Hiring a contractor can be a big deal and making the wrong decision can be expensive or downright devastating to your budget! So lets talk about a few things to look for when hiring a contractor to hopefully help you avoid a catastrophic mistake!

1) Are they properly licensed? Many contractors will say they are, and thats because its easy to go to the local city hall and get a business "license" and call yourself "Licensed". However what you need is a "Contractors License" and this can be verified at the state website at https://verify.tn.gov You don't even have to tell them! If you can't find their license ask them for a copy of it and see if they're using a friends license. You want to be sure that the company you're contracting with is the company holding the license. Is their dollar limit (known as "Monetary limit") enough for the project and are they licensed for commercial if its that type of work?

2) Insurance! There are a few things to look for here

  • a) Workers compensation insurance, confirm they have a real policy, some will have a $0 payroll policy. Others will have a state Exemption certificate (which means if the person whose name is on the certificate gets injured he/she can't claim you're financially liable) but an exemption is not valid for their employees.
  • b.) General liability insurance, are they covered if they burn your house down while working on it? Do they have enough coverage, what are the limits? c.) this one is optional but ask if they have "professional liability insurance" this is if they make a mistake on something in their care, custody and control.
  • c.) Auto insurance. All these seem to be crazy, but what are the limits of coverage, if their coverage isn't enough or they aren't insured, then You'll be the one picking up the slack!

3) Warranty: What warranties are they providing? Based on the companies history, will they be around long enough to support and stand behind that warranty?

4) Is their team background checked? More than 90% of construction workers can't pass both a background check and a drug test today. What does the potential contractor do to ensure the workers in your home will be safe and trustworthy?

5) Do you feel comfortable with the contractor? Do you like him/her and feel comfortable that they will bring a solution to solve the problem or meet your desired future?

A lot of these questions above are on you to ask and not let them off the hook when they avoid answering. Remember a reputable contractor may be more expensive than Chuck in his truck, but the value they bring should be worth the additional cost. The peace of mind they bring should be enough value to spend a few more dollars!

If you're planning an interior remodeling project, we'd love to talk and have the opportunity to serve you, let us schedule a time to meet with you in your home to discuss the upcoming project and see if we'd be a good fit for you!