If you are ready to have some renovations done on your house, but you’re not sure how to go about picking a reputable contractor to do the work for you, you are in the right place. As you continue reading, you’ll discover some great tips that will simplify the process of choosing a great general contractor to handle your next remodeling project.
Feel good about your estimate
First thing’s first: if you don’t feel confident about the quotes you get, you aren’t going to feel confident about the contractor you ultimately hire. There are several steps you can take to make sure you get quality estimates from all of the contractors you’re seriously considering.
- Talk to multiple professionals – Getting just one quote won’t help you determine who is offering you the best rate or figure out who you like working with best, so make sure you speak to several contractors prior to making a final decision.
- Check material costs yourself – When contractors provide quotes to prospective clients, part of the price is the cost of any necessary materials. To make sure none of the contractors you’re thinking about hiring are price-gouging you, call local suppliers to check material costs yourself. This will help you better gauge the validity of various estimates.
- Evaluate the contractor’s timeliness – When each contractor leaves your preliminary meeting, he or she will probably tell you when you will have your quote in-hand. If, though, he or she doesn’t get the document to you on time, you should start to reconsider working with him or her. That same lack of timeliness is likely to bleed over into your project.
Ask the right questions
Now that you know how to obtain estimates from contractors successfully, it’s important for you to understand what questions to ask during your initial appointments with various professionals. Make the same series of inquiries each time; this way, you can compare contractors’ answers later.
- Where are you based? – As a general rule, reputable general contractors have physical offices. If any of the professionals you’re looking into cannot provide you with an office address, a red flag should go up in your mind. Without a headquarters, the contractor could disappear tomorrow, and you would have no recourse.
- Do you have the proper insurance policies? – Working on people’s homes can be dangerous. Due to this, all respectable contractors carry both liability insurance and worker’s compensation insurance. Typically, reputable professionals have proof of insurance on them at all times and won’t hesitate to show prospective clients, such as yourself.
- How many years have you been in business? – It’s a good idea to choose a contractor or contracting company that has been serving your area for at least a few years. This way, you can trust that they have successfully completed their past jobs; you may even be able to speak to references who can vouch for their professionalism and skill. Choosing a contractor who is just starting out is risky because there is no baseline for his or her work or customer service.
At Hatch Homes, our entire team takes great pride in providing families from Richmond, VA to Charleston, SC with incredible service. Whether you want to overhaul the appearance of your home or you are just looking to make some minor changes, we want to work with you. We offer expert advice, fair prices, and have a long list of past customers who return to us time and time again. We can’t wait to add you to our company’s extended family!