By Dan Monk, P.Eng., Red Seal Carpenter and Owner of MONK Renovations A s an industry professional, I never want to hear bad things about my industry, however, I hear far too many horror stories about home renovations gone wrong; everything from a project that was scheduled for three months that took twelve months to complete to a contractor who never showed up and kept the deposit. These problems hurt my industry and I would like to elim- inate or greatly reduce the likelihood of them happening to you. The following article will provide guidance on how to protect yourself from creating your very own renovation horror story. For starters, you should know that not everyone who calls themselves a “contractor” has the carpentry skills and professional qualities required to operate a successful company. There are virtually no barriers to entry in the res- idential renovations or building industry; no requirement
for experience or professional qualification, no licensing in most provinces, Nova Scotia being one of them, and minimal oversight by any authority. If you have a business card, a name on your truck, and possibly a website, you can call yourself a contractor! This extremely open industry allows for increased potential for dishonest or incompetent persons operating renovation or construction companies. Therefore, it is critical you as homeowners complete your “due diligence” before hiring a contractor. Often, people are taken advantage of because the average person is uninformed, naive, or too complacent when hiring a renovator. Home renovations are a significant expense and require you to spend your hard-earned money, so you should do your “due diligence” and make sure your potential contractor is actually capable of completing your project. It is the client’s responsibility to protect themselves
Ocean Contractors Limited PO Box 604 Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B2Y 3Y9 Phone: 902.435.1291
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2018
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