The most important part of hiring an outside contractor is communication. And perhaps the most important information that needs to be shared through this communciation is this:

When do you need it by?

It is at best silly (there’s no way for the contractor to plan his or her work flow – see this previous post) and at worst arrogant (assuming the contractor can just drop everything else to get to your job) to keep a deadline a secret. If you don’t know it that’s just fine, but be aware that if the contractor has a job that he or she HAS a deadline for, that project takes priority.

Always.

So if you want your job done in a timely and unrushed fashion, share your timeline with your contractor. It will reduce conflict and make for happier client-contractor relations.