Renovating your home is an expensive endeavor. If you hire the right contractor and make sensible decisions, renovations can add comfort, beauty, and value to your home. There are many home Care Contractors in Seattle. Knowing which one to hire, though, can be challenging.
You should always check a contractor’s reviews on such sites as Angie.com. You can also check a contractor’s license to make sure it is up to date and that they do not have any complaints against them. Also, get several bids before selecting a contractor. There are five questions that you should ask of any contractor before you hire them.
1. Do You Guarantee Your Bid?
Some contractors will give you a bid for a renovation job only to charge you a much higher price in the end. They may say that there were additional expenses that they did not originally anticipate. They may say that everything cost more than they initially thought it would.
You should always ask if the bid you have in writing is the absolute final price. If so, you should get them to put that in your contract. If you do not, your home renovation could cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars more than you expected it to.
2. What Kind of Insurance Do You Have?
You probably already know to make sure that a contractor has insurance. However, you should always ask specifically what kind of insurance they have. Almost any business will have general liability insurance.
In the case of a home contract, general liability will cover any accidents that happen in the home during renovations. For example, if a contractor spills a can of paint on your carpet, they should pay for the replacement of the carpet.
A contractor should also have workers’ compensation insurance. This is to cover anyone that works for them. If they do not have workers’ compensation insurance and one of the workers is injured in your home, you might end up being liable for their injuries. The worker would file an insurance claim against your homeowner’s insurance. This can cause your premiums to go way up.
3. What Is the Timeline for the Renovation?
Renovating a home is a long-term project. The contractor is going to have to come into your house and give you an estimate. Once you have negotiated with them and signed a contract, they will do preliminary work. They may have to send for parts and wait for them to arrive. They will then begin doing the major work on your home.
During some stages of the renovation, you may be able to stay in the home. There are other stages where you are likely to have to leave.
It is important to have an idea of the contractor’s timeline. This way you can make your neighbors aware of any inconvenience the renovations may cause. You can also arrange for a place to stay while the home is undergoing renovation. Some contractors will work on multiple projects at once and they will let a house sit for a couple of days untouched. You want to make sure that this does not happen to you.
4. What Kind of Warranty Will I Get?
Any legitimate contractor will guarantee their work. Make sure to get that guarantee in writing. A warranty should cover every item that they have added to your home.
Chances are that not everything in your home will be guaranteed for exactly the same amount of time. For example, If they added a wooden deck to the outside of your home and a marble countertop to the inside, the marble countertop is likely to last quite a bit longer. You should always get specific details in writing.
5. Do You Take Care of Building Permits?
If you are making major renovations to your home, you are likely to need building permits. You should ask the contractor if they will provide those permits or if you will have to get them yourself.
Getting your home renovated should be an exciting and positive experience for you. If you know what questions to ask the contractor you intend to hire, everything should go smoothly.
