When choosing a contractor how many previous customers should I ask for, and what kind of questions should I ask them?
As many as you need to feel comfortable. Prospective clients usually ask us for three. We provide about 15-20 in order to disperse the calls between our clients better.
Common questions:
What issues came up during your project? How was it handled?
Was the project completed on time?
Were RFIs responded to in a timely manner?
What were some things you liked about working with this contractor?
What were some things you disliked about working with this contractor?
You should definitely tailor your questions to fit your own project and call references who’s project is similar to yours.
It is very important that you get at least 3 references. but I would prefer more recent jobs that were done to ensure that people are not just providing bogus information. I would also suggest jobs that are currently being worked on to prove that the contractor is working on actual jobs.
Some of the questions that I would ask a contractor are:
- Liability Insurance
- Workman’s Compensation
- Ask about subcontractors ( make sure subcontractors are licensed and insured too )
- Of course references ( recent with phone numbers and addresses of jobs nearby )
- Time length of job
- Make sure that permits are pulled out under contractors name
- Check out the cslb website to ensure active license
- Ask for pictures of work
Good Luck
We always recommend to our potential clients to get 3 references before deciding and proceeding with a contractor. Request past clients who have had somewhat similar work completed and that is within a reasonable distance. Some common questions we recommend are:
- Was the job completed in a timely manner?
- Were all concerns and questions handled in a professional and timely manner?
- Was the completed project to your expectations and as stated in the company/client contract?
- Where you happy with the overall company,completed job and customer service?
Always contact the supplied references. Don’t take for granted that since a company has willingly given references, they are from happy and satisfied previous clients. Take time to call.