7 Questions to Ask Your Home Contractor (Before Taking on a New Home Improvement Contract)
Making the decision to take on and complete a home improvement project is a big one. It is important for you to consider a lot of things since it is a sizable investment for the long term in the place you live and love.
The construction company or contractor that you are planning to hire has to be creative and the best in the business so that you can be rest assured that you are getting the best bang for your buck. If you are getting the home improvement project on your home done for the first time (or even for subsequent amount of times), you might be wondering what checklist to follow and how you can find out whether the home contractor you are considering is good or not.
The best way to do that is by asking them questions – lots of them. Here are a handful of key questions to ask your home contractor before you hire him/her.
1. Does Your Business Have a License?
The first and foremost question you should ask a prospective home contractor for your home improvement project is whether they are licensed or not. As a home owner, you absolutely must not make such a big investment in a company for your home improvement project unless they have been through all the necessary channels to acquire a license. An unlicensed company does not have certifications that can prove they are worth their mettle.
It is also not just about whether or not they’re licensed. They need to have the right kind of license for the home improvement project as well. You cannot expect someone with an engineer’s degree to perform an open-heart surgery, can you? Similarly, you need to make sure that the company provides you the certifications that show they have the proper l
icense to take on the home improvement project.
2. Is Your Business
Properly Insured?
The business of construction is not one that comes without risks. Ask the home contractor whether or not the company is properly insured. They should have both the liability insurance and the workers’ compensation sorted out so that you can consider hiring their services for your home improvement project.
A company that is good at what it does will make sure that they have the right insurance sorted out with a very good insurance company. These two are the most important questions to ask when you’re considering a home contractor for your home improvement project.
3. How Long Have You Been in the Industry?
Once you’re aware of their certification and insurance being solid, the next thing is obviously their experience. You can always expect companies that have been in the business for a long time to do a good job for your home improvement project. There obviously has to be some reason why they have been operating for so long, right?
Companies that are experienced develop proper systems that they follow to make sure that the work they do is above par, done on time and does not go over the budget. Of course, the more experienced home contractors will also charge a higher bill than their more inexperienced counterparts. It’s about finding the right balance between the price and the experience.
4. Will You Obtain the Necessary Permits for My Project?
While all home improvement projects do not necessarily require you to get permits from the proper authorities, there are permits and inspections required for some home improvement projects. This is true for the kind of home improvement projects that are going to alter the structure of your home.
The home contractor that you’re considering the project should not only know what kind of permits and inspections are needed but they should also facilitate them for you.
5. What’s the Estimated Timeline?
Home improvement projects are a huge undertaking for homeowners- from different perspectives such as investment, budget, time commitment and not to mention anticipated stress. It is important for homeowners to be aware of how long they can expect the project to go on so that they can make the adjustments to their lives accordingly. Your contractor should know how long the project will go on for and make you aware of any circumstances that can potentially change the timeline for the project.
6. What will you do about the End-of-Day Cleanup?
Home improvement projects can span for days if not weeks. During the time the project is underway, the crew from the home contractor’s company has to make sure that they do a cleanup at the end of every day. Make sure that you come to an agreement with the contractor before the home improvement project begins about the cleanup at the end of every day the crew is working on your home.
7. Will I Have a Team Dedicated to My Project?
The larger home contractor companies are often working on several projects at the same time. This is why it is important for homeowners to know if they can count on the consistency of the people that are coming to work on your project every day.
You need to know whether the same team will be coming to work on your home throughout the duration of the project, who the project manager is, whether or not they use the services of subcontractors and how often will the owner of the business check on the progress of the project itself.
Knowing these things will help you figure out what to expect from the home contractor. Consistency is the key when it comes to getting the home improvement project done smoothly and you want to make sure that the contractor provides you that.
Final Thoughts
These questions are essentially the kind of crash course you need that will help you determine whether or not the prospective construction company is good enough for you to trust with your money and home. Make sure that you ask them everything you need to know before you put pen on paper. Remember, it is your home that you are investing in and every precaution that you can take before you have the project underway is a smart move.