10 Questions for your Contractor Before Renovating
- SANCO CONSTRUCTION
- Oct 30, 2017
- 3 min read
Renovating any part of your home can be a costly and time-consuming venture. Hiring the right contractor can make the difference between your project being a success or a nightmare.
Here are 10 key questions you should pose to potential contractors before starting any home renovation project.
1) How long have they been in the business? This will help you determine if you are hiring the right person for your job. Don’t be shy about asking them how long they’ve been in the renovation industry and how long they’ve run their business.
2) Do they have a contracting licence and general liability insurance? Can they provide you with a copy? It is important that your contractor be fully insured and capable of covering any accidents or mishaps that may occur while working on the project. General liability insurance protects your home from damage or negligence of the general contractor, his employees and any sub-contractors hired by the contractor.
3) Who will be at the site and how will they be supervised? Most contractors will hire sub-contractors to some degree during the project. Don’t be shy about asking your contractor who will be onsite day to day and how they will be supervised.
4) Do they have any references? A professional contractor should have no qualms about providing references for their past projects. Talking to others who have received similar services from the contractor will give you insight on not only their quality of work but also their character.
5) Can they provide a written contract? Even though you may sign some type of agreement outlining the total cost, ask for a detailed contract with such information as start of project, expected end date, permit requirements, full description of work, materials to be used and a full payment schedule. A true professional always works with paper contracts. It’s just common sense. If changes are required mid project, ask for a change order indicating the requested modifications.
6) What is the payment schedule? If your contractor is asking for a majority of the payment up front, this should ring alarm bells as it could be an indication of someone who may not complete the project on time or at all. Most reputable contractors will ask for 10% upfront with payment drafts as they complete various stages of the project.
7) How will they ensure your property is protected from damage? You want to make sure that other parts of your home are not damaged during the renovation. Specifically ask how they will protect your furniture, floors etc. from damage. Also, ask what you can do to ensure you belongings are not damaged.
8) How will they communicate with you during the job? Strong communication between you and your contractor will guarantee timely updates on the status of the renovation. How you choose to communicate (email, text, phone) should be clarified before the commencement of the project.
9) How will they clean up the job site? Specifically ask if there will be clean up at the end of each workday. This is very important especially if you are living in the residence while the work is being completed. Also, ask what clean up will be done at the end of the project. The contractor may sweep up and remove all garbage but you don’t want to walk into a brand new kitchen only to find sawdust and drywall pieces in the newly installed cabinets and drawers.
10) How will they sign off on the project at completion? Ask the contractor if they have checklists they will go through with you at the end of completion. This will ensure that both you and the contractor are satisfied with the completed work and any outstanding issues are handled before you sign off on the project.
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