Hiring a Building Contractor for Home remodeling

If you're considering improvements or additions to your home, you'll want to find the best building contractor for the job. But how do you find and retain a good building contractor for the project?

Rule number one with contractors is to shop around. Begin by talking to friends and relatives who have recently had homes remodeled or other work done. Ask for building contractor recommendations, and be sure to take a look at the work they provided for your friends, inspecting it for quality and style. Many times, your friends and relatives will tell you the plain truth about their experience with a contractor, and that is just what you want.

Another way to locate a builder is through new home tours. The tours will give you a chance to check the quality and workmanship of new homes, which should give you a fair indication of what to expect from a particular building contractor.

After narrowing your selection to several builders, ensure that each of them can accommodate the project you have in mind; Building contractors often specialize, and may not have extensive knowledge in the area of your request. Remember, not all contractors can handle all jobs.

Once you are certain you have a few contractors who can take the job and have experience with this type of work, you will want to check each of their references.

The biggest mistake people make when hiring a contractor is forgetting (or being too lazy to) check the contractor's references. Too many people make the mistake of just accepting the lowest bid, without regard for the quality (and timeliness) of work delivered in the past. Always check with previous clients, and if possible, meet with them in person and ask about their experiences with the contractor.

An example of good questions to ask previous clients would include:

How was the quality of their work?
Did the contractor stay within budget for the project?
Was the project completed on time?
Did the contractor hire sub contractors to do most of the work?
Would you hire this particular building contractor again? If not, why?

As well as checking reference, it's also a good idea to check out the builder's credentials. Normally a building contractor must be licensed by the state. The Better Business Bureau can also provide you with information regarding complaints filed against the contractor, and let you know if they have been satisfactorily resolved.

You can also visit your County Courthouse to check for legal actions taken against a contractor. A building contractor with a long list of law suits or a bankruptcy filing is probably not your best bet.

Finally, it is important that you have a written contract outlining all work to be done. Any reputable builder will be more than happy to sign a contract for the project.  Good contractors understand that the contract protects them, as well as the client.

If a building contractor seems reluctant to sign a contract for the work done, you really have to ask yourself, why? The general rule of contracting is, "if the builder won't sign on it--he probably won't deliver it."

Researching potential contractors is the most important point to remember. Doing your homework can save you big money, and even bigger headaches when you are preparing to hire a building contractor.