by Susan Brown

Created on: February 05, 2009   Last Updated: November 01, 2011

When it comes to home improvement, homeowners are interested in the best remodeling professionals and contractors, and to get started homeowners will want to have their project planned out carefully, having in mind what you want done and how you will explain it to the contractor whom you are interested in hiring.

Doing any type of remodeling on your existing home is a major investment, and you want to perfect it by being an informed, cautious consumer. This includes only hiring a registered contractor. In most states, this includes being registered with the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), and carrying general liability insurance. You can find out this information by contacting L&I at 1-877-889-5627 or by visiting

www.dol.gov.

It is a general rule to always get three opinions, and this also applies to finding the perfect contractor. Interview several registered contractors, and get each of their bids on your home project. Make sure to evaluate every aspect of the bid they have provided, including what type of time frame is involved, warranties, references, and the bottom line price.

When it comes to references provided by the contractor, make sure to verify each of them. Be wary of a contractor whose references cannot be verified, and be very cautious when a contractor will accept only cash as payment, will not provide a written contract, or that proposes an offer that just sounds "too good to be true." It probably is.

There are many resources available when you are ready to do your home improvement project, including various home improvement social networks. You can gather opinions and references through these various social networks using the Internet. The Internet is also a handy tool to search for a contractor's name to look for any comments that may have been posted about his/her work.

Ask your friends, family, and above all trust your instinct. Upon speaking with a certain contractor, what feeling did you get? If you called a number and the contractor never returned your call, how does this make you feel? If you made an appointment for an estimate, did the contractor show up on time?

Above all, a contractor who is a good communicator could be the remodeling professional you are looking for. Without good communication, the work will never be done to your liking, and any investment you have made could easily go down the drain.

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