1. A Written Estimate

A written estimate, signed by the demolition contractor, that clearly outlines the expected costs of your demolition project.  A written estimate is the first part of hiring a demolition contractor. You should never hire a demolition contractor without receiving a written estimate first.

2. Proof of Insurance

Proof of Insurance can be obtained from your demolition contractor’s insurance agent. This verifies that your demolition contractor is insured for the demolition work he is doing. Also make sure you’ve check his contractor’s license and verified his surety bond as well.

3. Contract

A contract between you and your demolition contractor should clear spell out the work to be performed, the time frame for that work to be done in, and a schedule of payments to be made. A contract should also include any required clauses (various states have various required clauses that must be in any contract) and an outline of how disputes with your contractor will be resolved (mediation, arbitration, etc).

If you have these three things from a demolition contractor you are ahead of the game and headed for a much better experience than those who haven’t secured this information.

There are a lot of demolition contractors in Los Angeles. Large demolition contractors who handle full commercial demolition, small demolition contractors that handle just residential demolition, and plenty of demolition contractors in between that handle both residential and commercial demolition projects. So how do you find the right demolition contractor in Los Angeles? Here are 5 things you need to do before hiring a demolition contractor in Los Angeles.

1. Get Three Estimates

Before you hire a demolition contractor in Los Angeles get three estimates from three separate demolition contractors. Treat the estimation process like a job interview. Use this opportunity to get a feel for how a demolition contractor works and what his level of professionalism and experience is. 

2. Check A Demolition Contractor’s License and Bond

You can verify that a demolition contractor’s license is up to date by check with the California State Contractors Licensing Board. The CSLB can verify that your contractor’s license is up to date. They can also assist you in verifying a demolition contractor’s bond as well.

3.  Verify Your Demolition Contractor’s Insurance

Verifying your demolition contractor’s insurance is easy. Ask your demolition contractor for the name of his insurance agent. Call the insurance agent and ask him or her to fax you a Proof of Insurance certificate. Also make sure that a demolition contractor’s insurance covers the type of demolition work you need performed. Frequently, insurance only covers certain types of demolition work, or limits the type of work that can be performed.

 4. Ask a Demolition Contractor for References

A demolition contrator in Los Angeles should be able to supply two to three recent work references. These should be references for jobs performed in the last couple of months and should include names of those who had the work performed and numbers so you can contact them yourself.

5. Draft a Contract

You and your demolition contractor should sit down and draft up a work agreement. This agreement needs to outline the type of work to be done, the time it needs to be done in, and who pays in the event of an accident. 

If you do these five simple things you will find a better demolition contractor and have a better demolition experience than you would have otherwise.

Before you hire a demolition company in the Los Angeles area there are five questions everyone should ask their demolition company. These questions will help you determine whether you have the right demolition company for your project.

Are You Licensed By the State of California?

The default answer to this question should be “Yes” followed by “Here’s my license number.” If the answer is No. Or It doesn’t matter. Or Yes but I can’t give you my license number for some reason … Then walk away and find a licensed demolition company.

Are You Insured and Can You Provide Proof of Insurance?

Most demolition companies in Los Angeles will claim to have insurance, but you need to verify that they have enough insurance and that their insurance policy covers the type of demolition work you are hiring them to do. All you have to do is ask your demolition company to provide the name and phone number of his or her insurance agent. Call the insurance agent and have him or her fax you a Proof of Insurance Certificate.

Can You Provide Three Recent References?

Any good demolition company in Los Angeles should be able to provide three to four recent (within the last three to six months) references. These should be work references from satisfied client. You should be able to call each client and check on the quality of the contractor’s work. These references should also serve as credit references as well.

How Many of These Demolition Projects Have You Done?

There is no magic number when it comes to how many demolition projects a demolition company does before he is “good”. But you ideally want to hire a demolition company that has a lot of experience in both demolition and in the particular type of demolition service you are asking him to perform.

What Happens If I’m Not Satisfied? 

This could also be called “Write a good contract”. You need to clearly outline what happens if you are not satisfied with a contractor’s work and how any disputes with your demolition company will be resolve.

If you ask your demolition company these questions you’ll be better prepared and better informed.

So how do you avoid a getting baited and switched by a demolition company in Los Angeles?

Tip #1: Always Get a Written Estimate

Unless it was written down, it never happened. So when  demolition company tells you a job is going to cost X have them put it in writing and have them sign it. While written estimates are not iron clad (and demolition jobs can run into legitimate cost overruns), they do offer you proof that the demolition company in question quoted you a certain price.

Tip #2: Get a Contract in Writing

A contract that spells out specifics protects you and protects the demolition company your contracting with. A good contract should delve deeply into specifics. What kind of demolition service is provide? How are the payments to be scheduled? What happens if there is a legitimate cost overrun? And what happens if a demolition company doesn’t perform the work to your satisfaction.

Tip #3: Don’t Reward Bait and Switch Demolition Companies.

The worst thing you can do is reward a demolition company that does pull a bait and switch by allowing them to do a job. If a demolition company insists that a job will cost more than estimated and refuses to stand by their original estimate send them packing. Yes, this will cost you time and money in the short term, but it sends a clear message that bait and switches won’t work. 

Tip #4: Report Bad Demolition Companies.

