Question for your Home Builder or Renovator

When you're hiring on a new contractor to take on a development on your home, there are a number of important questions that you should ask him or her before providing a deposit. This is because there are a number of things that you may not see right away when you first start dealing with a contractor. Things like previous job performance, general rates, specific qualifications and licensing are all vital things for you to know about before hiring someone. Thankfully, the process of working through contractors to find the right one is not as difficult as it may seem.

Ask About Qualifications and Licensing

This could perhaps be the most important set of questions that you ask a potential contractor before hiring him or her. Not only are certain qualifications and licenses a good indication of the contractor's skill, but they're also often required by law in most states. Even if a certain qualification or license is not required by law in your state, it can never hurt for the contractor to have that qualification. After all, it never hurts to work with people who have gone above and beyond the "standard" requirements of their field.

One important qualification to look out for is electrical certifications through the state if you're hiring a renovator or home builder who is also doing your electrical wiring. Since electrical wiring can be a very dangerous thing to work with, most states have very strict laws regarding who can legally work on wiring projects in the home. This isn't just a matter of protecting you and your home, it's also a matter of protecting the community. In the suburbs, poor wiring can cause a house fire that can catch other houses on fire as well. Make sure you understand what qualifications and licenses are required. The best way to find out whether your contractor is properly licensed is to visit your local zoning board to find out what is required. Then, simply ask the contractor if he or she meets those requirements.

Who Does the Contractor Work With?

This is a very important question to ask for a number of different reasons. First of all, the people that your contractor hires are going to be working in and around your home. This means that you need to feel comfortable working with them and you need to be sure that the contractor is working with responsible people. If you're adamant that there is no smoking on your property, make this very clear to the contractor and ask how he or she feels about that. Ask if the contractor does background checks on the people he or she hires for renovation jobs like this.

Really, the point is that you want to be sure that your contractor is bringing people to your home that you will feel comfortable with. If you're comfortable with the people the contractor brings along, then that's really the only thing that matters here.

Guarantees, Timelines and the Bottom Line

At the heart of your renovation is a simple, straightforward business transaction. You want to be sure that you're keeping everything in perspective when you work with your contractor if you want to be sure that everything is in order. An important part of this is talking with your contractor about the important milestones and important factors of the renovation. You want to know some very specific things before you decide to work with a contractor on any type of large-scale project.

First, you should ask about the guarantees that the contractor offers to clients. Does the contractor offer a guarantee on the materials used in your renovation in the event of failure? Does the contractor offer a guarantee on the labor costs associated with fixing something that he or she messed up?

This is also true for the timeline and bottom line of the overall project. Your contractor should have a definite idea of how long the project will take to complete and what it'll take to get there. This means that the contractor should be able to provide you with an accurate quote that will help you understand if the renovation is even within your budget. These questions are very important for you to get answers to when you start working with a contractor for any type of renovation project.

At the end of the day, the qualifications, experience and pricing of your contractor will play a huge role in helping decide who you select. Whatever your criteria is, it's important to not just settle on the first contractor you find when you're doing a renovation. Take the time to ask your contractor as many questions as you can before making a decision. You may find that you can actually find a higher caliber of contractor by asking some very simple questions.

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