Introduction 

Choosing the best renovation Contractor is quite tasking especially with the different contractors available. It is therefore important to know the simple steps to follow to help you choose your most preferred contractor. 

What to look in a renovation contractor

By doing so, it gives you confidence in your selection and can guarantee the best results. Below are steps you can use to choose the best renovation contractor for your project:

• Ask for Referrals 

Word of mouth is practically the best way to find a professional contractor that can tackle any kind of project. Ask, relatives, neighbors, and friends who have good experiences of such kind of project.

You can ask them what made the project a positive experience, whether they will like to use the same contractor for another job, and how the contractor handled the project. 

• Look at Credentials 

After you have some recommendations at hand, do some personal research on the recommendations you’ve got. It can be a phone call or a visit to the contractor site. 

Find out if he or she holds all the required licenses from state to local municipalities, alongside designations from any professional associations like the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, National Association of Homebuilders, and so on. 

Look out for professionals who have invested in course work and have passed challenging tests to earn certain certifications. Note that not all these certifications are equal and it’s important to find out its requirements.

• Interview Candidates 

You can then proceed to narrow down your available list of contenders and set up meetings with them. Try to keep a maximum of three contractors per meeting as things can get confusing when they are more than three. 

Take careful considerations of how a contractor answers your questions as it is important to your selection. Candidates should ask questions too as communication goes both ways. 

• Check References 

You can ask to see some of their projects. Once you approve them, you can request for references so that you can call the contractors former customers to get further information. 

Ask these customers how the contractors executed the projects, and if they kept to their timing and budget. Also, you can find out if the customers we’re pleased with the outcome of their projects, and if they felt anything could have been done differently. 

Remember that whenever you hire a remodeler, you are buying a service and not a product. Therefore, the quality of service will determine the quality of the completed project.  

Remember that when you’re hiring a remodeler, you are buying a service and not a product. Quality of service will determine the quality of the finished project.

• Business Experience and Management

Here are some things to consider and questions you can ask when interviewing a remodeler. Does he or she: 

• Maintain a permanent mailing address, personal phone number, e-mail address, fax number, and cell phone? 
• Have insurance that should protect you from any liability? Ask for a copy of the insurance certificate to be sure. You can further ask the remodeler how much the intended project will add to the home’s value to attain additional insurance from the provider. 
• Have an established presence in the particular community and how long has the company been in business with this name? Does the remodeler maintain good relationships with contractors like the plumbers, electricians, and if they work as a team? 
• Possess a reliable reputation amongst peers and customers and if there is a record of their success? 
• Possess any professional designations, like Certified Bath Designer (CBD), Certified Graduate Remodeler (CGR), and so on? How long had that remodeler been a member of trade organizations? 

• Get It in Writing 

Once you have selected a contractor take a close look at the documents he or she has prepared. Check if the look professional and scrutinize the contract. Take note of whether the contract seems fair and balance and make sure the legal agreement contains all the following:

• A bid price and its payment schedule.
• The specifications about the scope of work.
• The site plans.
• A change-order clause.
• A sequential schedule of primary construction tasks.
• An express limited warranty.
• A written procedural list for close-out.
• A clause in case of dispute resolution. 
• A waiver of lien, that helps to prevent subcontractors and suppliers from putting a lien on a house in case they go unpaid by the contractor.  

If all these are mentioned, you can confidently sign on the document. 

Conclusion 

An ideal contractor should have records and referrals on his or her previous project. We hope this article helps you to select a qualified professional that will execute quality projects for you without leaving you with any regrets.