Getting bids

 Always, always, always get multiple bids. Even if you’re planning on doing a

project completely on your own, you should get bids. (I can hear from my con-

tractor friends that this wastes their time and that they resent it, but you can

get a lot of good, free information this way.) Let contractors know you’re going

out for competitive bids, and never make a commitment of any kind. Many

contractors offer a lower price, if you sign the contract today. That’s bunk;

don’t fall for it. If you call them back in a couple weeks and ask for the same

discounted price, they’ll give it to you.

The best bet is to ask friends who have the same kind of system, you’re con-

templating for contractor referrals (or warnings to stay away, as the case

may be). You can look contractors up with the Better Business Bureau, or

you can get information from state regulatory agencies. The Internet contains

a lot of referral sites (but beware — these may be paid for by the contractors

themselves!). Type the name of your city or county and the kind of project

you want to do into your search engine.

 Never use family members or friends as contractors. You may think they’ll

give you a better price and better service, but you’ll probably regret such an

arrangement. They may be thinking they can charge you more because of the

lack of competitive bids, or that they can work your job when it’s convenient

because you won’t fire them. Of course, if Uncle Roy the solar installer discov-

ers you had a solar installation done by one of his competitors, he may not

show up for Christmas dinner, so tread carefully. (On the other hand, maybe

you don’t want Uncle Roy around for Christmas dinner because he blows his

nose every couple minutes and grosses everybody out.)Interviewing a contractor

Contractors all want the job for the most amount of money they can get.

Here’s how to wade through the quicksand. First, let the contractor do the

talking during the interview. If you’re talking, you’re not getting information.

If you feel the need to convince a contractor to do a job, you’re setting your-

self up for a disappointment down the line because these folks are generally

good at smelling blood. Next, ask the same questions of each contractor. Ask

each the following:

 ✓ What problems they foresee. If they say none at all, beware.

 Give a hypothetical scenario such as, “What if you’re halfway through

and find that the parts aren’t fitting together the way they’re supposed

to?” Or “What if you’re injured somehow?”

 ✓ Whether they use multiple sources of supply. If they’re stuck on one

single system supplier, ask them why and whether they’d install a

system from another supplier if you were to purchase the material your-

self. Don’t exclude them if they refuse; just find out why.

 ✓ Whether they’ve used the same brands of equipment for a number of

years. If they’ve switched often, ask why. It’s normal for contractors to

switch equipment; the industry is changing rapidly. So don’t exclude a

contractor if they’ve switched suppliers. Just find out why.

 ✓ Whether they’re committed to finishing the project after they begin.

Be clear upfront that finishing the project on time is one of your require-

ments. Ask them what can be done if a project stalls.

 ✓ What conditions would merit tossing out the contract altogether.

For instance, if the equipment they bid is no longer available, do you

have the option to cancel the contract, or do you need to accept their

replacement equipment?

 ✓ Who will be doing what. Who will design the job? Who will oversee the

project management? Who does the installations? Get a list of all the

people who will be involved and their phone numbers.