If you are planning to take on a home remodelling project, the first thing you should do is figure out what are the changes you want to do, make a budget and choose a contractor. Choosing a contractor is a very important and delicate issue, especially if you are planning to invest a large sum of money in the project. Many people had unpleasant experiences with certain contractors. They have fallen for contractors with the smallest bids and ended up making upfront payments without receiving any work in return or receiving poor quality work. In order to prevent such an experience, we are providing, in the following article, the ten steps you should take when looking for a home remodelling contractor.
1. Get references! In order to choose, from the sea of home remodelling contractors, the one that will best suit your needs, you have to get as many references as you can. The best source to get your info is from friends, neighbours and family. If they have done similar remodelling work in their homes and they were satisfied with the contractors they hired, you should ask them for contact information.
2. Before calling them, you should make a short background check. You can do this on social media sites or on the Better Business Bureau site. Look carefully and check the feedback score of the contractors, whether they have complaints and, even more important, if those complaints are unresolved.
3. Call the contractors you have shortlisted and get bids and other useful information. Also ask about past projects and for contact information of previous customers.
4. Carefully examine the information you collected and compare the fees. Look carefully at the quality of materials that certain contractors use, because the smallest bid is not necessarily the best one for you.
5. Before hiring the contractor you chose, see if they have all the licences and permits they need.
6. Call previous clients and check if they were 100% satisfied with the end result.
7. Meet with the contractor and carefully inspect the contract. Check if the work is covered by insurance and if the employees have workman’s compensation. Ask questions about everything you don’t understand.
8. Make sure to get a liability of insurance certificate. It’s common to get such a document and a trustworthy contractor will not deny you this right.
9. Discuss with the contractors all the building permits you will need and make sure that they can obtain them.
10. Once you have covered all these steps, you can feel free to sign the contract!
