Noah Webster, the “Father” of today’s dictionary was born this day in 1758. In his “Book” he defines negotiation as “to bargain with another, to discuss terms” which is what you do when you hire a contractor. But what you should not do is to construe that to mean, driving a “hard” bargain with “terms” that pay contractors far less than they are asking for, as in “chiseling”. Why you say… isn’t that just smart business? Not necessarily, often it sets the stage for using cheaper material and providing shoddy workmanship. Further on in this “Book” Webster defines smart as: “Intelligence and common sense in dealing with others” which, in terms of hiring a contractor, means accept the price you’re comfortable with then be tough! Get it in writing, check their work and make sure it’s exactly what was agreed to, and that it’s don’t on time! That’s the real definition of Smart and you win!