Why create this thread? If you are a regular reader here and at the auto section you will be familiar with several disputes that emanate from such business transactions.

Necessity would always make you need contractors here in Nigeria to execute your projects in your absence. So what do you do? How do you protect yourself? How do you get the best?

NOTE THE BEST CONTRACTORS YOU CAN EVER GET ARE FROM NAIRALAND.

1. We have a name to protect it is very embarrassing to be reported here online I Mean extremely embarrassing. Take advantage of this. The contractor that is not online can always cover his tracks and manage the embarrassment.


2. We have a lot of potential customers on the waiting list. Being reported spoils the whole reputation.

3. Quality of your work can always appraised by experts here. Patronizing an offline contractor means you just have to take what ever he tells you. Especially on subjects you no little about

HOW TO WORK WITH NAIRALAND CONTRACTORS.

1. GO FOR BIG REPUTATION NOT BIG NAME: don't be deceived by the glamour of Classy adverts, high caliber projects and other eye catching attributes of a contractor. Those in auto section here on Nairaland can attest to this, it is these set of people that defraud the most, because their genuineness is really questioned. Not saying the big name is not good, but they must also have a reputation. Imagine how much complaints has been made about some BIG names here and yet people keep falling victims to them.

2. RESEARCH YOU TARGET CONTRACTOR. What you need to watch out for is dishonesty and un-professionalism.

3. NO ONE IS PERFECT. I mean NO ONE. That you don't see any complaint online does not mean we don't have issues offline. Spygadget can attest to this. But how does the contractor handle the problems he has with his clients? That is key. In line with this is my next point.

4. BE REALISTIC IN YOU EXPECTATION.
I see a lot of silly praise of contractors here. Yes commendation is good, but these praises makes you expect the unrealistic from us. There is no established company in the world that has not had issues. Toyota has made lots of design mistakes that has lead to accidents, Samsung has had bloats in their phones etc. Work with us as humans, follow proper business procedures while dealing with us. There may be need to make some corrections in the course of the work or add more funds etc.

Then you can move to the transaction proper

5. HAVE A TRUST WORTHY REPRESENTATIVE HERE IN NIGERIA.
The key word here is TRUSTWORTHY. Yes. Most times the relatives here in Nigeria are your problem and our problem. I have had some relatives/representative. Making monetary demands from me even after the job has been completed. They always feel it is their money and we the contractors are "chopping" all the money.

6. DEMAND FOR A QUOTE and BREAKDOWN.
Don't work with whole cost EVER!

7. ASK FOR OPTIONS: VERY important. As for options available to you and what the contractor recommends and why.

8. SAMPLE QUOTES FROM SEVERAL CONTRACTORS. Don't just take cost quotation from one single person. Take from several contractors and compare. No 2 contractors does things the same, so don't look for superficiality, be after the fundamental content.

9. DON'T JUDGE BY COST. Yes, the biggest mistake of clients. Lol. I really laugh now.
DON'T EVER GO FOR THE CHEAPEST OR EXPENSIVE OPTION.
Cheapest could mean inferior quality, but sometimes it could also mean a modest contractor. Expensive is presumed to be high quality, at the same time it cld just mean expensive and nothing more.
Go for the fundamentals. What are the materials needed? What is their cost? ARE they standard? That is the key thing. What options do you have? What does these options cost?

10. DON'T PROOVE TO BE TOO SMART.
Yes! Don't! You begin too ask some silly questions, then you are going too far. Stick to the contract. Some people will take quotes from too many people. Taking quotes from 3 people should be enough. Abusing this is wrong and you end up wasting so many peoples time. End up confusing yourself, endup doing a poor job. Know what you want and go for it. Don't waste a contractors time scrutinizing everything, based on what others are quoting to you.

11. PAY FOR STAGES OF WORK DONE. If you are building a house for example, don't pay all at once. Pay for the stages of building. Foundation, Carcass, Roofing, plastering etc. Break it down. This way you can always control the situation.

12. PAY WHAT THE CONTRACTOR NEEDS. Pay on time and pay in full. Holding back funds won't help your project or prove you to be smart. For foundation stage pay in FULL, for the carcass, PaY in full. Don't make the contractor call you for everything, "oga we need nail, oga we need block, oga we need tissue paper".

13. BE PATIENT. If there is any issue don't flare up. Listen to understand. If reasonable be willing to go back to the drawing board. This is normal especially in construction. NOTE that it is never easy for a contractor to ask for more money than budgeted. Construction is beyond 1+1=2.

14. COMMUNICATE. This is perhaps the most important. Once or twice a day is important. Know what has been achieved per day. Set targets in a polite way for the contractor and ask about progress. Let the contractor tell you what he intends to achieve in a given time frame and follow this up.

15. BE POLITE. Don't think anyone is after your money or because you are in a foreign land, that makes everyone in Nigeria hungry. I have seen some threads here with some clients being so low, bashing and insulting like kids.

FOLLOW DUE Process and you will be safe

YOU can add yours and share your