Posted: February 11, 2015
Don’t skip these important steps when hiring someone to work on your home:
- When hiring a professional subcontractor, make sure to ask for references.
- Check out other jobs that the contractor has completed and speak with past customers to see if they were satisfied with the contractor’s work, if they showed up when they said they would, and if they made promises to the customers that they failed to fulfill.
- Ask the contractor for their contractor’s license number and for proof of liability and worker’s comprehension coverage. The insurance company should send the proof of insurance directly to you so that you know that the contractor’s policy is in force.
- Get everything in writing so that you have a contractual agreement that details scope of work (spell out each task, who is responsible for each task, timeline of completion), materials to be used (manufacture names, model #’s, colors, etc), payments schedule and dispute resolution.
- Contact the local associations (Home Builders Association, Chamber of Commerce, BBB) to see if the professional is an active member
- Ask to visit a current project and meet the project superintendent and team members
- How do you plan to communicate with me? e-mail, text, phone, letter, etc.
- How do you address changes in the scope of work or discovery of unknown circumstances?
- Is a permit required for this project and what inspections will occur due to the improvements?
Folks remember your home is probably the largest investment you will ever have in your life, please ask the appropriate questions in order to make the improvement process smooth and enjoyable.