Ask these 15 questions for a remodeling contractor so you can hire the right person and have the best remodeling experience from the start.
You’ve been watching the HGTV channel your whole life. At this point, you might even be a renovation mini-expert, thanks to all those hours you’ve spent dreaming up how to maximize your spaces. But before you jump into your renovation project, here’s one more piece of advice.
As much as we know you’d be a great project manager, you’ll want a trusted partner at your side. That’s where hiring a remodeling contractor comes in. But how do you know which remodeling contractor to choose?
We’ve created a list of 15 questions for a remodeling contractor to make sure you end up with the best team for your project. Remodeling is a huge investment, so asking these questions upfront will save you time and money.
If you’ve never worked with a contractor before, it can be daunting to even think about where to find one, let alone a handful to interview. Start by asking your neighbors for referrals, check out Facebook forums, and do a quick local Google Search to find contractors in your area.
Read reviews and analyze their websites. You’re looking for websites with portfolios, user reviews, and an easy “contact us” process.
Once you’ve made your list of the top 3-5 you’re interested in, it’s time to have a deeper conversation about whether or not they’re a good fit for your project.
You’ve booked meetings with the top potential contractors you’re interested in. Now, it’s time to hit them with your list of questions to help you decide if they’ve got what it takes to make your remodeling dreams come true.
Write these down and have them in front of you so you’re ready to crush these interviews!
This is literally the most important question to start off your interview. If the contractor says no, you may as well ask them to head on out. License requirements can vary by state, but it’s always best to choose contractors with the most licenses and, at the bare minimum, one that has worker's compensation.
If a contractor doesn’t have a license, it's a huge red flag. It means that you’ll assume liability for their safety and cover all the costs associated with any accidents that occur on-site. Now, you’re talking about adding workers' compensation on top of the renovation costs.
Skip this worry altogether by hiring a licensed and insured contractor from the get-go.
This question allows you to learn about their personality as well as the past projects they’ve worked on. It’s a great way to start off the interview because it allows you to get a sense of their past scope, their work process, and their communication style.
As you listen, ask follow-up questions. How long have you been in business? What types of projects have you worked on? How many projects have you worked on? Are any of your past projects similar to this one?
An experienced remodeling contractor’s work should speak for itself. Asking for referrals, portfolio links, and testimonials. If you notice particularly bad reviews from previous clients, ask the contractor directly. This allows them a chance to explain and a chance for you to see how they handle conflict.
Look them up on Angie’s List, HomeAdvisor, find online reviews, and find them on social media to get a full picture of past projects and how they’ve worked with their past clientele.
Permits are not required for every project, but in the event that your remodel would need one, you’d want the contractor to handle it for you. Professional contractors will know what kinds of permits you’ll need and how to get them.
They should handle getting the permits, scheduling inspections, and ensuring the job runs smoothly and effectively from start to finish.
A quality contractor will provide you with a project timeline that includes a completion date as well as milestones along the way. This is a great time to ask about other projects the contractor has scheduled and if it will impact your project’s timeline.
Speaking of which, ask them how they handle unexpected setbacks during the remodeling process. They should be able to give you a defined plan for how they handle the hiccups that can happen along the way.
You’re listening for an answer that outlines a clear communication and resolution process when hiccups arise.
You want a contractor who is organized, efficient, and diligent. Asking them to outline their workflow allows you to assess how they set up their days to maximize efficiency and project management.
Find out when the crew will be arriving and leaving your home each day and what milestones you can expect to see throughout the project.
Remodeling projects can take a village to complete. Larger contractors will often hire subcontractors to manage specialty projects like electrical, plumbing, and HVAC work, or painting and masonry, or even flooring.
Asking your contractor upfront if they use contractors will eliminate the worry that you don’t know who’s in your home each day and helps you build trust and transparency with your remodeling contractor from the beginning.
This is also a great time to ask about the team in general. Will there be a project manager on-site each day? Who is your point of contact? Allowing people into your home is intimate, so it’s essential you feel comfortable and knowledgeable about who’s coming and going.
This might sound like a silly question, but it’s not a given that a contractor will clean up after themselves. You’ll need to specify what clean means to you and whether you want the site cleaned daily or after the project is completed.
Also, think about how they are sectioning off the work zone. Are they leaving tools each day that children could get into? Are there loose screws, holes, or other dangerous hazards left unmarked? Be clear about your expectations of how the crew will leave the remodeling zone each day.
While you’re on the topic of project cleanup, ask about how they protect your property throughout the project. Will they tarp furniture and put protective boards over your lawn if heavy machinery is being wheeled about?
How do they prevent stains, dents, scratches, etc? Think about home access as well. Who has a key to your home, and are they always locking up? See what the contractor is willing to do for you or what your responsibilities will be to set up the project.
Once you’ve probed into how the day-to-day of your remodel will look, it’s time to get into the nitty gritty of a contract and payment. Contract delivery refers to how a contractor breaks down their services and creates an offer for their part of the contractual agreement.
There are three main types of contract delivery:
Once you’ve decided on a contract delivery method, it’s time to discuss how payment will work. It’s common practice for contractors to ask for payment ahead of the start date, but there can be flexibility.
A typical payment schedule will follow the milestones of your project. You can expect to pay a deposit, a payment after each milestone, and a final payment once the project is deemed complete. Don’t forget to ask what kind of payment they accept as well (cash, check, credit card etc).
You should know before you sign any agreement what costs are fixed in your project and what happens if there need to be any changes due to unforeseen circumstances. Make sure to write these expectations into the contract and into the payment schedule so that you aren’t on the hook for more than you bargained for.
It’s industry standard to back any remodel with a one-year warranty. During that year, you are entitled to call the contractor to take care of any work that didn’t get done correctly the first time around.
You will want to keep an accurate record of any warranties for both materials and services until they expire. Common warranties include electrical, materials or furnishings, and quality of finish.
It’s crucial to your project that you outline how disagreements will be handled before starting the project. Excellent remodeling contractors will already have a system in place for how they deal with disagreements, such as negotiations, compromise, mediation, and third-party input.
You have to have effective communication throughout a remodeling project. If you have questions, they deserve an answer. If the contractor runs into something, they’ll need to be able to communicate with you quickly.
Establish how each of you wants to be communicated with (phone calls, texts, emails, in-person meetings, etc), and establish a communication protocol that will drive the entire project.
The best way to wrap up an interview is to give the contractor the opportunity to prove why they should get your project. Let them talk about their strengths and try to convince you—it will reveal to you just how much they want a project and whether or not it’s going to be a mutual good fit.
The short answer is that transparency is always the best policy. However, you can still be a savvy shopper in the interview process and first few meetings. For example, avoid phrases like “I’m not in a hurry” or overly vague expectations. You want to outline your project needs and expectations from the beginning clearly.
Start by asking your neighbors for referrals, check out Facebook quorums, and do a quick local Google Search to find contractors in your area. Don’t forget to read reviews and analyze their websites. You’re looking for websites with portfolios, user reviews, and an easy “contact us” process.
Look for these elements in a contractor’s contract:
Finished Basements Plus is the leading remodeling contractor in the greater Michigan area. With a strong portfolio, excellent customer service, and a project management history that speaks for itself, Finished Basements Plus is the best remodeling contractor for your next project.
Book a free consultation —and ask them all your questions—to find out how they can make your remodeling dreams come true.
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