Hiring a Contractor

Tips to Ensure Your Remodeling Contractor is Experienced, Qualified

If you’re planning to remodel your home – whether it involves a room addition, new energy-efficient windows or an updated look for the kitchen – you should make sure your remodeling contractor is a professional. This is particularly important in today’s economy when there may be individuals posing as qualified remodelers when they are not. Here’s what to do:

• Determine if the remodeler has an established business in your community.
   
• Contact the Better Business Bureau or the Attorney General/Consumer Affairs Office to ensure there is no adverse record on file.
   
• Ask the remodeler for a current certificate of insurance. Both Missouri and Kansas require contractors to carry worker’s compensation and liability insurance to meet local or state licensing requirements.
   
•  Verify with the contractor’s insurance agent that the contractor’s insurance coverage meets all minimum requirements.
   
• Make sure you have a signed, detailed contract before the remodeler begins work. The contract should include the contractor’s name, address, phone and license numbers, as well as details of the scope of work and a cancellation policy. The contract should also explicitly detail the cost of the project, including material costs.
   
• The contractor should offer a minimum one-year warranty to cover the materials and workmanship.
   
• Ask for references. Call the references and ask if they would be willing to work with the contractor again and how they liked his or her work.
   
• Ask the contractor for a list of business referrals or suppliers.
   
• Ask the contractor if he or she is a member of a trade association, such as the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.

Source: Kansas City NARI (National Association of the Remodeling Industry)