by Christopher Skjonsby

Created on: February 15, 2009

Hiring the right contractor to perform renovations or repairs can be difficult if you are not aware of the right questions to ask or what to expect from the contractor. Before undertaking the task you should first sit down and plan what you are hoping to accomplish. Make a rough list of all the items you foresee for the job. Now the most important task in your project is to assign a budget amount, take into account you should plan and extra 10% for cost overruns. Check with your local municipal government to see if permits will be required and the associated fee's. Plan to get a minimum of 3 quotes from different licensed contractors.

To ensure you are have all contractors bidding equally it is strongly advisable you write out a common spec' and give a copy to each contractor that you invite to bid. Any changes you make to this original should be updated and sent out to each with equal time to update their quote. Within your spec' you will also need to address such issues as completion dates, contractor licensing and insurance, billing and payment method, and costs, such as permits, that the contractor needs to include. Request tickets of qualification for all tradesmen who will be working on your project. Ask all contractors to provide references of previous work completed and have a list of questions prepared when you check their references.

Make a short list of the contactors and ask that each deliver the quote and plan to sit down and go through a short Question and Answer process. Through this process you should ensure the contractor is going to deliver what you are expecting. Review the job with them to make sure they understand what you want. Ask them about insurance, WCB, and timelines. Also ask how they plan to bill and work out an agreement for payment through certain points of the job. This should be well documented and signed by both parties. It is also a good idea to work out a plan for progress billing based upon completion milestones in the job. Find out how many employee's they have and ask about other projects they may be working on as this could impact your timeline.

It is always a good idea to research what types of permits are required. The municipality you live in will likely have an inspector to ensure the work is being installed according to building codes. Expect to take out some insurance for the duration of the project in case of accident or injury while people are on your property. Expect to help keep your project on time by pressuring the contractor when he starts to fall behind. But remember they are the professionals and expect they know what they are doing.

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