Questions to Ask a Contractor’s References
In this final part of our series, “19 Secrets to Smart Home Remodeling” I am going to leave you with a list of 22 questions you should ask other homeowners when checking the references of a home remodeling contractor.
We have learned a lot in this series. We started off with several articles showcasing common remodeling contractor scams. Then we talked about the traits of low-risk and high-risk contractors. Finally, in our last article, I told you how to go about interviewing the individual who will be handling your home projects.
By now, you should be more than capable of identifying the right person to entrust your home – and money – to. But just to be certain, the questions below should, without a doubt, verify whether or not you have a good contractor or a bad one on your hands.
22 Important Questions to Ask Other Homeowners
Here is a list of questions I suggest you ask homeowners that your contractor lists as references. Their answers should be very telling!
- Would you use this contractor again without hesitation?
- Were you pleased with the quality of the work?
- Could you communicate well with the remodeler or builder? Did the builder listen to your concerns? Did the builder respond quickly to your questions and requests? Was the builder easy to speak with?
- Were you satisfied with the builder or contractor’s business practices?
- Did the contractor add “value engineering and provide price checks?”
- How close was the preliminary estimate the contractor provided to the final contract price?
- How did the builder and homeowner resolve any differences that arose during construction?
- Did work crews show up on time?
- Were the homeowners comfortable with the subcontractors the builder used?
- Did the crew clean up daily?
- Was the job completed on schedule?
- Did the builder or contractor fulfill his contract to the homeowner’s expectations?
- Did the contractor stay in touch with the homeowner throughout the whole project?
- Was there a project manager on site every day?
- Was supervision adequate?
- Was the contractor easy to reach when the homeowner wanted to reach him?
- If the homeowner hired an architect, how well did the builder work with that architect?
- Did the builder hold regular progress meetings with the homeowner?
- Was the builder trustworthy?
- Do you feel that you got good value for the money spent?
- How has the builder handled warranty claims?
- Would you recommend the builder unconditionally?