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Questions to Ask A Contractor

What you should be asking a contractor before hiring one

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Questions to Ask A Contractor

Before hiring a contractor you may want to meet them and ask them a few questions before you allow them to work on your home.

1. Member of the local Chamber of commerce?

2. Member of other professional organizations?

3. Do they carry workers compensation and General liability insurance? Verify and ask for a copy.

4. Any adverse filing with Better Business Bureau?

5. Call references and look at past projects.

6. How many projects have you completed in the past year similar to this one?

7. Who will be doing the work?

8. Will the contractor be on-site?

Make sure the contract includes the following:

Helpful hints:

Look closely at the budget to see which line items are actual numbers and which are allowances. Allowances are merely placeholder estimates and actual costs can be higher, significantly increasing the budget.

Most remodeling projects exceed the actual budget – be sure to have a buffer savings in case project costs increase. I usually tell my clients to plan for at least 10%.

If you are on a tight budget, resist “while you’re here mentality” – it may be more cost-efficient to do an added project during the current construction than at a later date, but it’s even more cost-effective not do it at all.

Be realistic about your wants and needs for the remodeling project avoid getting carried away.

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