Before hiring a construction company for your home renovation project, there are important questions you can and should ask. Has the company been in business long? Does it offer written estimates? Is it licensed and insured? You can check the Contractors State License Board’s website for certificates of insurance and other important credentials.
But according to Dustin Cook of D. Cook Construction, your best guide is often your intuition. He recommends having an open-ended dialogue with any prospective contractors and seeing what impressions they leave. Ask them to explain their process and if they expect to involve you. As the conversation unfolds, notice whether they can discuss these issues fluently or seem unsure.
“If they don’t have any feel for the project, you should begin to wonder,” says Mr. Cook. “A contractor should be knowledgeable through and through. But you should also get a feel for his motivations—is he somebody who cares about the project and isn’t just trying to get a job? Mr. Cook also suggests you note whether the company’s processes seem haphazard, which could suggest an overall lack of work discipline.
Ask for references, he says. The best contractors should welcome the request and have a list of past jobs they can readily provide. Check two or three of them.
“If people are saying, ‘I’d hire that guy again,’ then you’re pretty well assured you’re dealing with somebody you can work with,” says Mr. Cook. Some references might actually invite you to come to their home and view the work. You certainly can, but Mr. Cook notes that unless you’re relatively knowledgeable about home remodeling, you might have trouble evaluating the work and drawing proper conclusions.
Written estimates should be specific, he says, stating the exact scope of the work. “Does it state what’s going to happen, or is it just a general, ‘We’re going to fix your house for $5,000’ type of deal?”
