5 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Contractor

Hiring a contractor is a bigger decision than most home purchases, but it usually gets a lot less scrutiny. Before you sign anything, a short conversation covering these five questions will tell you almost everything you need to know about who you're about to trust with your home.

1. Are you licensed and insured? This is non-negotiable, not a nice-to-have. Licensing means the contractor has met the requirements to legally do this work in your area. Insurance means that if something goes wrong on the job — an injury, damage to your property — you're not the one left covering it. Any legitimate contractor will answer this immediately and provide proof if asked.

2. Who will actually be on site doing the work? Some companies sell the job, then hand it off entirely to subcontractors you never meet or vet. That's not automatically a problem, but you deserve to know who's going to be in your home or yard, and who's accountable if the work isn't done right.

3. How will changes or delays be communicated? Every project runs into something unexpected eventually — a material backorder, something discovered once a wall is opened up, weather. What matters is whether you'll hear about it from the contractor directly and promptly, or find out by noticing nothing happened on site for a week.

4. What does the payment schedule look like? A clear, staged payment schedule tied to project milestones is standard and protects both sides. Be cautious of anyone asking for the full amount upfront, or who can't explain their payment structure clearly.

5. Can I see examples of similar work? Photos of comparable past projects tell you more than a sales pitch does. If a contractor specializes in decks and additions, ask to see decks and additions specifically, not just a general portfolio.

None of these questions are meant to put a contractor on the defensive — a good one will answer them without hesitation, because they answer them all the time. If you're getting vague answers, hedging, or pressure to skip ahead to signing, that tells you something too.

We're licensed and insured, we're the ones actually showing up to do the work, and we're glad to walk through pricing and scheduling in plain terms before you commit to anything. Call or text us with your project and we'll answer all five of these before you even have to ask.