5 Questions You Should Ask Your Contractor That Can Save You Money Later

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Hiring a contractor can be a bit of challenge. Unless you’ve worked with the contractor before, there really is no way to be sure whether or not you are hiring the right one. Thankfully, there are five helpful questions you can ask beforehand to gain a sense of peace. Let’s dive in and take a closer look at these questions as well as the answers that you should be hoping for.

1) Does the contractor provide a fixed-price bid?

If the answer to this question is no, you may want to consider moving on to another contractor. An adjustable price means you could end paying way more for a project than what the contractor initially tells you that it will cost. If the project you are requesting is one in which there are many unknowns, ask the contractor for a fixed price on each unknown. For example, if there is the chance that a wall may or may not have to be torn down, ask for a fixed price on this task. If it ends up that the wall doesn’t have to be tore down, you can get by without having to pay for it.

2) Is there an itemized bid?

You always want a bid that is itemized according to the work that the contractor wants to carry out. By looking at the list, you can then tell him or her what you do and do not want. Without an itemized bid, you are left in the dark as to what the contractor is actually charging you for, and many times, this means he or she will charge for things that don’t actually take place.

3) Does the contractor have equipment insurance?

You will definitely want a yes answer to this question. Without insurance, your contractor may end up over his or her head with financial problems due to equipment damage or failure. Because of this, you could get left in the dark on your project, meaning you will have to go through the entire process again of hiring a contractor to finish what was left undone.

4) How long has the contractor been in business?

You want to hire a contractor that’s been in business for at least five years. Having an established business means the contractor has a reputation to uphold, which means he or she will strive to do everything possible to make sure your project gets completed both effectively and on time. Also, try to partner with a local contractor. You don’t want one who is traveling more than 40 miles every day back and forth to your project site.

5) Can you meet the foreman?

Remember, when you hire a contractor, this doesn’t necessarily mean that he or she will be performing the work. Many times, contractors have a foreman complete their jobs for them. Because of this, you need to ask if you can meet the foreman who will be in charge of your project. The best way to go about meeting him or her is at a current job site that he or she is working on.

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There’s a good chance that your construction project is going to cost quite a bit of money. You will want to do everything you can to ensure as much money as possible stays in your pocket. By asking the five questions mentioned above, you will be well on your way to accomplishing this goal.