Make sure you check for license and bond. In addition have them show you some of there work. As for me my past clients love to show my future clients what I have done.
Credibility, honesty, dependable… These traits can all be found very easily by asking for referrals of previous homeowners that the contractor has worked with. A simple phone interview of the past client will reveal very quickly if you are working with someone of sound integrity.
The first answer is very sound. The only thing I would add is to verify that the HIC license is in fact current and if need be contact the attorney general on info on the company. In most states a HIC license isn’t a specialty license that needs to be attaiNed through any testing. All that is needed is a fee and proof of insurance. Do your homework and follow up. A lot of HIC do in fact have a lot of knowledge and do good work though.
I would like to add that all though credibility, honesty, dependability and customer reviews are essential it does not make the selected choose wright for your project. Like Humphreys contracting and home improvement said, You do need to make sure the contractor is not only licensed but has the skills and knowledge to get the job done wright and within your budget. I suggest you look up your States department of Commerce, Community and Economic developing and search Corporations, Businesses and Professional licensing, from there, you can perform a professional license search to confirm if they are licensed, insured and how long they have been in business. Then proceed with the small stuff.
references,licence and insurance