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Few of the many artisans who offer their services are competent and severe. If you wish to carry out work in your home, you must consider specific criteria to find them and have them move. In addition to comparing different estimates, take the time to check a professional’s registration, experience, achievements, and reputation before contacting him. To save time, you can consult the list of more than one million artisans in different cities.
The Main Criteria of Choice
The success of your project depends on the professionalism and skills of the craftsman you will hire. To avoid scams, you must consider many criteria before requesting an appointment. Thus, to hire a qualified and severe artisan, check his registration, experience, achievements, proposals, professional references, qualifications, reputation, and estimate.
(1) His registration: When an artisan offers you his estimate, check it to see if it includes a SIREN or SIRET number. This number shows that he is serious because he has a registration and is registered in the directory of trades, as is the case with the site maison.fr.
If the professional is not registered, you cannot hire him because he is not declared. The law prohibits moonlighting, thus punishing the worker and the person who uses his services.
(2) His experience: The fact that he is experienced shows that he is competent. He masters his trade because he has thorough knowledge in his field and can thus carry out quality work.
(3) His achievements: You will find his past achievements on his website or through visual evidence. You can verify if he is severe and qualified from the different photos of his work.
(4) His proposals: A serious artisan can propose different solutions to realize your work. He listens to your needs and ideas and uses his expertise to provide quality work.
(5) His professional references: Ask the Chambre des métiers for the references of the artisans you are interested in. They must also be able to present them to you.
(6) Qualifications: To have the necessary skills to realize your project, this professional must have followed professional training. Take the time to find out more about their background and qualifications.
(7) Reputation: Ask his clients or read their reviews on different websites to know if he has a good reputation. If the majority or all of the reviews are positive, he is a reliable craftsman.
(8) His estimate: A complete and adequately written estimate shows that he is serious. The latter must contain various mandatory information provided by law.
The Obligatory Information in an Estimate
Before asking for the services of a craftsman, it is strongly recommended to ask and compare the estimates of different professionals. Thanks to the estimate, you will not only know the price of the professional, but you will also obtain different information about him.
Remember that the establishment of an estimate is mandatory if the estimated amount of the operation is higher than 151 USD. Suppose the work carried out represents a danger to the integrity of the premises or the safety of the people. In that case, there is “absolute urgency,” and this obligation is not valid anymore.
However, you can ask for an estimate even if the amount is less than 151 USD. In this case, the craftsman must respond positively to your request. An invoice specifying the services performed with their prices and the repair date is issued once the service performed exceeds 25 USD.
Some craftsmen are reluctant to commit to specific prices given the current crisis affecting many operators, including building professionals and public workers. A reluctance that we understand well in such a context.
In addition to being established in duplicate, the estimate must present the indication “estimate received before the execution of work.” Signed and dated, this document must contain various mandatory information:
- The duration of validity of the estimate
- A mention specifying if it is free or paid
- The coordinates of the customer as well as his first name and his name
- The name, company name, contact information, and registration number of the artisan
- The date of the work: the beginning and the end
- The date of drafting the estimate;
- The reference to the decennial guarantee
- The location of the site;
- The price of labor
- The payment terms: the method, date, and frequency of payment
- Additional costs
- A detailed description of each service
- Travel Expenses
- Detailed breakdown in rates and quantities of supplies required for the work
- All services excluding taxes and including all taxes with the VAT rates.
On some platforms, it is possible to request about 3 to 5 free quotes. These must be compared to find the professional who offers the best deal. To make this comparison, it is essential to consider different elements:
- The labour rate
- The detailed works and their prices, on the installation of thermal insulation for example or others
- The displacement: amount and additional expenses
- The guarantees and insurances that the craftsman proposes
- The supplies with their description and their prices.
Using the Services
It is not always easy to find and move good artisans, to obtain an estimate and advice to carry out work. Generally overworked and challenging to reach, they have to face a continuously increasing demand exceeding the available market offer.
Fortunately, Maison.fr provides a list of easy-to-call professionals near your home. Whether you need painting, plumbing, air conditioning, electricity, roofing, etc., choose the right professional.
All you have to do is check the reviews of other customers and the photos of the artisans you are interested in to make the right choice.
