5 Questions to Ask a Contractor (Before you Hire them)
Getting my contractor’s license was not something I decided on a whim. I did a lot of networking and information gathering during my exploration and decision-making stage. I shadowed multiple male and female contractors in the Portland and Seattle areas. I talked to MANY friends, clients, and friends of clients who had worked with contractors in the past. I asked about the highs and lows, what went well, and what fell short. I pondered my reasons for wanting to even be a contractor. Was it to carry on my dad’s legacy? Spend more time with him? Help him not have to work so hard for the first time in his life? Yes, yes, yes, and… I knew I’d be good at it.
I always tell my clients that they will be sick of me by the time their project ends. You should feel supported, heard, respected, and communicated with throughout the entire process. A contractor with good communication skills will let you know when people are scheduled at your home, a window of time they will arrive, and the type of work that they will be doing. They will listen when you call and get back to you promptly, within reason. They should never make you feel intimidated or belittled. At the end of the day, you are their boss. But, you also need to trust that they will do their job and do it right because micromanaging can actually make the project slower and mistakes more likely to happen.
These questions below will help you avoid miscommunications, unmet expectations, surprises, stress, and regret. The answers will give you the confidence to know if your preferred contractor checks all your boxes so that your project is set up for success.
Can you provide me with 2-3 client references from projects within the last year?
References are everything in this industry! It shows they have a good track record. Be sure to ask for recent and relevant references, which means they should be from the last year and be similar to your project.
Can you send 5-7 photos from a relevant project?
Visuals are SOOOO important. You want to be able to see their work and style. If you’re not working with a designer, then you’ll want to look for a contractor who can show you projects they’ve completed without a designer’s plans or material selections. It’s also good to get info about how flexible they’ll be with you on materials selection and how quickly they’ll want those decisions after contract signing. Similar to the references, if you’re doing a kitchen remodel, then you want photos of kitchen remodels.
What’s your contractor fee and what are you paying for materials?
This is a really important one as it creates full transparency and builds trust between you and your contractor. Most contractors add a percent of your total project cost to their bid to compensate for their project management hours. Regarding materials, most contractors will order the tile, paint, drywall, etc. for you. If your contractor runs a smaller boutique-style firm, they likely sub a lot of the work out to their preferred trades. If that is the case, their trades will likely order their materials and include that in their estimate.
What’s your process like from initial meeting to providing bids, and how long does it typically take?
Every contractor has their own process. Some have been doing it so long that they can walk through a home and give you a bid on the spot. But that doesn’t mean you have to (or should) hire them then and there. You want everything in writing. Some contractors also like to have their trades people on-site before providing a bid. It’s also 100% okay to ask for timing details, including what their availability is and how far out they are in terms of starting a new project.
What’s your change order policy?
Change orders are inevitable. They happen OFTEN. Sometimes due to unforeseen scope changes and other times due to clients requesting additional work or design changes once contracts have already been signed. It’s important to know what that process looks like for the specific contractor you’re working with and any fees associated with change orders.
And one more very important tip: ALWAYS READ THE ENTIRE CONTRACT!
Getting everything in writing is so, so, so important. For both parties! The AKL team will typically create a construction team email thread that includes our client, project manager, general contractor, and designer. Any changes, communication, paperwork, etc. are sent in that thread throughout the process of their project to prevent miscommunication or gaps in expectations. It’s also a good idea to avoid calling your contractor for important details like scope questions or change orders. You'll want to have as much in writing as possible. Email is better.