Homeowner Tips

The Certified Contractors NetWork offers the following suggestions for selecting a contractor:

Ask the questions below to protect yourself from non-professional or unqualified contractors.
Evaluate the quality and completeness of the proposal. Does it include everything you need and discussed with the contractor?
Is the price in line with the value being delivered? Studies clearly show that most dissatisfaction involves the low-bid contractor.

Questions to Ask Every Contractor

What is the full name and address of the company?
Reject any contractor without a permanent place of business, or who seems to lack necessary financial resources
Does the company carry insurance and is the coverage current and adequate?
A contractor should provide you with a current Certificate of Insurance for Comprehensive Liability, Worker's Compensation, and Completed Operations Insurance that protects you in the event of an accident or provides financial coverage for a failed project
Is the company a licensed contractor? Is the contractor a member of a trade association and in good standing?
Reject any contractor who does not hold a current license
How long has the contractor been in business?
Most contracting businesses (90%) fail within the first 5 years. Reject any contractor who cannot provide a reference list of customers, and examine new businesses with extra care
What is the contractor's track record for handling complaints?
Reject contractors who say they have never had a complaint. The best of contractors find themselves in a dispute at one time or another for a variety of reasons. The question is, how did they resolve the matter
What is the company’s workmanship warranty?
Be wary of unbelievable contractor warranties. A longer contractor warranty is not necessarily more valuable than a shorter one. One reason is that the long-term warranty is provided by the manufacturer, but depends on the product being installed according to manufacturer specifications. Are the contractor's employees properly trained in installation procedures
Other specific issues and questions
- Compliance with local ordinances: Is a permit required? Is the cost included? Who is responsible for obtaining it?
- Product specification: Make sure the proposal specifically refers to the product and color you choose.
- Payment terms: Are payment schedule, terms, and method of payment clearly detailed in the agreement? How is incomplete work handled?
- Preliminary inspection and clean-up agreement: Make sure the work supervisor and you do a pre-work inspection and specify clean-up procedures.

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