Hiring a Contractor: The Questions That Actually Matter

We know hiring a contractor is stressful. You are about to write a serious check and invite a crew into your home for weeks or months. The instinct is to compare photos. Photos help, but they do not tell you how someone behaves when a joist turns out worse than expected.

Ask for two or three references from jobs that looked like yours in size and messiness, not just the highlight reel. Then call those people. Ask whether the schedule slipped, how delays were communicated, and whether they would hire the same team again for a phased project. You will learn more in ten minutes on the phone than from any brochure.

Paperwork matters. You want current general liability and workers compensation certificates that match the entity on your contract. If you are in a condo or managed building, ask whether additional insured status is available and what the building requires. Keep copies with your file. It is not paranoid. It is adult.

Clarity on who runs your job day to day is non-negotiable. You should know the project lead by name and how updates arrive. Some clients want weekly calls. Some want email summaries. Both are fine. What is not fine is radio silence until something is on fire.

Finally, read the change order section twice. Renovations uncover real conditions. You want a written path: how surprises are documented, priced, and approved before more work happens. If that path is fuzzy, ask for language that makes it clear. Good contractors are not afraid of that conversation.