Local contractors are easier to contact if problems develop with the work, and they will be familiar with building codes in your area. Check with your city’s building inspector and visit a lumberyard to find out which contractors buy good materials and pay their bills on time.
Check reviews on contractor review sites such as Angi or HomeAdvisor. Read both positive and negative reviews to get a balanced view.
Ask for References
A good contractor will be happy to provide a list of past clients who have been pleased with their work. You should call each one and ask a series of questions.
This can include whether the project was finished on time, if the contractor cleaned up well at the end of each day, and whether the contractors were easy to communicate with throughout the process. It can also include if the client would use them again (and why or why not).
Once you’ve spoken with some references, do some online sleuthing by searching for the contractor’s name and reading the reviews on home services review websites. You can also visit a local kitchen and bath showroom and ask the designer for recommendations on contractors they’ve worked with. Online reviews can be skewed, and a lot of people write negative ones, so you should cross-reference them with feedback from personal references. It will help you narrow down the list of potential contractors.
Check Online Reviews
Online reviews are the modern-day equivalent of word-of-mouth recommendations. Customers can check out the experiences of other people who have worked with a contractor and decide whether they are worth hiring or not. Reviews are especially important for home services such as contractors, plumbers and electricians because they provide social proof that the service provided by the company is legitimate and worth hiring.
A contractor with a lot of positive reviews will likely rank higher in local searches by search engines like Google. This can help the company attract more clients and increase their profitability.
It’s important for contractors to have a good presence on review websites such as assisted living and long term care Loveland Yelp, HomeAdvisor and Angi. These sites are reputable and will give the contractor a competitive advantage over competitors who do not have many positive reviews on these platforms. Asking your satisfied clients to review your services on these platforms will also help increase the number of reviews and improve the credibility of the business.
Check the Contractor’s License
While licensing requirements differ on a state-by-state basis, it’s generally a good idea to only work with contractors who are licensed. Licensing shows that they’re serious about their construction business and have met a certain level of industry standards. They’re also required to maintain liability insurance and worker’s compensation coverage, both of which protect you should something go wrong.
In addition to checking for contractor licenses on review sites, you should always check with your local licensing board. Some of these agencies will verify whether a particular contractor meets the requirements to be licensed in your area, including age and citizenship, fingerprints, education, and professional experience. They’ll also likely require that contractors carry workers’ comp and general liability insurance, as well as specific bonds. This will help you avoid working with unlicensed contractors, which can be a dangerous and illegal proposition. Ultimately, it’s usually worth paying more to ensure that you work with a reputable contractor who follows construction laws.
Check the Contractor’s Insurance
Having a good contractor can make the difference between a project done well and one that goes over budget. A contractor with the right insurance will be able to make sure that you are protected from any unforeseen events or accidents that might occur during your project.
In order to make sure that the contractor has proper insurance coverage, ask them to provide you with a certificate of liability insurance. This will show you that they have a policy that covers their business for general liability and property damage. The COI will also list the limits of their coverage.
You can also check for worker’s compensation insurance, which is mandatory for contractors who employ people. However, some small contractors claim to be exempt from this requirement if they do not have any employees. In such cases, you will have to look up the law in your state or contact a reputable contractor’s insurance agent to verify their credentials.