Getting Along with Contractors

Working with contractors seems to be a major pain point for some interior designers. Contractors and interior designers can have very different work strategies that can cause issues on a project. I’ve visited with a lot of contractors and interior designers over the years and this issue continues to come up.  So I started thinking … what are some best practices when dealing with contractors?

1.       Start off on the right foot. With any relationship, it’s best to lay all your cards on the table from the beginning. When you meet with a contractor, you both need to discuss your goals and expectations for the project. If you want the contractor to be considerate of your time, then you should be considerate of theirs as well. Stay open-minded and flexible … we all know these projects rarely proceed without a hitch.

2.       The squeaky wheel gets the grease. When you are discussing the goals and expectations ask the contractor how they best like to communicate. Some of them need you to stay on top of them, and others hate constant communication. A lot of times you can get a lot done by being ‘top of mind’ and other times an irritated contractor could decide to put your project on the back burner, however, in most cases, I did find that a charming persistence helped move the project along.

3.       Show appreciation. If the contractors you work with feel appreciated, they are most likely to work well with you on your projects. Occasionally drop off their favorite cookies or bring them their favorite coffee. Small appreciative gestures can go a long way.

4.       Ask how you can make their life easier. I’m not saying you should kiss butt, however, life is so much easier when people get along. Maybe there is a minor change you can make in the way you work with a contractor that can make a world of difference, but you won’t know if you don’t ask. Each contractor goes about his/her job differently and let’s face it … we always want to be on the good side of the contractors.

5.       Learn to manage personalities. I’m going to make an educated guess and assume that if you are a great designer you are great at managing your clients. Managing contractors is the same thing. There is a stigma among contractors that interior designers expect them to be miracle workers or that contractors don’t take interior designers seriously. Many contractors feel that interior designers set unrealistic expectations for their clients. If you know something can be done and a contractor is giving you grief over it by all means stick to your guns … the contractor is being paid to do a job. If a contractor is really dragging his/her feet then talk to them about it, come up with some kind of solution … again, the contractor is being paid to do a job.

6.       Create a team-like atmosphere. Contractors don’t like to feel like they are working for an interior designer. The contractor and the designer are working for the client, therefore the contractor and interior designer are a team and if there is a team-like atmosphere where both of you bring something valuable to the table that can go a long way!

At the end of the day, what I’ve learned is certain personality types work well with others and occasionally you can run into a personality type that doesn’t work well with anyone. If you are working with a contractor that is an absolute nightmare then by all means … find another contractor. As long as there is a mutual respect and appreciation you never know what your team can achieve! Or perhaps, contractors and interior designers are like cats and dogs … however, I have seen a lot of cute photos of cats and dogs getting along. 😊