to better any relationship, personal or professional, is to communicate often and effectively. If one or both parties are left in the dark, problems and unhappiness arise.

As a Florida contractor licensing company, we wanted to share with you some common complains homeowners and contractors have with each other during a project.

• Homeowners think their project took too long.
• Homeowners felt their home and yard were made a mess or destroyed.
• Homeowners felt there were too many hidden or additional costs.
• Homeowners weren’t given a proper schedule or the project.
• Homeowners felt left in the dark.
• Homeowners felt like they were doing a lot of the managing of the project.
• Homeowners said the contractor was often late or didn’t show up with no contact.
• Homeowners said contractor didn’t take the time to do the project correctly.
• Homeowners felt the contractor didn’t listen to them or understand their requests.
• Homeowners said the contractor didn’t clean up mess.
• Contractors said homeowners would let their children and pets walk into the project site.
• Contractors said homeowners would call at unreasonable hours.

To avoid these issues, find a contractor you click with and who is very good at communicating. Before the project begins, get everything squared away. Ask about time frames. Ask about pricing. Ask about cleanliness. Ask about schedules. Ask about contact info.

Always keep in touch with the contractor throughout the day and throughout the duration of the project, so both parties are always on the same page. Always speak up if there is a problem, so you can fix it immediately. read more