When you need help from any kind of building contractor, don’t go for the cheapest options available in your area.
My neighbor has to get a new roof now that it has failed inspection, as he ended up hiring a contractor who wasn’t licensed, certified, or insured.
I know it’s a hard lesson to face, but I can’t imagine how I could cope with sheer cost in the long run; and that was from trying to be cheap in the first place. You can only make retroactive speculations with the bias of hindsight, but I could have told him to look elsewhere had he mentioned it to me in passing before he hired that fraudulent roofing company. Even though I had to wait for a month to get repairs done to my basement’s lighting system, I knew that this electrician I scheduled is the same one who has helped me countless times for over a decade now. Perhaps I could get immediate service if I’m willing to hire an electrician who is so scammy that they’re desperate for work, but I won’t do that. I even made sure that my new personal fitness trainer at the local gym was certified. Although his employment status at a large chain fitness center should have indicated that he was legitimate and licensed, it didn’t hurt to do my due diligence in checking on his certifications. It’s reassuring knowing that the person helping you craft a diet and workout plan has gone through the necessary training to make those sorts of judgment calls. It’s such an ethically sensitive job position that I would never dream of hiring an uncertified personal fitness trainer.