The call came on a Tuesday morning. Woman named Sandra. She'd paid a plumbing contractor $14,000 up front to rough-in two bathrooms in a renovation. The guy showed up for three days, left copper stub-outs sticking out of the slab at wrong measurements, and stopped answering his phone.
She called me because the painter who was supposed to follow him — a friend of mine — told her to. "Keith will tell you straight what you're dealing with."
I walked into that house and knew within sixty seconds what had happened. It wasn't the crooked pipes that told me. It was what was sitting on the floor next to them.
A $12 hacksaw from a big-box store. Teeth worn flat. A roll of emery cloth that had never been opened. No pipe cutter anywhere on site.
I've been painting and renovating in the Bahamas since 1992. I've walked into the aftermath of bad contractor jobs more times than I can count. And here's what I've learned: the tools on the floor tell you more about who you hired than any reference call ever will.
What Nobody In The Trade Will Tell You
Here's the thing contractors count on you not knowing: the difference between a professional and a pretender is visible before they touch a single pipe.
A real plumber cuts copper with a RIDGID pipe cutter — the kind that spins around the pipe and leaves a clean, square edge every time. The RIDGID 32013 Model 15 is the standard. It handles 3/8-inch up to 1-5/16-inch tubing. Every journeyman I've ever worked alongside has one in their bag. It's not flashy. It's not expensive — about $35. But it's the difference between a joint that seals and a joint that leaks inside your wall for three years before you notice the drywall bubbling.
A hack uses a hacksaw. Leaves burrs. The burr catches debris. The debris clogs. The clog backs up. And you're calling another plumber in eighteen months wondering why your brand-new bathroom smells like sewage.
That's not a hypothetical. That's Sandra's house.
Five Questions That Expose A Bad Contractor Before They Touch Your House
You don't need to know plumbing to vet a plumber. You need to know what to look for. Here are five questions that separate the professionals from the pretenders — and none of them require you to understand pipe sizing.
1. "What pipe cutter do you use?"
If they say "hacksaw" or look confused, end the conversation. A professional plumber names their cutter the way a chef names their knife. The answer you want is RIDGID. The Model 15 or the 100-series close-quarters cutter. If they can't name it, they don't own one.
2. "Can I see your last three job photos?"
Not references — photos. Anyone can give you their cousin's phone number and call it a reference. Photos of completed rough-in work tell you whether they take pride in what's behind the wall, not just what's in front of it. A clean rough-in looks intentional. Pipes are parallel. Fittings are spaced evenly. Nothing is forced. A bad rough-in looks like spaghetti.
3. "What's your deposit structure?"
Never pay more than 30% up front. Ever. A contractor who demands 50% or more before starting is either undercapitalized — which means your job stops when his cash runs out — or planning to disappear. Sandra paid 70% up front. She'll never see that money again.
4. "Who pulls the permit — you or me?"
If they ask you to pull the permit, walk away. A contractor who won't pull their own permit is either unlicensed, uninsured, or both. The permit protects you, not them. They know that. If they're dodging it, they're dodging something else too.
5. "What's in your truck right now?"
This one catches them off guard. A real tradesman can list their tools from memory because they've used every one of them this week. A 14-inch RIDGID pipe wrench. A tubing cutter. A propress. A level. They rattle it off without thinking. A pretender stumbles. Says "the usual stuff." That hesitation is your answer.
The Contrast That Costs You Thousands
Here's the split I've watched play out for 34 years:
What the uninformed homeowner does: Calls three contractors. Takes the lowest bid. Doesn't ask about tools, permits, or deposit structure. Signs whatever contract is put in front of them. Hands over a check. Hopes.
What the smart homeowner now does: Calls three contractors. Asks the five questions above. Watches who answers confidently and who deflects. Checks the truck. Checks the photos. Checks the permit policy. Then — and only then — talks price.
The gap between those two approaches is the difference between Sandra's $14,000 hole in the ground and a renovation that adds real value to your home.
You're Not Gambling. Stop Acting Like It.
You didn't save for years and plan this renovation to hand your money to someone who cuts copper with a hacksaw. You're not a gambler. You're a homeowner making the biggest investment decision of your year.
The contractor who passes these five questions isn't the cheapest. But the cheapest contractor is the most expensive one you'll ever hire — because you'll pay twice: once for their work, and once to have it torn out and done right.
Walk into every contractor meeting with these questions in your pocket. Watch their face when you ask what pipe cutter they use. That one question alone has saved homeowners more money than any Yelp review ever will.
Get The Homeowner's Price Protection Guide — free.
I put 34 years of job-site experience into this. No opt-in walls, no courses to buy — just the guide.
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