Each one of these questions is equally important.

Theyre going to be connected with you, and ultimately with your family, through this investment.

As such, they need to respect your finances,space, and you.

couple talking to a contractor with hardhat on

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Licensing, Contracts, and Billing Questions

Are you licensed, bonded, and insured?

You may have heard of this phrase before, but you should know exactly what it means.

If your contractor is licensed, they meet the minimum requirements to conduct business in your state.

Can you provide a detailed contract, scope of work, and explanation of billing?

Can you show me examples of invoices for other clients with personal information redacted?

Likely, the contractor youre consulting with wont be the only person working on your project.

Rockwell advises that you get the full scoop.

Here are important parts of the team to ask about:

Additionally, do your own research.

Communications Questions

How will you communicate with me throughout the project?

When it comes to construction projects, ignorance is not bliss.

When do you send the lien release?

A lien release, Grant says, releases you from future liability.

This would leave you with unforeseen expenses by no fault of your owna major (and costly) problem.

Are there any pending lawsuits?

Why would you want to risk your own legal battle, right?

This question applies to the contractor as well as any subcontractors working on your project.

Experience and Testimonial Questions

Are you experienced in this scope of work and my area?

No two construction projects are the same, but they can all certainly be complex.

Thats why you need an experienced contractor who knows your geographic area.

These rules and regulations can change from one zip code to the next.

You dont want to get stalled mid-project or miss timing milestones due to lack of local knowledge or contacts.

Finally, your contractor should be very familiar with thekindof project youre working on.

Can you provide verifiable customer testimonials?

Dont just take their wordtake their customers words.

Checking verifiable customer testimonials lets you gauge their reliability and quality of work, Grant says.

Communication Questions

Do you have any questions for me?