Imagine hiring a painter that moonlights as an illusionist. You’d wonder which version you’d get come painting day: Da Vinci with a brush or just smoke and mirrors. The construction industry can feel a lot like that–enter the hacking contractor. They are not your typical Joes, with their blueprints and toolboxes. They come with a different set of plans entirely. Read more now on hackstage builders

It’s like reading a mystery. You may turn the page to find a clue and other times you might end up with a missing chapter. My neighbor Bob once hired a guy for a bathroom remodel, and by the end, it looked like the guy had used it as his art studio. There’s a lesson there somewhere–choose your help wisely. Pick someone who doesn’t just slather paint on ideas but carves reality out of dreams.

Ever heard the saying “every penny counts”? Penny-pinching can lead to a scene where your contractor vanishes quicker than Houdini, midway through a job. It’s not necessary to find the Holy Grail to achieve quality. It’s about making informed choices, reading between the contractor’s lines, and sometimes, seeing through the fog of jargon.

Have you ever listened to a pitch from a contractor? The words are so confusing that they could fill a dictionary. Why should laying tiles sound like landing a space probe? It’s hard to find honesty, just like a unicorn in a cowboy rodeo. If they stumble over the basics when wearing hard hats, that’s a big red flag.

Communication is still the key. That’s a lesson I got while fixing my backyard. I assumed the contractor knew what I wanted–dreaming of a landscaped oasis with a fountain–but got what looked more like a desert scene from a spaghetti Western instead. This is a reminder to be clear about your expectations and not make assumptions.