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So, are you planning to put in a new bathtub or finally decided to build a new island in your kitchen? Whatever it may be, home remodeling is not an easy task. And if you don’t want to do all the work yourself, hiring a professional contractor is the best way to go. But it is a real headache to find the best-suited home remodeling contractors as it is difficult to tell if someone is good at a job you don’t know how to do.
Hiring a home remodeling contractor is similar to hiring a new employee for a job. And definitely, you are not going to hire the very first applicant. The best way to find a suitable home remodeling contractor is to narrow down your list of best candidates by examining their portfolios of previous work and checking licenses before you make a final decision.
We are here to help you with some tips to follow in the process of choosing the top home remodeling contractors for your next home remodeling project. Read on this article till the end.
Ask For Recommendations
This is probably the easiest and fastest way to find a suitable home improvement contractor. Ask your neighbors, friends, and family members and create a list of 10 to 15 local home remodeling contractors who have the expertise you are looking for. That way, you can gradually narrow down the list and be a step closer to selecting your contractor.
We suggest you add as many names as you can at this point, and here are some ways to make your starter list better:
- Ask people for recommendations who have recently had a renovation
- Search for home remodeling contractors online
- Read the online reviews before giving a place to any contractor on your list.
- Using social media to ask for recommendations from friends and followers
Remember that professional and successful contractors will always keep all the possible ways for you to reach out to them. And they will never hesitate to show you their previous work. If you find any home remodeling contractor to lack basic information such as a website or a social media presence, that’s a huge red flag that you should skip hiring them.
Compare
As we have mentioned before that, you don’t hire the first applicant. The right way to choose a home remodeling contractor is to list the names which specialize in the remodel you want. Suppose you are planning to remodel your kitchen, list down top kitchen remodeling contractors only. But some professional home improvement contractors can handle different projects, and they generally might not mention any specification in their portfolio.
You can ask your shortlisted contractors to show their portfolio from at least the last year. Some contractors might have a physical portfolio, or some might refer to their websites for images. The pictures of the previous work will help you get an idea of how the contractor approaches a project.
If any contractor reaches out to you with no portfolio or hard-to-see images of their final project, it’s better not to proceed any further with them.
Hire Only The Licensed And Insured Ones
Here your list might contain around six to eight names only. Now the easiest way to narrow down the list is to ask the contractors about licensing and certification. While remodeling your home, you require specific licenses and certifications. And a dependable improvement contractor will carry those licenses and certifications. If you don’t know much about the legal requirements in your state, you can call the licensing division to ask for specific requirements.
We always suggest you go for a contractor with the correct license and certification to complete your project safely and legally. The contractor you are hiring should also be covered with worker’s compensation so that you don’t become liable for anything if any hazard happens during the project.
Ask For References
A professional and successful home remodeling contractor will never hesitate to give you references if asked. If you have narrowed down your list and are left with only three to four contenders, it’s time to check the references. A reputable contractor will always give you a list of 8 to 10 references. And this is a common practice to check the references.
You can call each reference and take notes during your phone calls. You can also ask some references to visit their homes and look at the projects in person.
Ask about every detail you want to know about the contractor, such as if they were one schedule, how the work was completed, the cost reasonable, etc.
Remember, it’s essential to do your homework before finding a skilled and ethical contractor for your home or kitchen remodeling. Research about a contractor thoroughly and take your time to make the best decision. I hope you are now one step closer to your dream space.