Building Success: Unveiling the 6 Best Questions to Ask Your General Contractor

questions for your general contractor

If you are beginning the process of interviewing contractors for your next renovation project, it is important to get the most out of your meeting by asking them the right questions. We at Rio Contracting have been in the industry for more than 30 years, and have compiled a list of what we believe to be the 6 most useful questions to ask your contractor for determining whether or not they will be a good fit.

(1) Do you have references?

“Any job, any size” is a common thing for contractors to say, but this does not necessarily mean they have experience doing so. It is important that you, especially for larger and more unique jobs, ask the contractor that you are dealing with for references or photos of their past work. For contractors with websites or active social media accounts, it may be easier to get a sense of the type of work they are capable of, but for those who don’t, this is a crucial question to ask. The inability to show photos or provide references is generally a red flag, so if this is the case for you, we suggest continuing your search for a general contractor. This industry requires trust, so it is completely normal for you to ask (and require) that the contractor has a successful track record of completing jobs similar to the work you are looking to have done in your home.

(2) How long have you been in business?

One of the beauties of the contractor line of work is the importance of reputation. While there are certainly newer contractors that are capable of performing exceptional work, those who have been in business for ten, twenty, or even thirty years have generally done so for a reason. Additionally, with more time in the industry comes better relationships with subcontractors and vendors, as well as experience dealing with unique construction situations—two key components of a successful construction project.

(3) Are you licensed and insured?

This is a very important question to ask, as you should only allow licensed and insured contractors to do work on your home. Although having a license is not necessarily indicative of high-quality work, it at least shows that the local building departments recognize their company as a legitimate contracting business. And while the odds of something happening to your home during a renovation may be low, it is not worth the risk of working with an uninsured contractor.

(4) Do you have experience obtaining permits?

Continuing from the previous question, any unlicensed and uninsured contractor will be unable to obtain permits, when necessary. However, another thing worth considering is the contractor’s experience dealing with your specific local building department. Because the required paperwork can differ from one building department to another, and missing certain pieces can delay the approval, it may be advantageous to work with a contractor that is familiar with your building department. This same logic would apply to dealing with inspectors before, during, and after the construction.

(5) How long do you expect the job to take?

Obviously, your contractor won’t be able to give you an exact timeline, but if they’ve managed projects of comparable size and scope, they should be able to provide a rough estimate. This is a good question to ask because it will allow you to start planning your own schedule for the duration of the project, as well as help you better determine when you would like the construction to begin. On a similar note, you should ask your contractor about their availability, as some are busier than others and may not be able to start as soon as you are hoping to.

(6) Can you put everything in writing?

It should go without being said that if you are hiring a contractor to renovate or remodel your home, you should have a written contract. The proposal that you receive should clearly outline the entire work scope, cost, and payment schedule/structure, and if you have any uncertainties, they should be addressed prior to paying any money. We cannot stress enough that the easiest way to avoid any miscommunication between you and your contractor is to have everything in writing.