Finding and hiring the right custom home builder or home remodeling contractor for your home projects can be daunting and confusing. You can easily search the web or look in the yellow pages and find many contractors listed in your area but the question remains – which one do you hire for your home remodeling project. Which one will perform quality work, charge a fair price and get the job done on time.
To reduce the risk of hiring the wrong home remodeling contractor you should first do a little preparation yourself for the home remodeling project. Sketch out and write down what you want remodeled. Provide a copy of this information to each prospective home remodeling contractor as this will help to minimize misunderstandings of requirements.
If you are adding a home addition, use stakes and string or even spray paint and mark the area on the existing lawn/ground.
Next talk to your local building inspector to understand what permits and building requirements are necessary for your home remodeling project.
Visit home improvement centers such as Lowes and Home Depot, and look at materials expected to be used on your project (e.g. lumber, doors, windows, appliances, countertops, roofing material, etc.). Make note of their costs so you will be able to compare material costs proposed by prospective contractors. While visting home improvement centers also talk with some of the employees about costs and lead times for particular products of interest. For example, there are many types of doors and windows and frequently there can be significant lead times for deliveries.
When you start calling prospective contracts ask for references and previous work that you can visit.
Finally, make sure you get multiple quotes and make sure that they are in writing. Also ask how long the quotaion is vaild.
