You are ready to tackle some home improvements, but finding the right home renovation contractor can be a challenge. Where do you begin looking? Who can you trust? Finding the right home renovation contractor is crucial, because there is a lot at stake. You’re making a big financial investment and you want the renovations done to your home to be high quality and long lasting. Before you sign a contract, make sure you are signing with the right home renovation contractor.
Some of the best home renovation contractors get the majority of their work from recommendations. Talk to your local friends, family, and colleagues about the projects you are considering and ask for recommendations. Did they use a contractor for a similar project? Ask if you can see the work. Make sure to ask about how well the contractor handled communication, problem solving, and staying on track with both time and budget. Make sure you are getting the right kind of recommendations. Many people are anxious to recommend their friends or family without any actual knowledge of their services. Give more weight to the references from past customers. After speaking to those you know in person, you can look for recommendations on sites you trust or local groups. It’s also a good idea to search the company’s name with “complaint”, “scam”, “overpriced”, or any other negative words.
Once you have a short list from your recommendations, check the credentials. Find out how long the company has been in business and check their qualifications. Your contractor should be full insured and should be willing to provide proof. Your contractor may need to be licensed by your state as well, and you need to take the time to make sure that license is valid. Your contractor may hold certifications as well, and make sure to look into the validity of those.
You should aim to get bids, or estimates, from about three contractors. More than that and you’ll quickly get overwhelmed, less and you may not have much to choose from. When your contractor comes out to give an estimate, make sure you take that time to ask all your questions and go through the entire scope of your project. Your estimate should be thorough. If your contractor is vague and gives you a general amount, ask for a breakdown and explanation of how they arrived at that number. When comparing estimates, don’t automatically go for the lowest bid. Look at what is included and how well you connected with the contractor.
If you don’t feel comfortable with your contractor, the job will be a struggle. You need to find a contractor to whom you are comfortable asking questions, and one who you trust will return your calls and be trustworthy. If you get a bad feeling, don’t take the risk.
When you speak to your contractor, speak frankly about your budget for the project, and when it’s time to sign the contract, pay attention to all the details, including the payment schedule. Payments should be contingent upon completion of defined amounts of work, not simply arbitrary dates. That way, if the work isn’t getting completed according to schedule, the payments will also be delayed. Make sure you are not required to pay with cash. Check and credit card are easier to track and challenge in case of dispute. If your contractor is hesitant to agree to these terms, it may be a red flag.
Once you’ve chosen the right contractor, the rest of the home renovation project can progress with peace of mind. Choosing the right home renovation contractor can be difficult, but if you look for the right recommendations, make sure all the paperwork is in order, and choose a contractor you can communicate with, you’ll know you’ve made the best possible choice. Contact All-Nu Construction for an estimate!