Arts & Entertainment
Successful contracting
Take your time, conduct research before hiring workers
Be sure to spend an hour getting to know a contractor before hiring him or her for your job.
By SCOTT SIEGAL
Special to the Blade
Over the last decade, the largest trade publication (Remodeling Magazine) has conducted surveys of homeowners who have recently performed home improvement projects. According to the results, almost half of the respondents would not recommend their contractor. This means that if you are contemplating any type of home improvement work, you are at great risk, even if the contractor was referred to you.
All construction projects end with the customer being either satisfied or dissatisfied. There are clear-cut patterns in both the satisfied and dissatisfied situations. The following information is intended to help you identify the telltale patterns so that you better understand the contracting process.
If you do your homework and take the time to make the proper decisions, you will be one of the satisfied owners and not one of the victims. Generally, most dissatisfied construction project victims limited their focus to the following two questions:
“How much will the project cost?” and “When can the work get started?”
However, many authorities have suggested focusing on other questions before awarding your project to anyone. There is a lot to learn before awarding your project, such as, what products are available and which procedures to use. Therefore, it is vital to know that you can rely on the contractor you choose to give you good advice about those products and procedures that may be new to you. The critical factor in a successful contracting project is selecting the right contractor.
In order to select the right contractor, it is necessary to evaluate what I call the 4Ps of owner protection:
Problems: What are the problems that are causing the need for construction?
Products: What products and procedures solve those problems?
People: Who is the contractor to install the products and how do you qualify him/her?
Price: How do you determine if the price quoted is fair and competitive?
You should evaluate your contractor as carefully as you would choose your doctor or lawyer. You will want to select a contractor who can perform the work to your expectations and satisfaction. I will try to highlight some very straightforward questions that you should ask contractors in order to protect yourself from the nonprofessional or unqualified contractor. A professional contractor will have no problem working with you to answer these questions so that you can proceed with trust and confidence.
First, allow yourself a minimum of one hour to sit down with each contractor. You need to explore the problems, products and prices. You will be surprised at how many options and questions can be discussed with a professional contractor. This hour of getting to know and qualify your contractor can save endless hours of time dealing with dissatisfaction.
Question 1: What is the full name and address of the company?
Reject a contractor without a permanent place of business. Visit the contractor’s place of business. Does it appear that the equipment, manpower, and wherewithal is available to complete your project in a professional and timely manner?
Question 2: Does the contractor carry insurance and is the coverage adequate?
Reject the contractor without proper and adequate insurance. You should have them provide you a Certificate of Liability and workers’ compensation insurance. Verify with the insurance agent that the coverage is still in effect and for the type of work you are contracting.
Question 3: Is the company a licensed contractor?
Licensing is required in Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Each jurisdiction has its own requirements. Reject a contractor that doesn’t have a valid license.
Question 4: Is the contractor a member of a trade association and in good standing?
Contractors that are members of trade associations get training and up-to-date industry information that prove they are committed to their trade.
Question 5: How long has the contractor been in business?
Needless to say, the more experienced the better. Less than five years is often a telltale sign of an unstable business. Most contractors (96 percent) fail within the first five years.
Question 6: What is the contractor’s track record for handling complaints?
Many quality contractors with thousands of completed projects are exposed to disputes. The question is not if they have had disputes, but what was done about the dispute after it occurred.
There are many more questions, but I hope that this information helps you make a wise contracting decision. This may seem like a lot of work, but if you ever had a bad contracting experience, or know someone who has, you can appreciate the value of the time spent evaluating your contractor.
Scott Siegal is president of Maggio Roofing. Reach him at 301-891-1390 or [email protected].
Team DC, the umbrella organization for LGBTQ-friendly sports teams and leagues in the D.C. area, held its annual Night of Champions Awards Gala on Saturday, April 20 at the Hilton National Mall. The organization gave out scholarships to area LGBTQ student athletes as well as awards to the Different Drummers, Kelly Laczko of Duplex Diner, Stacy Smith of the Edmund Burke School, Bryan Frank of Triout, JC Adams of DCG Basketball and the DC Gay Flag Football League.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The 2024 National Cannabis Festival was held at the Fields at RFK Stadium on April 19-20.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Covering the @NatlCannaFest at RFK Stadium for @WashBlade . Stop by the LGBTQ+ booth and pick up a paper if you are here. pic.twitter.com/is7hnsaPns
— Michael Patrick Key (@MichaelKeyWB) April 20, 2024
Theater
‘Amm(i)gone’ explores family, queerness, and faith
A ‘fully autobiographical’ work from out artist Adil Mansoor
‘Amm(i)gone’
Thorough May 12
Woolly Mammoth Theatre
641 D St., N.W.
$60-$70
Woollymammoth.net
“Fully and utterly autobiographical.” That’s how Adil Mansoor describes “Amm(i)gone,” his one-man work currently playing at Woolly Mammoth Theatre.
