Quality of Workmanship

When selecting a general contractor for your home remodeling project, quality of workmanship should be a top priority. You will find about 99% of contractors are licensed, insured and able to provide references, but what else should you consider? First and foremost is experience – if they are green to the industry, there might be situations they have not encountered which could end up costing – either financially, aesthetically, or both. Reputation is another – check the reviews. If you come across key words like “difficult” or “challenging” or “hard to get a hold of,” you might want to consider other options. Project examples – can they show you previous work they have done that matches what your expectations are? Is there a way for you to physically inspect work they have done at another job? A picture can only show you so much, but if you want the details, you will need to take a closer look. Finally, make sure your estimate is detailed and that you know where all the costs are allocated to. An estimate does not need to lay out every little detail, but you should be able to clearly determine what the cost of material, labor, and what the contractor is charging overall for their fee. You also want to make sure that there is appropriate amounts set aside for your allowances. If you only have $500 allocated towards your plumbing fixture allowance, you might be limited in the options you have, or willing to spend more on the items you want instead.