If you discover a demolition company in Los Angeles involved in a bait and switch scheme report them to the Better Business Bureau and the California Contractors State Licensing Board. While bait and switching isn’t against the law, it is an unethical practice that both the state of California and the Better Business Bureau frowns upon.

The main thing to remember when it comes to finding a demolition company is to stay vigilant and to never take anything on a handshake agreement. 

The first step is to ask your demolition contractor for two to four references. These references should be for similar jobs done in the last three to six months. Asking for references is pretty standard practice in construction and demolition. If your demolition contractor refuses to provide references then find another demolition contractor. If your demolition contractor provides letters of reference be sure to make a follow up call to the person who wrote that letter. Letters of reference can be easily forged, unfortunately.

Another tip is to check your demolition contractor’s references against their online reviews. If the references and the reviews correspond than you’ve probably found a good demolition contractor. If a demolition contractor has good references but generally poor reviews you may want to look around for another demolition contractor.

1. A demolition company in Los Angeles that refuses to give a written estimate. A written estimate is standard fair for almost every demolition job. If a demolition company in Los Angeles says they don’t do estimates, or just gives phone estimates, or charge large amounts of money for demolition estimates move along and find a better company. 

2. A demolition company in Los Angeles that does not have a demolition contractor’s license. A demolition company that operates without a license is an invitation to disaster. Using a unlicensed contractor opens up you and your family to potential legal liabilities, and could cause damage to your house.

3. A demolition company in Los Angeles that doesn’t have insurance. Much like a contractor’s license, demolition companies are supposed to carry adequate insurance. If your demolition company doesn’t carry insurance or refuses to provide proof of insurance time to walk away.3

4. A demolition company in Los Angeles that has poor credit, or has been sued multiple times. A demolition company in Los Angeles that has poor credit can leave you liable for paying workers and subcontractors.

5. A demolition company in Los Angeles that has poor internet reviews. Internet reviews, both positive and negative, should be taken in context and with a certain grain of salt. But if a demolition company has mostly negative reviews than its time to find a different demolition company. 

You need a contract with a demolition contractor that spells out specifically the work to be done. Whether you are doing a swimming pool removal, a bathroom demolition, or a whole house demolition your contract should spell out the exact demolition work to be performed.  

A contract with your demolition contractor should also include specifics about the hauling and disposal of construction debris. Many people have been left with a pile of construction debris because the contract they had with their demolition contractor left them holding the bag. Ideally, your demolition contractor should handle construction debris hauling and removal. Whether they rent out a dumpster or subcontract to a hauling service.

Any contract with your demolition contractor also needs to spell out exactly how your demolition contractor gets paid. A good contract spells out a payment schedule and how payments are made.

You should also have a clause in your contract with a demolition contractor that spells out what happens if you demolition project isn’t done to specified standards. And who is liable if the demolition contractor damages your property.

The key to drafting any contract is specificity. So be specific and be thorough.  

A demolition contractor with poor credit, someone who doesn’t pay his subcontractors or his workers, can do a job and leave you holding the bag for paying everyone else involved. This can land you in a sea of litigation that can last for years and cost thousands of dollars.

So how do you check your demolition contractor’s credit? You can either ask your demolition contractor for recent credit reference. Any good demolition contractor should be able and willing to provide this information. If a demolition contractor refuses to supply a credit reference be very wary. Would you use a demolition contractor that refuses to supply his contractor license? No. Treat your contractor’s credit the same way.

You can also use services provided by credit bureaus like Experian to check your demolition contractor’s credit. In fact, using these background check services may serve as a safety to ensure that your demolition contractor is providing an accurate credit reference.

The motto when dealing with contractors should always be, Trust, but Verify.

Asking a demolition contractor for recent references is standard practice but many people feel awkward about asking. Don’t. Any demolition contractor in Los Angeles should happily provide you with recent work references. Any demolition contractor that says they won’t provide references, can’t provide references, or delay providing references is a contractor you don’t want to deal with.

So how many references should you ask your demolition contractor for? You want at least two recent references from jobs done in the last three to six months. You should also ask for a credit reference. Why ask for a credit reference? Because a demolition contractor with poor credit, even if his work is good, can leave you holding the bill for payment to workers and subcontractors.

Get Estimates … You should solicit about three estimates for most residential demolition projects. These estimates should be given in writing after an estimator from a demolition contractor physically visits your property. Don’t accept phone estimates. Also try the estimation like a job interview. Ask each estimator a lot of questions and get a feel for how their demolition business works.

Check Your Contractor’s License … Once you’ve settled on a demolition contractor check his license with the State of California. Never use an unlicensed demolition contractor (unfortunately there are a lot of them in Los Angeles). Also take this time to confirm that your demolition contractor has the appropriate insurance. Ask your demolition contractor for the name and number of your demolition contractor’s insurance agent. Ask your demolition contractor’s insurance agent to fax you proof of insurance.

Verify Your Demolition Contractor’s References … Most good demolition contractors in Los Angeles should be able to provide you with two to three recent references for work performed.

Get a Contract Beforehand … Sit down with your demolition contractor and work out a contract. This contract should be extremely specific spelling out the work to be performed, the rate to be paid, how payment is supposed to be made, what happens if the work performed isn’t satisfactory, etc.

If you follow these tips you should be able to find a good demolition contractor in Los Angeles that fits your needs.