Cutting Hair or Cutting Walls
If I had a dollar for every contractor horror story I've heard over the past twenty years, I could probably treat the family to a nice vacation this year. Instead, I find myself constantly confronted by potential customers strickened with paranoia about hiring a contractor — a situation, quite frankly, I'm sick of. But the reality is that their stories are real. We hear in the news constantly tales of misfortune: "Contractor botched up job," "Contractor took my money and never returned," "Contractor hiked up prices with extras." MAKE IT STOP!
Did you know that up until 2009 there was no certification required for contractors to be in business? Licenses were issued on an as-needed basis per township annually, usually for fifty bucks. All you had to do was prove insurance, not skill or experience.
I, for one, have no problem supporting the certification process for contractors, much like teachers and realtors have, as it eases the minds of homeowners and restores trust in the trades — and, most importantly, keeps out the hacks! It's pretty amazing that you needed certification to cut hair in this country, but not to cut open the walls in a person's home. I see the certification process as a very good thing.