What Questions Should I Ask A Home Remodel Contractor?
Homeowners don’t remodel often and shouldn’t be expected to know what to ask besides how much and how long will the project take.
Many Phoenix homeowners ask us “What questions should I ask other contractors?”
We have found there are 4 main stages in the process, so we broke down the questions specific to each stage to make it easier for homeowners.
If you would like, we can email a template of these questions you can quickly copy and paste to easily send to other contractors.
Stage 1: Before you reach out to ANY contractors
(Regardless if they are a referral, you still want to research them)
No one wants to waste their time.
Before reaching out to home improvement companies and asking them questions, following these simple steps will reduce the amount of people that could cause you stress and make your life more difficult.
Check their online reviews on 3rd party websites
Review their website
Search this phrase on Google: “(Company name) issues”
Just by following those quick steps, you will eliminate about half of the remodeling companies and it will make your life much easier!
Stage 2: Before they come out to your house
Time is precious and a quick phone call can help you determine if you should have the contractor come to your home.
Don’t waste your time having a stranger meet you if it’s a bad fit and you wouldn’t hire them either way.
Are you licensed, bonded and insured?
Do you have a designer to help me pick everything out?
Do you use BuildClean or similar large air filters to reduce dust and harmful contaminates?
Do you have a written agreement we review and sign before starting the project?
Do you use project management software? If so what is the name of the software?
Who will be my point of contact?
Do you require us to have all the selection items (materials like faucets, tile, countertops) chosen before we start?
Will you be able to provide me references if we get a proposal?
What is the remodel project payment schedule?
Stage 3: At the in-home remodel visit
At this point, anyone walking into your home will have been vetted reducing the chance of you wasting your time or working with a bad contractor.
The in-home evaluation is a good time to get to know each other and see if it will be a good fit for everyone, both from a personal and remodel project standpoint.
Can I see your license and proof of general liability insurance?
Roughly how long will it take to complete the project?
What is your lead time to start the project?
Does your company clean up after themselves and how often?
What steps do you take to protect my home?
What do you do with the tools in my home?
What do you do with the tools in my home?
Stage 4: After you receive their remodel proposal
At this point, you'll have better companies providing proposals, so you don't have to weed through as many people that could end up disappointing you and causing extra stress and having to spend more money. Here are the questions to ask them:
Does this include the cost for my selection items I will need to pick out such as faucets, sinks, tile, electrical fixtures, plumbing fixtures, countertops, etc?
Call their references! If they don’t proactively have references for you at the time of providing the proposal, ask them why not.
How will changes be handled?
How do we resolve any disagreements?
Does this include the cost for my selection items I will need to pick out such as faucets, sinks, tile, electrical fixtures, plumbing fixtures, countertops, etc?
Are there any other additional costs that could be incurred besides if I make a change to the scope of work?
We DO NOT Underbid Like Some Phoenix Contractors
We have 2 estimators that get involved BEFORE you get the proposal. This is not the case for any other contractors we know of not only in Phoenix but in the nation. We are part of several online contractor communities and they all think this is a waste of time and money.
We feel obligated to do this so we know the price we are providing is right.
This way you know that the price is legitimate and is not a bait & switch situation which is unfortunately common in this industry.
You could be an attorney and yell at or threaten the contractor all you want, but if you don’t pay them the extra amount you are often in breach of contract and they can walk off your job or put a lien on your house.
We do the design-build business model where you pay us for the feasibility, planning, & design package first. Once everything has been planned out and all design items have been chosen, we can provide the actual price so you don’t have a bad surprise later on.
This process is great because you can make adjustments so you can balance your wallet with your wishlist before you get to the construction phase.
You then choose if you want to work with us for the construction phase so it gives the homeowner much more control. This process also makes sure we are a good fit for one another before doing the construction phase.
If you would like, we can email a template of these questions you can quickly copy and paste to easily send to other contractors.
Schedule Your Phone Consultation
Receive a phone call at the perfect time for you by scheduling your phone consultation.
Our Admin Manager will review your remodel needs, provide advice, answer your questions, and give a price estimate. If it's a good fit at the end of the call, we schedule the in-home evaluation, and then provide a written proposal.