The 5 Contractor Red Flags Every Remodeler Should Know

Saturday Construction Series

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Hire Smart or Pay Twice

If you flip houses long enough, you’ll eventually meet the contractor who talks faster than he works, overpromises like a campaign speech, and disappears the day after demo. Don’t feel bad—it’s a rite of passage.

But the goal here is to minimize those rites, not collect them. So let’s talk about the five biggest red flags that should make you clutch your wallet and back away slowly.

1. The “No Contract Needed” Guy

If a contractor says “we don’t need paperwork, my word is my bond,” what he really means is “I don’t want you to have anything in writing when this goes sideways.”

No signed scope, no schedule, no accountability. Always get a written contract. Always.

2. The “Too Available” Contractor

Good contractors are busy. If someone answers your call on the first ring and says they can start tomorrow, ask yourself why. Chances are, someone else just fired them yesterday.

3. The “Cash Up Front” Gambit

A reasonable deposit? Fine. Full payment before materials show up? No. That’s not a deposit—that’s a donation.

Standard rule of thumb: 10%–30% to start, progress draws after visible work.

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4. The Vanishing Estimate

If you can’t get an estimate in writing—or they “forgot” to include half the items you discussed—you’re dealing with someone who plans to make their profit in change orders. The cheap verbal quote is bait. The written one is the truth.

5. The Friend-of-a-Friend Discount

Your buddy’s cousin “who used to work construction” is not your contractor. Hiring based on guilt, favors, or “he’s a good guy” is how half-finished bathrooms happen.

Pro Tip: A good contractor will have a contract, insurance, references, and a schedule—and won’t flinch when you ask for any of them.

The bad ones will tell you you’re “too uptight.” That’s your cue to smile, nod, and never call again.

Trust your gut. It’s cheaper than arbitration.

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