Questions to Ask Your Home Contractor - Kerrisdale Roofing and Drains

If you’re thinking about doing a home renovation or just want to make sure you’re ready for the one you’ve planned, it’s important to know what questions to ask your contractor. Not sure where to start? Check out our list of questions below.

Home Contractor

Are you bidding an estimate or a fixed price?
Some contractors treat their bids as estimates, meaning bills could wind up being higher in the end. Be sure to request a fixed price bid instead.

If a contractor says he can’t offer a fixed price because there are too many unknowns about the job, then try to eliminate the unknowns. For example, have him open up a wall or examine a crawl space.

If you can’t resolve the unknowns, have the project specs describe only what he expects to do. If additional work is needed, you can do a change order — a written mini-bid for new work. Source: HouseLogic

What steps will you take to protect my property?
This is a conversation best had before demolition, not after you come home and find dust all over the house. There are a number of dust-containment measures that can be taken, and talking about it ahead of time will provide you with a clear idea of how the construction area will be cordoned off from the rest of your home and how you’ll be able to move through your house.

There’s also the issue of stuff — all the books, furniture, drapes, delicate vases and paintings on the wall. It’s helpful to remove them all from the construction zone. This includes anything hung on walls or sitting on shelves in adjacent rooms, since they can shake loose from persistent hammering. If you leave them as-is, it will cost to have them moved and moved again to keep them out of the way, and you risk damage in the process. It’s better to move it all at once and know it’s safe and sound. Source: Houzz

Do you offer a warranty?
A warranty is good for both you and your contractor. It protects you from defective or shoddy work and it protects the contractor from being liable for their work forever. Asking about this up front helps you avoid any misunderstanding in the future. Source: FamilyHandyman