Both created and performed by out artist Mansoor, it’s his story about inviting his Pakistani mother to translate Sophocles’s Greek tragedy “Antigone” into Urdu. Throughout the journey, there’s an exploration of family, queerness, and faith,as well as references to teachings from the Quran, and audio conversations with his Muslim mother.
Mansoor, 38, grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and is now based in Pittsburgh where he’s a busy theater maker. He’s also the founding member of Pittsburgh’s Hatch Arts Collective and the former artistic director of Dreams of Hope, an LGBTQ youth arts organization.
WASHINGTON BLADE: What spurred you to create “Amm(i)gone”?
ADIL MANSOOR: I was reading a translation of “Antigone” a few years back and found myself emotionally overwhelmed. A Theban princess buries her brother knowing it will cost her, her own life. It’s about a person for whom all aspirations are in the afterlife. And what does that do to the living when all of your hopes and dreams have to be reserved for the afterlife?
I found grant funding to pay my mom to do the translation. I wanted to engage in learning. I wanted to share theater but especially this ancient tragedy. My mother appreciated the characters were struggling between loving one another and their beliefs.
BLADE: Are you more director than actor?
MANSOOR: I’m primarily a director with an MFA in directing from Carnegie Mellon. I wrote, directed, and performed in this show, and had been working on it for four years. I’ve done different versions including Zoom. Woolly’s is a new production with the same team who’ve been involved since the beginning.
I love solo performance. I’ve produced and now teach solo performance and believe in its power. And I definitely lean toward “performance” and I haven’t “acted” since I was in college. I feel good on stage. I was a tour guide and do a lot of public speaking. I enjoy the attention.
BLADE: Describe your mom.
MANSOOR: My mom is a wonderfully devout Muslim, single mother, social worker who discovered my queerness on Google. And she prays for me.
She and I are similar, the way we look at things, the way we laugh. But different too. And those are among the questions I ask in this show. Our relationship is both beautiful and complicated.
BLADE: So, you weren’t exactly hiding your sexuality?
MANSOOR: In my mid-20s, I took time to talk with friends about our being queer with relation to our careers. My sexuality is essential to the work. As the artistic director at Dreams of Hope, part of the work was to model what it means to be public. If I’m in a room with queer and trans teenagers, part of what I’m doing is modeling queer adulthood. The way they see me in the world is part of what I’m putting out there. And I want that to be expansive and full.
So much of my work involves fundraising and being a face in schools. Being out is about making safe space for queer young folks.
BLADE: Have you encountered much Islamophobia?
MANSOOR: When 9/11 happened, I was a sophomore in high school, so yes. I faced a lot then and now. I’ve been egged on the street in the last four months. I see it in the classroom. It shows up in all sorts of ways.
BLADE: What prompted you to lead your creative life in Pittsburgh?
MANSOOR: I’ve been here for 14 years. I breathe with ease in Pittsburgh. The hills and the valleys and the rust of the city do something to me. It’s beautiful, it’ affordable, and there is support for local artists. There’s a lot of opportunity.
Still, the plan was to move to New York in September of 2020 but that was cancelled. Then the pandemic showed me that I could live in Pittsburgh and still have a nationally viable career.
BLADE: What are you trying to achieve with “Amm(i)gone”?
MANSOOR: What I’m sharing in the show is so very specific but I hear people from other backgrounds say I totally see my mom in that. My partner is Catholic and we share so much in relation to this.
I hope the work is embracing the fullness of queerness and how means so many things. And I hope the show makes audiences want to call their parents or squeeze their partners.
Malcolm Kenyatta could become the first LGBTQ statewide elected official in Pa.
Bowser budget proposal calls for $5.25 million for 2025 World Pride
White House debuts action plan targeting pollutants in drinking water
Health care for Marylanders with HIV is facing huge cuts this summer
Maine governor signs transgender, abortion sanctuary bill into law
Daniel Zamudio murderer’s parole request denied
State Department releases annual human rights report
‘Amm(i)gone’ explores family, queerness, and faith
Joe Vogel campaign holds ‘Big Gay Canvass Kickoff’
