Michael Stone describes the 4 different types of contractors in this post.

In my experience, there are four kinds of contractors.

“A” contractors run their business like a business and make good money.

“B” contractors run their business like a business most of the time and make a living most of the time.

“C” contractors run their business like a hobby, make a living some of the time, but often (like today’s market) take a second job so they can keep their bills paid. If they are married, their wife’s income is usually the primary means of support.

“D” contractors are the ones we hear the most about even though I believe they are the smallest group. They are either con artists or complete flakes, the guys that cause over 90 percent of all the problems in this business.

As a client or owner of a project, ask yourself, “What type of contractor do you want to hire?”

And then ask yourself, “What kind of client do I want to be?”

The answer: an educated or teachable client.