The bathroom has finally grated on your last nerve. The 80’s brown and orange has got to go. If you have reached a similar point, it can be very intimidating to decide on a bathroom remodel contractor. The last thing you want to do is discover that you have hired a sub-par professional. Not hiring a quality contractor can lead to the job costing more than estimated, missed job completion deadlines and much frustration.
To avoid this, be sure to interview several contractors. This will allow you to get a good feel for what is standard in the industry in your area and to become comfortable with the person you decide to hire.
Here are several questions you might want to ask during the interview process.
1) “How long have you been remodeling bathrooms?” This question is similar to “How long have you been in business?” but gets at the heart of the experience a particular contractor might have. He or she may have recently started a new business but has years of experience in the industry. Just because the business is new does not indicate that the job will be done poorly. However, it is probably best to ask both questions and steer clear of new businesses if you can. They may be good at the work but business issues can distract and cause delays.
2) “Are you insured?” This is a big one. If something goes wrong with your job you want to be sure that you can recoup losses and you are protected.
3) “Do you pull the appropriate permits and is this cost covered in the estimate?” You want to make absolutely sure you have proper permitting for your job. Not having permits can cause you to run afoul of government agencies and cause headaches. Making sure the costs are in the bid ensures you don’t receive add on “surprises” at job completion.
4) “Do you provide references?” This is a great way to help select an bathroom remodel contractor. By talking to previous customers, you can get a feel for the kind of work the contractor does and how he or she conducts himself during the job. You can find out if the workers were rude, cleaned up the job site poorly, played loud music, etc. These might not impact the quality of the job but they can be very frustrating and are good to know up front. Ask for several references from recent jobs.
These are just a few questions to ask. In the end, however, listen to your intuition and make sure you are 100% comfortable with the company you hire. Ask lots of questions and wait a day or two before signing a contract to give you time to reflect.
If you follow these guidelines you will much more likely to hire the right contractor for your bathroom remodel. Happy remodeling!