Six Questions to Ask Contractors for Your Kitchen or Bathroom Remodeling Project

A remodeled kitchen can be a great way to add on to your home’s latest upgrades. One of the best ways to ensure the value of your home increases is to begin a remodeling project. However, not doing your homework when hiring kitchen or bathroom remodeling contractors can quickly turn your beautiful kitchen or bathroom you’ve been dreaming of into an expensive nightmare. Following these six questions can solidify you hire the most capable remodeling contractors, and ensure you have the most pleasant remodeling experience.

Question #1 – Is the company reputable and licensed and insured?

This is the first question you should ask the remodeling contractors you are considering, because if the answer is no, they shouldn’t be working in your home. Even if they offer to do the project for a great price and seem to have a good reputation, the liabilities you incur are usually not worth the savings. If an uninsured and unlicensed contractor damages your home, they may not have the financial strength to take care of the repairs. Even worse – your homeowner’s insurance policy holder may not pay for any damages caused by kitchen or bathroom remodeling contractors without proper paperwork. Make sure to look at reviews and be sure that everything is up-to-date before hiring any contractor.

Question #2 – What experience do you have with this type of remodeling project?

Remodeling contractors often have different skill sets and while one might have done a great job on your neighbor’s garage or backyard shed, that doesn’t make them qualified to remodel your kitchen or bathroom. Ask potential contractors for a list of past projects they have completed that are similar in scope to what you have in mind. Don’t hesitate to contact prior customers for their thoughts on contractors work quality, adherence to schedule, and overall competence. The same can also be true when considering the dollar amount of a project – a $30,000 kitchen remodeling project often requires a different level of expertise than one that costs $3,000.

Question #3 – Will there be a written and signed contract?

Unfortunately, the days of sealing a deal with a handshake are long gone. Regardless of how friendly the remodeling contractors you are interviewing might seem to be, or how good you feel about them, those sentiments can change during the course of a project. There should always be a signed contract that spells out the complete scope of work, the financial terms, and an approximate completion date for the job. Ask your kitchen remodeling contractors to be specific and precise in detail so you can make a good evaluation and decision.

Question #4 – How are extras and change orders handled?

When remodeling, no one likes to have their budget higher than expected. Ask the kitchen and bathroom contractors you are interviewing to thoroughly explain what their price includes, and even more importantly, what it does not include. If their price has allowances for fixtures, appliances, floor covering, and other finishes, make sure you have a firm understanding of how much they are and how they work.

You should also explain to the contractors that no changes or extra work that may cause the agreed upon contract price to go higher are to be done before you are given a cost and approve the addition. Keep in mind that kitchen and bathroom remodeling isn’t quite the same as new construction. There are often unanticipated issues lurking that may affect the price of your remodeling project.

Question #5 – How long will the remodeling project take?

Even if you have another bathroom, or an outdoor grill that can be used for cooking, remodeling a kitchen or bathroom can be a disruption to your daily life. Unfortunately, this minor inconvenience can be escalated drastically if you don’t see any progress being made on the project. Or perhaps days go by without any contractors showing up for work. Experienced kitchen remodeling contractors should be able to provide a reasonably accurate schedule for project completion when giving you a cost estimate. However, it’s also important to remember that unforeseen factors can delay your project for a few days and any changes you make during the course of construction may also add to its length. Open communication between homeowners and contractors is critical.

Question #6 – How will we communicate during the remodeling project?

Perhaps the most important component of successful remodeling projects is constant communication between homeowners and contractors. Contractors should be accessible for answering any questions or addressing any concerns that homeowners may have and there should be someone in charge when they’re not available. You should expect that your phone calls or emails to the contractors will be returned in a prompt manner. Kitchen remodeling contractors concerned about customer service will often walk the project with clients on a regular basis during the duration of a lengthy project in order to ensure progress and good communication.

Hiring kitchen or bathroom remodeling contractors that answer these questions satisfactorily should go a long way toward ensuring you have a successful and enjoyable kitchen or bathroom remodeling project.

Kitchen Solvers

Now that you know which questions to ask when trying to find a kitchen remodeling contractor, it’s finally time to hire an expert. And, that’s where Kitchen Solvers can help. Our design team can help you craft the perfect blueprint and put it all together for you. Contact us today to learn more!

And be sure to check out our helpful blogs, General timeline for your kitchen remodeling project for new cabinetry and How Much is a Kitchen Remodel Going to Cost Me? if you are considering a remodeling project for your kitchen.

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