Selecting a Contractor

As a company with a strict code of ethics for the way we run our business and the respect we have for our clients, it is with frustration and regret that we hear of the terrible experiences many of our clients have had in the past with former contractors.  Please consult this section as some advice on a few key points to selecting a contractor.  We hope you will end up choosing us, but either way we want you to find yourself an ethical, reliable contractor who knows and insists on quality construction, abides by all construction laws, hires licensed and insured reliable subcontractors, and not only abides by the timeline set forth if no complications arise but keeps you steadily informed of the progress or unanticipated problems.  Remodeling your home should be an exciting process!  

• Hire only licensed contractors.


• Check for a history of complaints with the Contractors Board or Better Business Bureau.
Verifying that there are no registered complaints against your contractor with your States Contractors License Board or Better Business Bureau is crucial. Although some disputes may have been resolved in a satisfactory manner, you should know about them from the start.

• Check references and follow up with the homeowners.
Your Contractor should be able to provide you with references for a minimum of 12 months of work. You could also request to visit current job sites and check the quality of the work being done.  When calling previous home owners, ask about their general satisfaction with the contractor as well as his accessibility when trying to communicate, willingness to work with the home owners needs, and adherence-whenever in his/her control, to set timelines.  Knowing whether a previous customer would hire the contractor again is a powerful tool in assessing the experience you might have.

• Verify the contractors' insurance.


• Try to get at least three bids for the job.
Keep in mind that the least expensive bid is not always the best to go with. Some contractors end up using low quality materials and poor workmanship resulting in a cheap project that suffers in quality.  Also keep in mind that an estimate is just that-although your final price should not drift more than 10% from that estimate, excluding change orders that come from the customer.

• A contractor should be able to provide a phone, cell phone and fax number as well as a company email address and street address. An established company usually has a website you can visit also.


• Ask about the subcontractors and materials your contractor uses on projects.
Are they licensed and insured? How many times has he used them in the past?

• Contact the suppliers to verify his credit standing.
Does he have an account or pays on delivery? Most suppliers are willing to extend credit to financially sound contractors. Contact the sub contractors and ask if the contractor pays them timely and if they have had any problems with nonpayment. These are some simple checks that homeowners can conduct and it bears repeating. It can reveal much about the contractor and save you from a horrible nightmare.

• When interviewing contractors pay attention to how you feel about him/her.
Are you comfortable dealing with them, do you have a good feeling about having them around for a few months or more. It's just as important to have a good working relationship with the contractor as it is to have a contractor with great credentials.

• Consider doing a more extensive background check on the contractor you're thinking of hiring.
With tens of thousands of dollars or more of your money on the line, wouldn't you'd like to know if the contractor has a lien history, litigation history, bad debts or past bankruptcy before signing a contract? Well of course you would. You can begin by conducting a search of court records in your city/county to check for litigation history and you can also check their lien history by doing a search through the County Property Assessor's office that records these liens. Some of it you may be able to do on line otherwise you'll have to physically go to these places to conduct your search.

• Finally, get a written contract but sign nothing until you completely understand the terms.

It is well worth your money and peace of mind to know that you have signed a well-written contract that protects your interests and not just the contractors'. You can read more about construction contracts by reading the section on contracts.

Key point to remember: Never pay more than a third of the estimated contract price. The only exception should be when special or custom orders are being made.

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