Read our blogs on Kanler.com
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Are they licensed and fully insured?
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Are they reliable?
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Do they have good references?
JUST to name a few. Again, we have tips on our blog. GOOD LUCK!
I would say that the first and most important is licensing to inssure they have the knowledge.
The second most important believe it or not is attitude. Are they easy to get along with and communicate with? This is very important because they will be in your home. You want to make sure you feel comfortable with them. Make sure you can get you ideas and wants across with out feeling like your doing something wrong. I hear that from a lot of customers that hire contractors and then end up not hiring them again because they were not able to communicate with them or they were grouchy.
Every person that is thinking to hire a professional for their project should see if the professional is
- focused on providing exceptional professional services with
- the highest levels of customer satisfaction - and will do everything to meet your expectations.
- with a variety of offerings to choose from, and that you’ll be happy working with them.
There are many factors to consider when choosing a contractor, in fact we’ve highlighted some resources to do contractor background checks in the state of California (most of these apply to other states too) here: http://www.chandlersroofing.com/blog/post/contractor-background-checks-and-screening-may-save-you-big-time
Of the various things to consider, we think these three stand out the most:
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What is the contractors reputation with the state governing bodies? For example, in California all contractors are screened by the Contractor State License Board (CSLB). The CSLB ensures that contractor is properly insured for work comp, bonded and has no serious complaints against their company. If your state does not require a contractor to be licensed, has the contractor you’re considering gone above and beyond to try and achieve licensing, training, oversight or recognition within the appropriate state or trade organizations?
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What is the contractors reputation with leading manufacturer’s? Is the contractor that you are considering for work, properly trained at the highest levels from the manufacturers of the products and services they are proposing and do those products and services have the best reputations in the industry? Don’t just take your contractors word for it, ensure that they show you their qualifications and training and even inspection scores from the manufacturer. Also verify that they are able to offer you the highest warranty that the manufacturer offers. This often will tell you a lot about the contractor if they aren’t able to offer you better, extended warranties which the manufacturer backs.
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What is the contractor’s reputation with the community, both word-of-mouth and on the web? There are many resources out there these days, BuildZoom being a great one, to verify previous customers experience and testimonial. And don’t get stuck on any one specific review (positive or negative). Try to view them all as a broad average and story of the history of the company. Every contractor, even the best ones make a mistake and every consumer has a bad day. A single bad review should not be an indicator that a contractor is not right for the job.
First and foremost, the contractor’s license should be verified. This includes any state/local municipal requirements including insurance, bonding, appropriate business licenses, etc.
The second item to consider is pricing. Ensure that both parties understand the proposed fee structure (fixed bid, cost plus, etc) as well as the scope of work. The client should ensure the scope of work is clearly defined to avoid confusion. The lowest fee is not always the best, as some scope may be overlooked, which can result in a tough working relationship or reduced quality of work to compensate for the extra work.
The third consideration should be the relationship between the contractor and client. Both parties should be comfortable with the other to ensure easy and accurate communication. If one does not feel good about the other, it may be wise not to proceed with the deal.
Hello there Perry Aire,
So you have received all your bids and are now beset with the task of deciding who to trust with bringing your project to fruition in a timely manner. This is not a simple decision. But if you could narrow it down to just 3 factors to pick a winner, here are some things to consider.
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Patience… Ask your Contractors a ton of questions and see who takes the time to actually answer you in a calm and rational manner. Bad contractors are impatient and don’t like to explain themselves, a good contractor will take the extra time to ensure you are educated in the process of each step of your project.
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Background. Make absolutely sure by running the license of each and every contractor who submits an estimate and make sure it is current, active, bonded, insured and that the names match. If there are discrepancies call the contractors board and have them look him/her up. Hire no one who is not a contractor and avoid headaches.
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Experience. Construction incurs problems, it’s just that simple. There are almost always some unseen issues that arise during any construction project and experience will save the day most often. A contractor who has delt with similar dilemnas before may also know the least expensive repair and get the ball rolling.
Ultimately you will want to consider who you feel comfortable with who also “checked out”.
The top 3 items that homeowners should focus on are(arguably, of course):
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How well does the contractor communicate? - Are they personable and do they clearly explain any little details that you have questions about? Do they suggest options and alternatives to help you out?
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Do they provide a quality services? Always ask for referrals, and try visiting past project locations if you can - easier for exterior work, such as roofing.
and, most importantly…
- Are they licensed, Bonded, and adequately Insured (both worker’s comp and liability insurance)?
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Hire a Licensed Contractor - No exceptions
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Hire a Contractor with General Liability, Workers Compensation and Commercial Auto Insurances.
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Verify their work and references, check their website also.
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Make sure they have in house staff and management.
That is a good start to making sure you are hiring a Licensed and Insured Contractor with a staff that will be able to handle your project. Keep in mind, many states require licensed subcontractors as well. Especially for Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing. Make sure that the contractor you work with has Licensed and Insured subcontractors as well.
First check with the CSLB that the License they are using is under their name.
Also check their reviews and references on line.
Do not select only by price cause price can be increased during the project very easy.
I would say:
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Are they licensed? And does the license number belong to them? You can check their license here: Check A License - CSLB to insure they’re in good standing and that it actually belongs to them.
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Do they have insurance? If something were to go wrong during the renovation and one of their worker’s got hurt on the job, you would want to know that they contractor you’re working with has worker’s comp so that liability isn’t on your back.
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The 3rd most important is more of a gut feeling, do you trust them? Do you think they’ll provide quality service? Take into consideration their reviews online, but check trusted sources like the BBB. When reading reviews on Yelp, see if they’re new reviews that show an accurate depiction of the company you’d be working with. And do you trust how your gut feels about the contractor?