2. Do you carry insurance? Both general liability and worker’s compensation?

A contractor that does not carry these types of insurance leaves you liable for any damages your property incurs while they are working as well as the cost of any worker injured on your property. If you don’t want to end up with additional out of pocket expenses or get involved in a lengthy lawsuit if something does go bad, make sure they carry insurance and can show you copies of their forms. As with their license, you can always call the issuing authorities in your area to verify the paperwork as well.

 

3. Do you guarantee your work?

Getting a guarantee in writing from your contractor is just like making sure your new car has a warranty before you drive it off the lot when remodeling in Sugar Land. While a handshake between friends might be enough in some cases for remodeling in Sugar Land, when it comes to your home, make sure the contractor will guarantee their work, in writing, for a certain amount of time after your project is completed. This protects you from any shoddy workmanship that comes to light after your remodeling Sugar Land project is over.

 

4. Will you provide me with written lien waivers?

A good contractor will not hesitate to provide you with lien waivers for both their work and that of all subcontractors they employed at the end of the project. This means that once you have paid the contractor for all work, both the contractor and any subcontractors the main contractor has not paid cannot hold you responsible for missing payment. If you don’t want to end up paying for work twice, this is an important document to have and one your contractor should have no problem providing.

 

5. How does your process work?

As mentioned in Houston Bathroom Remodeling – Contractor Red Flags, a contractor without a process should get your alarm bells sounding on remodeling Sugar Land projects. Before starting the remodeling process, you want to know what your contractor plans to do to protect your home and how they plan to stage the project from start to finish. Whether it is covering your carpets while painting or handing you a copy of the project schedule so you have a clear vision of your project timeline, this is an important conversation to have with your contractor on remodeling Sugar Land projects. Talking about process will reveal your expectations and also let you know if your contractor is both organized enough and committed enough to pull your project off for remodeling in Sugar Land.

 

6. Will I receive a project schedule?

The answer to this question should always be yes. Even if you don’t plan on showing up to the renovation site every day of the project, it is important that you know what stages your Houston renovation project should be in along the process. This will help with communication between you and your contractor in case changes come up and also allow you to anticipate and discuss potential delays or additional costs along the way.

 

7. Who will manage the project once it starts?

There is nothing worse than showing up to your remodeling Sugar Land project to find a group of unsupervised workers drinking beer and watching the sunset on your dime. While the main contractor might not always be on site for your remodeling in Sugar Land, they should always have another contractor or their project supervisor overseeing your project for liability reasons. Additionally, they should make sure every step of your remodeling in Sugar Land is done the correct way.

 

8. How will you keep me in the loop during the construction phase?

One of the quickest ways for things to go South between you and your contractor is when communication falls through the cracks. Establish good communication channels up front so both you and your contractor can stay in touch concerning your Houston renovation’s progress.  

 

9. How many projects have you completed in the last year? What type?

Even in these tough economic times, a professional contractor should be able to showcase some of their projects from the last year of remodeling Sugar Land. You don’t want to misinterpret quantity for quality, but a contractor with a fair amount of previous work experience is more likely to have a solid reputation in the community when remodeling in Sugar Land. A good number of remodeling in Sugar Land projects will also give your contractor the ability to manage your project well no matter how much work comes their way when remodeling Sugar Land.

 

10. Can I read written references from former clients?

A contractor is only as good as their references. A good contractor should be able to show you written references from previous clients as well as potentially provide you with their contact information. When you interview for a job, you are often asked for references and your contractor should be able to offer the same.

Whatever remodeling in Sugar Land you decide to undergo, make sure you ask your contractor these 10 important questions before leaping in head first. The experts at HLS can answer these questions for you and more if you are exploring remodeling in Sugar Land.