Introduction
According to Handy, home renovation can be a tough undertaking since it requires a lot of planning and budgeting. And one of the most common ways to ruin your home renovation project is to hire home renovation contractors that are not skilled enough or follow dishonest practices. Thus, it’s essential to conduct a lot of research and carefully examine all your options before hiring a home renovation contractor.
The Steps
Here are the steps you can follow to find a reliable home renovation contractor:
- Ask for referrals – One of the best ways to find reputable home renovation contractors is to ask for referrals from your neighbors, friends, family members, and co-workers because people only recommend professionals that have managed to impress them with their service. Ask what aspect of their service impressed them the most to get an idea of their strengths.
And, if you encounter a recommendation that pops up frequently, it can become a good starting place to check things out.
- Search online – Another great way to search for experienced home renovation experts is to use online services such as Checkbook and Angie’s List. They often include reviews and ratings from people who have previously hired them, and you can browse through the reviews to learn a lot about the service provider.
However, you have to exercise caution when making a choice based on online reviews since not all reviews are equal. For instance, you should only focus on verified reviews and ignore the ones that are not verified.
- Shortlist based on credentials – Once you have acquired a list of all the recommended home renovation contractors, it’s time to visit their official websites to conduct further investigation. A few things to look out for include the required licenses from local municipalities as well as states, professional qualifications, specialized certifications from reputed institutes.
You could also check whether they are associated with any professional institutions such as the National Association of Homebuilders, the National Association of Remodeling Industry, the National Kitchen and Bath Association, and more.
- Set up appointments – Once you have shortlisted the most qualified candidates, it’s time to set up the initial interviews to choose the most suitable home renovation contractor for your project.
During the interviews, it’s important to discuss all the relevant details of the project so that they can offer you an accurate estimate of the project. However, before you go through with the process you can ask for some references and learn more about their most challenging projects and how they handled such projects.
Finally, it’s time to verify whether they have the proper permits, licenses, and good insurance. Also, monitor their customer service to understand whether they would be a suitable fit for your home renovation project.
Conclusion
Handy suggests you don’t ignore any of the steps listed above to make a well-informed decision. And always ensure to thoroughly inspect any contracts, legal or written documents before signing on them to avoid any nasty surprises.