10 Tips To Help You Find A Quality Home Improvement Contractor

Summer is well underway and American homeowners are ramping up their home improvement efforts. Many are weekend warriors, happy to go DIY in making their home improvement dreams come true. But more complex jobs will require the expertise of a home improvement contractor, and this is where many homeowners can encounter problems.

“For most homeowners, the hardest part of any home renovation project isn’t the work itself, it’s finding a competent and reliable contractor to do the job,” says Teresa Mears from US News. “Installing kitchen cabinets, knocking down a wall or retiling the bathroom is simple compared with the struggle of hiring a quality contractor who will perform at a high level from start to finish.”

“Choosing the right contractor can make the difference between a successful home renovation project and a disaster. But even for experienced renovators, finding the right contractor can be a challenge.”

To help you find a reliable and trustworthy contractor, we have compiled a list of 10 questions you should ask before hiring anyone this summer.

1. Is the contractor licensed and insured? This is your first level of protection as a homeowner and an indication that your contractor is a professional.
2. Can the contractor provide references? If a contractor’s work product is high quality, they will gladly provide you with examples of their work and happy customer testimonials.
3. Does the contractor carry multiple product lines and offerings? Some product lines perform better than others in given situations and no one product can meet every customer’s requirement. A lack of product options may mean that a customer has to compromise some of their needs unnecessarily.
4. Does the contractor offer multiple “BUY NOW!” incentives or other discounts? Consumers are often faced with this unfortunate reality in today’s home improvement marketplace. Contractors will artificially inflate their prices to allow enough profit to offer deadline incentives to secure a contract. It begs the question: If you had signed the contract as it was originally quoted, how much were you overcharged?
5. Are the contractor’s products you are considering for purchase covered by a lifetime warranty? Quality products come standard with comprehensive warranties. Consumers should request written copies of warranty documentation.
6. Does the contractor require that both the husband and wife are present for the estimate? One adult is all that should be required to deliver an estimate and answer product questions. Requiring that both adults are present for an estimate is a common requirement of the high-pressure sales approach.
7. What type of payment options does the contractor accept and is there a financing option? Be very wary of cash only requirements for payment. Your level of buyer security is greatly diminished with cash transactions. Professional contractors should offer their clientele multiple payment options: Cash, Check, Credit Card, or Financing. Financing is a nice option when combined with some of the “Same as Cash” terms available today.
8. Are the contractor’s products certified by a third party organization? NFRC and AAMA are the two main third party certification organizations that validate window performance claims. Without their stamp of approval, the validity of certain performance claims can be questionable.
9. Are there any specific HOA (Home Owners Association) guidelines and bylaws that mandate material type or architectural style? This question is actually aimed at the homeowner, but will help you immeasurably when it comes time to make decisions about your improvements and the timeliness in which they can be undertaken.
10. Have you educated yourself? The homeowner will always be their own best advocate and educating oneself is the only sure-fire way to sort through what information is accurate and what is not. There are a several good sources of unbiased information available today that can assist homeowners in making good decisions.