This can give you high anxiety, like buying a car. Service Providers that tend to over commit and under deliver lack general courtesy let alone morals. If you’re asking a vendor to provide an estimate on work you want them to perform, be very weary. Be specific on your expectations. Always build in an additional 10 - 20% buffer on any given estimate, never expect a quote to come in under budget.

It’s possible for you to negotiate, but as soon as you do, the service provider is quickly doing the math to see where they can save money through cutbacks. Use common sense to determine if it “sounds to good to be true”. Try to sense if they can deliver exactly what they are promising and always get your expectations in writing.

You should always get as many estimates as you can and for goodness sake get references. Ensure you call the references and ask the hard questions. Dig deep into the service providers past results. Did they deliver on what you wanted, are you satisfied with the end result? Did they complete the work on schedule? Did they work consistently day after day or disappear for days at a time? Were they on budget? Their answers will determine if you should select this service provider.

Put the least amount of money down on a job. Your at risk when giving a vendor money for work not performed. Go over the contract several times and document absolutely everything. By doing so, you are protecting yourself.