Tips for Vetting Contractors
Research, research, research…. Did I mention research?
When selecting a contractor for your project it is important to do you research.
In this day and age be wary of any contactor that doesn’t have any kind of online presence. Today our online presence is our resume. Your contractor should have a website with photos of the projects they have completed, as well as information about the company or contractor. They should have their company listed on some kind of review site, like google or yelp, and have at least 20 reviews. Be wary of companies with under 10 reviews, those could all be written by friends or family, and not give you an honest impression of the contractor.
If they are a GC, electrician or plumber, do thy hold the proper license for their trade? Do they have a registered business (business license) with the state of Colorado? Do they carry insurance? If they have employees, do they have proper workers comp insurance?
If they have people working for them are they 1099 sub contractors or w2 employees? Are their workers properly classified? For example an apprentice cannot legally be classified as a 1099 subcontractor, but many contractors will classify them as such to avoid paying for workers comp or unemployment insurance. If that apprentice gets hurt in your home, and they are not covered by workers comp, they can sue you, the home owner. If the contractor uses subs, how long has the contractor had a working relationship with those subs?
The following information is to help clients understand the titles, certifications, and organizations a contractor may use to sell them selves. No matter what certificates, licenses or memberships a contractor holds, ALWAYS follow up with your own research and questions.
Licenses, certifications, and professional organizations, oh my.
When selecting a contractor it can be difficult to know the differences between various classifications. Here is a brief breakdown of some of them.
Contractors License.
Unfortunately, there is no trade specific license for tile work in the state of Colorado. I believe this does a major disservice to my trade and our industry. What this means is any jack of all trades can say they know how to slap some tile on a wall. This may result in just some ugly tile in your house but can become a serious issue when working on wet area, such as showers. In the state of Colorado there are only 3 licenses: General Contracting (completing or overseeing all trades), Plumbing, and Electrical.
If you are having a larger project done, that involves many trades I would highly recommend finding a reputable, reliable, licensed GC to oversee the project for you. For example, a full bathroom remodel that involves new tile, moving plumbing in the shower, new vanity, new toilet, trim work… etc. Be sure to ask the GC you are considering hiring for referrals for their subs from other clients. Bad GCs will charge you an arm and a leg, and then sub out the work to unqualified people because they are “cheap”. Ask your GC if the people doing the work are sub-contractors, or w2 employees. If they are employees, does the GC carry workers comp insurance (required by law for anyone who has employees). What does the GCs reputation look like? How many reviews and pictures do they have online, can they provide you with phone numbers of past clients who would be willing to tell you about their experience with this contractor? If a contractor can’t provide you with any of this information, that might be a red flag. I have a great referral for a licensed GC if you need one.
I was licensed for tile work back in California, where I am from. California has a license for every trade, and is the hardest state to become licensed in. A couple of the reasons I would like to see trade specific licenses here in Colorado, is they are legally recognized by the state in which you are licensed, and it gives the client actual legal recourse when dealing with a bad contractor. This could be for poor workmanship, damaging your personal property, or running off with your money. This also helps prevent illegal labor, such as people with no business license or no insurance/ bond. A license also requires the contractor to offer a warranty of some sort to the client.
Certified Tile Installer
Just what is a Certified Tile Installer, or CTI? Technically it is anyone who installs tile and has certificates in methods to do so.
Currently, most major manufacturers of installation products offer training courses to become certified in their products. These classes are also open to the public for homeowners and DIYers to take themselves.
There is also a 2 part, written and hands on, test offered by the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF) called the Certified Tile Installer. Sounds like a great idea right? In theory yes, in application, no.
The test and certification were created in 2008 and have not been updated since then. In the last 10 years alone, we have seen unbelievable advancements in technology in the tile industry, this test does not reflect any of those advancements or modern standards. It is offered by a 3rd party organization that has no legal or government recognition. Meaning as the client, CTEF will not do anything should the CTI installer screw up or run off with your money. The test requires the installer to use materials that many skilled installers wouldn’t touch today, myself included. It does not test on waterproofing methods for wet areas, and requires the work to be rushed as quickly as possible (applicants are only given 8 hours to complete work that should take days to properly complete). Applicants are required to use a rapid setting adhesive, that still requires 3-4 hours to cure prior to grouting. Since this is impossible given the time constraints, applicants are encouraged to ignore manufacturer recommendations (which should never be done), and to grout as soon as possible with the adhesive still wet. I’ve seen test modules where the tile slid down the wall prior to grouting because the adhesive was still wet (you should never grout while thinset is wet), the tile work looked terrible, but the applicant was given a passing grade and their CTI#. CTEF also will pass people that maybe shouldn’t have passed the test if they are considered social media influencers, so that they can sell the test to more installers.
Once receiving the certification there is no requirement to keep up to date on industry standards or retest at any point as standards change. The CTI test was developed as an entry level starting point for installers to then go on and take the ACT tests. The ACT tests and certifications are specific to areas of the tile trade, such as waterproofing, and are more in depth tests. Unfortunately most people stop with he CTI and don’t continue with the more advanced certifications. Many feel the CTI test was designed for people who want to work for large commercial companies, to make it easier for those companies to know the installer has a very limited, basic understanding of tile installation standards.
In the last few years, this test has started being heavily pushed within the residential and remodeling side of the tile industry. Even though it does not reflect how those of us on the residential and remodeling side of the trade do installations, by following current industry standards and manufacturer instructions.
If you are thinking of hiring an installer because of this test/ certification, someone who is selling themselves as “CTI#00000”, make sure to still ask for recommendations, ask for photos of their work, ask them how long ago they took the test, and ask them what they are doing to stay up to date on industry standards? I would also recommend looking for someone that has continued on and has ACT certifications.
NTCA or Contractors of Colorado Member
The National Tile Contractors Association and the Contractors of Colorado are both independent professional organizations that contractors can join. There is no interview or vetting process that is required to join. ANYONE can join these organizations for a monthly or yearly fee. Members of these organizations are then promoted to clients as “trust worthy” contractors. However, these organizations have no way of knowing if these contractors are trustworthy or not. If you have a bad experience with a contractor these organizations will not do anything to help you get your money back or resolve a situation. These organizations are essentially very expensive directories of contractors in your area, sold with a false sense of security to the client. The directory can be a helpful starting point, but if you haven’t noticed the theme yet…..
DO YOUR RESEARCH!
