5 Tips for Hiring a Remodeling Contractor
With the intense economic difficulties that still exist in some parts of the country, it’s not surprising that many homeowners are looking to home improvement and renovation, rather than buying a new home. When deciding to undertake a remodeling project, however, there are several invaluable tips to keep in mind as you discuss your home makeover with potential contractors. Here are 5 tips to finding the right remodeling contractor for you.
Tip #1: Does Your Contractor Have Proof of Insurance?
Ask the contractor to have his insurance company mail, email or fax a copy of his current contractor insurance card to you. If the contractor is unable to do this, you might want to consider staying away. If there is an accident at your home, you are then liable. This also applies to any sub-contractor or employee that the contractor may use; those individuals should have active insurance cards faxed or emailed to you as well.
Tip #2: Does Your Contractor Take Debit or Credit Cards?
Besides your ability to earn a few points, bonus miles or cash back on your project, a good sign that a contractor is financially savvy and has a bank behind his business is his ability to take debit and credit cards. And contrary to popular opinion, this does not just apply to big contracting companies – most small, one-man shops will take cards if they have a good relationship with their business bank or credit union.
Tip #3: Clean-Up Policy?
Ask about the clean-up policy. For example, if your home improvement is a multi-day project, will the contractor be cleaning up at the end of every day or will he leave the dust, wood chips, and other mess laying there for day two? The more mess in your home … the more it gets tracked around. Many homeowners find themselves with mouths gaping wide after the contractor has left for the day and their floors and home are dirty and messy around the project area.
Tip #4: Will the Contractor Put It In Writing?
Is your contractor willing to put both his bid and the scope of work in writing? If not, consider their refusal to do so as a MAJOR red flag and walk away immediately. You would be shocked by just how many homeowners have been duped by contractors who verbally tell you what’s included in their scope of work but will then, in the middle of everything, require extra money to finish the remodel, thus holding you hostage with an uncompleted home project.
Tip #5: Availability?
You are on a timeline – can your potential contractor work with it? Can they guarantee the work is done on time? – Again this should be in writing. There’s nothing more frustrating than if a contractor tells you that a job will be done by a certain date and then it isn’t. On the flip side, if you are unable to find a good contractor that’s willing to commit to your timeline, your expectations may be too high and you may need to adjust your timeline.