What to Look for When You Hire a Contractor

A contractor is the key to renovation success. Dreamstime/TNS

By Robyn A. Friedman From Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

No matter the size of the project, hiring a qualified contractor is key to the success of your home renovations. And with the cost of home repairs and remodeling increasing, an experienced contractor can not only provide advice on how to complete a project most cost effectively but also refer you to reliable subcontractors and suppliers that might be able to help hold costs down.

To find a qualified contractor:

• Ask for a list of local references and call them. Try to go out and inspect the contractor’s work yourself, if possible. Check their rating with the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org), and see whether the contractor is a member of a professional organization that has a code of ethics, such as the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI).
• Obtain three quotes based on the same set of specifications. Consider price, but remember that the cheapest price isn’t necessarily the best choice. In fact, if one price is significantly lower than the others, that might be a red flag.
• Get everything in writing. Anything the contractor promises verbally should be added into the contract. Don’t sign a contract that contains blanks, and make sure that at a minimum, the document contains a start date, a finish date, a detailed description of the work specifications, pricing, payment arrangements and a warranty.
• Verify the contractor’s license, insurance and bonding. Make sure a workers compensation policy is in place. Otherwise, if a worker is injured on the job, you may be sued. If subcontractors will be on-site, check their insurance as well.
• Make sure the contractor applies for any required building permits. If a contractor offers to charge a lower price to do the job without permits, walk the other way.
• Keep copies of everything: licenses, insurance certificates, contracts, invoices and proof of payment. Consider taking progress photographs.

Remember that many of the best contractors don’t advertise in coupon magazines or online.

“If you don’t know anyone, go to your local lumberyard or plumbing supply showroom and ask which contractors they deal with regularly,” says Lee Bardin, owner of Expert Renovation Team in Newton, Massachusetts. “You want a local person. Anyone traveling 50 miles to do your job isn’t coming back if you have a problem. And remember that the better contractors aren’t advertising—they are always busy.”

©2024 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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