The hardest part for homeowners when it comes to renovation is not the work itself, but it is getting a competent and dependable contractor to do the job. Installing kitchen cabinets, retiling the bathroom or knocking down a wall is hard for you but not to an experienced contractor that can do the job from the start-up to the finish. You should, however, know that even with a skilled contractor, home renovations can be stressful. For example, you may find a rotten floor that is revealed when tiles are removed or leaking pipes behind walls and dangerous electrical wiring.

Getting a skilled contractor to do renovations can prove the difference between a lovely home and a disaster. But even for experienced contractors, finding the right renovator can be a bit challenging.

In case you want to do a big project, you need to hire a general contractor who will then hire sub-contractors according to their speciality of work, for example, plumbing and electrical works. Some homeowners with experience can work as their own main contractor and hire other subcontractors according to their area of speciality. While this can save you money, it can be very time consuming as it will entail multiple contractor searching instead of one because you will need to find a specialist for each kind of job.

Whichever way you decide to use, here are steps that you can take to find a contractor that can do the job correctly while still keeping your budget.

Ask relatives, friends and co-workers for references

People you know who had such projects previously are your best source of information. Employees of hardware are also a great source of information, and you can also ask people who are in building trades too.

Interview at least two contractors

Get a written bid and also ask a lot of questions from these contractors. When comparing these bids, make sure they contain the same tasks and materials, so you are comparing oranges and oranges. Get two bids even if you have a contractor that you think suits the job. When you do this, you will learn something new from each interview with the contractors. Also, be prepared to do most negotiation works after getting the bid and before signing the contract.

Choose the right builder for the right job

A contractor who installed your neighbour’s plumbing system is not necessarily the right candidate to tile your bathroom. You need to find a contractor that routinely does the job you want. You don’t want them to use your house as a guinea pig.

Check references

Talk to both subcontractors and clients who can tell you whether their boss(contractor) pays them on time. Also, see if you can talk to their current clients. This is because these clients have the most recent experience of working with the contractor. This will help you select the right home builder for your project.

You should expect a contractor to be busy to start right away.
‘The best folks are the ones who are always busy.’ You need to think twice about hiring a contractor who is not busy most of the time.