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By DAN MUCKELBAUER HomesPlus Editor Combine a contractor with his private investigator wife and a carpenter-turned-comedian and you have the Spike TV show "Catch a Contractor." While Skip Bedell admits his show with P.I. wife Alison Bedell, "a superstar" in her profession, and comedy's but first carpen- try's Adam Carolla focuses on the bad contractors, they're the minority, he said last week. It's fairly easy to get a good contrac- tor, if you know what to look for and take the time to do it, Skip Bedell said. "You see the worst of the worst on our show. Being around this for a long time and being third generation — my father and grandfather were builders and carpenters — I'm surrounded by professionals," he said by phone from New York. "Most of the people on our show all made the same mistake in that they didn't do the proper vetting process," said the Long Island resident and licensed con- tractor. That process can be made easi- er with a professional group, he said, throwing some love to the Milwaukee Chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. Bedell will conduct seminars at its 54th annual Spring Home Improve- ment show this Valentine's week- end in West Allis. Call those references "As a contractor, if you're a member of NARI, they've checked you out already," he said. "They also offer a grievance reso- lution procedure, if you have problems with your contractor." When checking out contractors yourself, he advised to get their license number, then check with the state licensing board to see if they have any complaints on file, how long they've been in busi- ness and the like. In Wisconsin, go to the Depart- ment of Safety and Professional Services at https:// app.wi.gov/licensesearch. Check out several prospective contractors, he added. "Once you've done that, you want to make sure they come with plenty of references. Any- one proud of their work who's a professional should have a long list," Bedell said. "And then call them. You have to ask if he was on time, was the job done on time and on budget, did he keep the house clean?" It'll help narrow the field. You will also want to prioritize C O N T E N T S Start planning your planting and get an early start on spring Conserve energy with your garage door As seed catalogs sprout, they can pose interesting questions How to keep out unwanted animals A publication of the Waukesha Freeman and Oconomowoc Enterprise • February 2016 Your Guide to Homes, Home Improvement, Lawn & Garden and MORE! HOMES HOMES WAUKESHA + Spike TV's Skip Bedell: How to catch a good contractor Despite show, industry's packed with fine pros Submitted photo Skip Bedell, a host of "Catch a Contractor," says the vetting process is important in finding a good contractor. See CONTRACTOR/Page 4

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