Have you heard the quote βIf you think hiring a professional is expensive, wait until you hire an amateur?β Here are a few true examples which illustrate this point for both businesses and consumers.
A homeowner hired a handyman instead of a licensed contractor to stucco their home. The handyman used a pneumatic staple gun to attach the metal stucco lathe to the house. The staples he used were slightly too long and one of them penetrated an electrical line. This caused all of the aluminum framed windows to become electrified. Every possible solution to fix this problem was expensive and time-consuming.
A delivery service added a lift kit to the back of a pickup truck. This simple modification entails removing four bolts, inserting a spacer block and retightening the bolts. They got three estimates and took it to the cheapest mechanic. The mechanic did not line everything up correctly and the left rear wheel was shifted forward a few inches. This puts tremendous pressure on the entire drive train. Within two months both rear tires were completely worn out. Then the U-joints, carrier bearing and the differential needed to be replaced. This simple modification ended up costing the business more than $2,000, and it was without the delivery truck for more than a week.
Finally, there was the case of the homeowner who hired an unlicensed handyman. The handyman fell off the ladder and went through a glass coffee table. He had no workersβ comp insurance so he sued the homeowner for the $500,000 in medical bills. The homeowner submitted the claim to their insurance company. The claim was denied because state law and the insurance policy required the homeowner to hire a licensed and insured contractor to perform these types of repairs.
The next time you need a service, consider the potential cost of hiring an amateur.
