How to Choose a Contractor for Your Next Home Remodel

There are referrals and recommendations. Referrals come out of the phone book, off the side of a pickup, from a business card tacked up at the home center. They say who the contractors are but not anything about them. Recommendations carry a judgment, good or bad, and a lot more weight. Instead of saying check the board for business cards, the lumberyard manager says that contractor has been buying here for 25 years, always working, knows his stuff. The best recommendations come from friends and neighbors who have had similar work done, tell you how the job went and let you see the results.

Collect pre-screened names from groups like the National Association of Home Builders and the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. Enter your ZIP code on their sites to see names of local members. Generally, contractors who go through the process of joining national groups and staying active in local chapters have been around for a while — and in the same place. It's difficult to do that through good times and bad unless you're doing a reasonably good job. Online services like Angie's List and Service Magic can provide names. But you don't know the standards of people writing the reviews. They may know almost everything or next to nothing about remodeling and judge jobs very differently than you would.

Interview specs. Referrals and recommendations can steer you in the right direction but can't guarantee great results. More homework is the best bet. Whittle down the list by checking names with local consumer agencies and the Better Business Bureau. If a remodeling contractor has a website, see if it posts the license number, insurance coverage and years in business. Then ask the few at the top of your list to look at the job. Prepare for the interviews on two fronts. First list the job components. You don't have to be a construction expert or even a DIYer to do it. Just be specific. Instead of listing 'new tile floor' pick a product and note the manufacturer, model and size. You can always substitute a similar product before going to contract.

On the second front, prepare a list of the information you'll want about the contractor. It should include his occupational license, proof of insurance (two kinds, for property damage and workman's compensation), years in business and contact information about recent projects. Let each contractor know that you're soliciting other estimates. There's nothing wrong with competition. Don't assume the contractor will handle permits or cart away construction debris. Ask how that works. On both counts — the specs and the occupational questions — look for straightforward answers in plain language. After all, if you have trouble communicating at this stage, chances are it will only be worse once the job starts.--

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Information and education aid remodel negotiations
By Mike McClintock, Special to Tribune Newspapers

February 2, 2012