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7 Questions to Ask When Looking for a Contractor

When you’re in the market for a home renovation, the contractor you hire can be your best friend or your worst nightmare. While it would be nice to live in a world where every service field was run professionally by qualified tradesmen, it’s simply not the case. Many contractors are qualified but there are just as many that aren’t at all what they appear. Renovating or remodeling your home can be a stressful investment and one of the best ways to reduce stress and protect your investment is to work with a professional contractor. But how do you know you’re dealing with a professional? You have to ask the right questions.

Begin with professional credentials. Does the contractor have insurance? Every contractor that performs work on your property should have insurance. Whether they’re trimming a tree or building an addition, anyone who does work on your property without insurance is putting your home and finances at risk. While one of the advantages of hiring a professional contractor is to reduce the risk of accidents, bad things do happen from time to time. Unless your contractor is prepared to accept responsibility for an accident and carries insurance to cover any financial damages, you can become liable. The odds that anything bad will happen are slim but it’s best to be safe, not sorry.

In addition to insurance, make sure you ask if your contractor is licensed and bonded. Without a license to perform the work, the contractor is again putting you at risk. Unfortunately, licensing is a complicated matter that falls under different regulations depending on where the contractor works. Some areas and jurisdictions view licensing differently than others, making it confusing for contractors and homeowners alike. Licensing is also an added expense for the contractor, making it challenging for licensed contractors to compete with non-licensed contractors. However, licensing generally requires some type of insurance for the company and its employees. Ultimately, this means an injured worker can’t sue the property owner for injuries sustained on the job. Bonding protects the homeowner if the contractor should fail to complete the job, does shoddy work, or fails to pay subcontractors.

Insurance, licensing and bonding are all lumped together as one important quality with the purpose of protecting the homeowner. Ask for proof of all three before agreeing to hire a contractor. While you may be in the process of comparing estimates from several contractors, the lowest bid may not be the best if they don’t have these essential professional documents and policies in place. The old adage “you get what you pay for” couldn’t ring more true in the contracting world. Too many fly-by-night “contractors” set up shop in an area for a short period of time, trying to gain a percentage of the market and collect down payments, and then disappear before the work is finished. A sad but true reality that leads us to the next question you should ask.

How long has the contractor been in business? There’s nothing wrong with choosing a start-up company as your contractor if their business credentials are in order but can you afford rookie mistakes on the project you want completed? Experience counts a great deal, especially in large renovation projects where time is money and so many facets are involved. You are more likely to get your money’s worth from a contractor that has an established business and can prove their time in business by being a member of the Better Business Bureau or another professional organization. Don’t be afraid to verify their claims of membership either.

Do they have references or letters of referrals? A quality, reliable contractor will be willing and able to give you names and some form of contact information of previous customers as a reference. The reason for this is simply because word-of-mouth is the best advertising money can’t buy. Ask for testimonials at the very least but keep in mind, if they are legit, you’ll be given a way to contact a recent customer to verify satisfaction. Giving you, the homeowner, the ability to ask around demonstrates good faith that the contractor is indeed interested in pleasing their customers.

On the same note, ask for a portfolio of finished work. Simply ask, “Can I see some photos of recent work?” Many contractors keep a portfolio or can at least point you to their website where pictures are available. This merely gives you an idea of the quality of work at completion, as well as demonstrates the contractor’s pride in their work.

Finally, ask the contractor about change orders and guarantees. It can sometimes be difficult to know exactly how a project will proceed and sometimes the unexpected happens. Your contractor should be able to provide you with an exact estimate for materials and labor with no unexpected “surprises.” It is the contractor’s responsibility to estimate the job accurately and fairly and if he underestimated, the expense shouldn’t be passed on to you. In the event of a change order, or rather a change to material used or to the overall design plan, there should be an agreement between you and the contractor with another guaranteed estimate for the changes you request. During this conversation, ask your contractor about guarantees of workmanship and materials used.

If you know ahead of time the important questions to ask in order to assure you’re hiring a professional contractor, you can quickly weed out the good from the not-so-good. Remodeling and renovation can be lofty expenses for homeowners but investments that is well worth the money. You should be comfortable with the contractor you hire, leaving no room for doubt that the work will be performed correctly and on time. A professional contractor will eliminate much of the stress you feel as the homeowner with a project underway, leaving you free to relax while you wait for that final sigh of relief.

Conklin Developments is a renovation company that specializes in complete Calgary home renovations. From the simplest basement renovation and design to more complex projects such as a complete kitchen renovation, additions to your home, or that custom home theater you have always wanted. We can do it all for you, and all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the fruits of our labour.

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