5 Things to Look for when Hiring a Contractor

May 24, 2021

You’ve finally decided to commit to a bath remodel—but, unless you are a highly skilled laborer, you’ll need to hire a bathroom renovation contractor before work can begin. While finding a price point that fits within your budget is important, it shouldn’t be the lone deciding factor on who you ultimately end up hiring to do the work. To make things a little easier, we’ve compiled a short list of additional factors to consider when hiring a contractor for the job.

Stability

A large glass window on a building's exterior.It is an unfortunate reality, but there are many “fly by night” contractors that show up one day to take your money and leave the next day before your project is complete. You want to avoid them at all costs. Thankfully, you can sniff them out by asking yourself a few important questions:

“Does this contractor have an office, a storefront, or a showroom?”

A company with a brick-and-mortar building is more likely to follow through on your project.

“Does the contractor have all their licenses, certifications, and is their insurance up to date?”

You want to make sure your project complies with legal and zoning requirements. If something unfortunate does happen during the renovation, you’ll want to be sure the contractor’s insurance will cover all costs.

Reputation

Make sure you seek out a contractor with a positive reputation. There is a reason they have that reputation after all. Ensure they are accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) or associated with memberships such as the Chamber of Commerce. You’ll also want to look up reviews, testimonials, and ask for references. If they can’t provide any, you may want to start looking elsewhere.

Professionalism

A paper and pen being handed from one person to another.You should expect your contractor to always be professional. This includes being organized, respectful of you and your property, and detail oriented. They should provide written quotes, proposals, or estimates. Contracts and paperwork of any kind should be organized and legal. You should not have to worry about being pressured into decisions or agreements.

Education

Some homeowners want to know every detail of their door, window or bath project while others prefer a hands-off experience. If you’re part of the former, you’ll want to make sure your contractor is willing to answer all your questions. Honesty and transparency are also crucial. This applies to every part of the agreement, including the installation, the products, warranties, and any other general business practices. If they are unwilling to be open with you when you ask your questions, that should throw up a red flag or two.

Workmanship

A grey exterior door with sidelights.Workmanship can be divided into two parts:

Is the work done properly?

Does the finished product match your design vision?

When the contractor calls a job complete, is it quality work that meets legal codes, guidelines and regulations? Do they offer and let you choose between more than one product or option, or are they pushing their preference on you? Can they provide project photos from previous jobs? These are all important questions to ask.

Once you feel confident that you’ve found the right contractor that meets the criteria listed above and can do the job at a fair price, you can sign a contract in confidence knowing you’ve made a sound choice.

Are you considering hiring a bath, window, or door contractor? West Shore Home offers free consultations to all our potential customers. Schedule yours today!