As we swing into home renovation season, tens of thousands of homeowners around the country are looking for a contractor to take on their house remodel or addition. Most of them will hook up with a great professional who respects them and delivers a home improvement project that comes in on budget and on time. Many of them, though, will go through way-too-typical contractor nightmares with cost overruns, projects that take longer than expected and, worst of all, projects that never get finished at all.
Many of these problems can be avoided if the homeowner takes the time to review a number of contractor bids for their project. If you're considering a home improvement project this spring or summer, be sure that you ask these questions of every contractor you interview before making your decision.
How Many Years Have You Been in Business?
There's nothing wrong with giving a new guy a shot at a job, especially when they're offering you a great deal in order to get your business. The fact is, though, that a contractor who has been around for many years has experience and a history that others lack. He has probably established great relationships with suppliers that can get him a lower cost on materials, allowing him to pass the savings on to you, and he's got old customers he can give you as a reference. If you're determined to work with a new company, be sure to ask about his previous work history. In many cases, new companies are headed up by guys that put in years working with another local contractor and you can judge his work by that.
How Many Projects Similar to Mine Have You Completed?
A kitchen remodel is not the same as building a patio and a new bathroom has little in common with putting an addition on your house. When you interview a contractor get specific information on his or her experience with projects of the same size and type as your own home improvement project.
What Kind of Guarantee Can You Give Me on Your Timeline?
Every contractor will tell you that they can complete your job fast, but the annals of home renovation are full of nightmare stories about projects that took months longer to complete than they should have. The best way to get an accurate time frame for completion of your project is to ask about penalties for late completion. Most professional contractors will accept a clause that penalizes them for not completing the work on time.
What Kind of Insurance Do You Carry?
Any contractor you employ should carry professional insurance that will cover any worker injuries as well as the cost of repairing any damage they may inadvertently do to your property. If they don't have it, your homeowners' insurance may not cover the costs and you may end up legally liable for covering those costs yourself.
What Does Your Estimate Cover?
You should insist on a detailed bid that breaks down the total cost of your home improvement project so that you can evaluate it against other estimates. If all you get is a single total cost figure, choose a more professional contractor.
You'll find many local contractors and builders advertising and looking for bids online through contractor directories and bid sites. Check their reviews online, and choose the most impressive ones to invite to bid on your project, or post your project and invite bids from local contractors. Once you've found several likely prospects, make sure you ask the right questions so you can make an informed decision about your home renovation project.
Author Resource:
Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the world's MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.
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