Questions to Ask the Contractor:
1. How long have you been in business?
2. Are you licensed and insured?
3. Do you use your own employees or do you hire sub-contractors to perform the work?
4. How many projects like mine have you
completed in the past year?
5. Do you have design services available?
6. How do you bill for the work to be done?
7. Will we need a permit for this job?
8. Can you direct me to or recommend a financing
source?
9. Can I see a remodel in progress and/or a
completed one?
10.What percentage of your business is repeat or
referral business?
Questions to Ask Previous Customers:
1. Did the contractor communicate well with you?
2. Were you pleased with the quality of work?
3. Did the crews show up on time?
4. Did the contractor stick to the budget?
5. Was the job completed on schedule?
6. Did the contractor fulfill his or her contract?
7. Was the contractor flexible?
8. Did your contractor seem genuinely interested
in the project's outcome?
9. Was the contractor accessible? (Could you
reach him or her when you needed to?)
10. Most importantly, would you recommend this
contractor to your mother?
What to Avoid / Red Flag Areas:
1. Be cautious when given vague or
partial answers.
2. The contractor is not accessible.
3. The contractor does not listen to your needs
as a homeowner.
4. Companies which can not be found in the phone
book or listed with professional or
trade organizations.
5. Companies who cannot provide copies of
insurance, license or references.
6. Oral agreements, get everything in writing.
7. Request of deposits or payments in cash.
Always pay by check.
8. Companies who offer a quote or any special
discount quote, for any reason, "if you sign
today".
9. Contracts or bills that have only an amount.
Ask for it to be itemized.
10.Contractors who do not present a portfolio of
previous work. |
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