Questions to ask potential contractors
The success of your build or remodel lies mainly with the abilities of your contractor. Choosing the right contractor can mean having the ability to build the house or room of your dreams. Choosing the wrong contractor can mean experiencing nightmares full regrets and actions that could end up costing you thousands of dollars. The decision of what contractor to go with deserves a great deal of thought and consideration. During this decision making process you should eventually be able to speak with your potential contractors. Asking your potential contractors to answer questions about the issues that are most important to you can tell you a lot not only from their answers but from how they treat you in person. Here are a few examples of questions that you should ask potential contractors before deciding on what contractor to work with.
Can you prove that you are a licensed contractor? - Most states require that contractors be licensed. Any one can say that they are licensed so you want to have proof. Check the expiration date of the license and make sure that it is legitimately issued by checking with your state's Secretary of State Office.
What kind of liability and compensation insurance do you carry? - Ask to see the contractor's general liability insurance. This insurance protects you as the customer against any damage to your property that is caused by the contractor or his crew. If you do not want to be held responsible for any worker injuries that occur on your property you have better also make sure that your contractor carries workers' compensation insurance too.
Do you offer financing? - This question is less a question that will depend on your financial situation and more a question of whether or not the contractor is lender approved. Being lender approved means that your contractor has been investigated by lenders and has been found to be financially sound. It also means that your contractor has shown a history of satisfactory dealings with suppliers as well as has no complaints filed against him at the Better Business Bureau.
Will you pull a permit for every job where a permit is required? - If you want your building to be built to code you are going to have to have a contractor who knows what building permits are required and how to get them. Some contractors assume that the owner is responsible for the pulling of the permits or will ask the owner to take care of getting the permits. This could be a sign that your contractor is unable to get the appropriate permits because of a problem with his license so see this situation as a red flag if it occurs.
What sorts of guarantees can you make? - A good contractor has confidence in his work and will be willing to stand by it. The standard amount of time that your contractor should guarantee his work is for one year from the date of project completion.
Are you a member of NARI or NAHB? - NARI stands for the National Association of the Remodeling Industry and NAHB stands for the National Association of Home Builders. These organizations only admit contractors who have built a reputation for themselves in the industry and have had their background business practices and references looked into thoroughly.
Will you be on-site whenever work is being done? - A good contactor will be at the home site whenever work is being preformed to make sure that all is being taken care of. You cannot be responsible for guiding sub-contractors or other workers if your contractor does not decide that he wants to be on site that day.
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Tags: ask potential questions contractors insurance permit license workers financing liability guarantee
