8 Tips for Choosing the Right Qualified Contractor for Your Next Remodel
Remodeling a kitchen or bathroom can quickly become very overwhelming for any homeowner. Outside of purchasing your home itself, remodeling is typically one of the most significant investments you will make as a homeowner.
While some may be tempted to tackle some home projects themselves, most kitchen and bath renovations will require hiring a qualified professional.
A specialized Kitchen and Bath Remodeling Professional, such as Elite Remodeling of Frisco, can be brought in to make accurate measurements, advise on proper materials and design a functional, safe, and cost-efficient space that explicitly reflects a homeowner’s taste and lifestyle. After planning, the very structured and detailed process of installation occurs, which can be a few weeks or a few months.
The selection of a professional remodeling contractor should never be taken lightly nor without careful consideration and due diligence. Everyone has heard of others that have signed a contract with the wrong contractor, and let’s just say, it doesn’t turn out as expected. In fact, you might hear that story more often than not.
To ease the process, and your nerves, we have listed the following tips below to ensure you find an appropriate professional that will guide you through the stages of remodeling your kitchen or bathroom:
#1 | Reviews
One of the easiest, yet best ways to find a qualified, professional remodeling organization is through good ol’ word-of-mouth referrals. You can start by asking your friends, relatives, neighbors, and co-workers.
Additionally, reviewing testimonials both on standard local business sites like Google and the Better Business Bureau, as well as social media and project sites like Facebook, Houzz, and Yelp can provide valuable social verification of the trustworthiness and professionalism of your potential contractor.
#2 | Showroom
A professional remodeling company should do everything they can to make you, the homeowner, feel at ease while providing every possible resource to aid in the many decisions of a home remodel. Having a clean, neat showroom serves many purposes to the homeowner, including proving their cleanliness on the job site. You wouldn’t want to go to a messy dentist’s office, would you?
The showroom can also vastly aid in viewing first hand the materials and finish of the potential outcome before the first hammer is even swung. This is also an excellent opportunity to grade how friendly and helpful their staff is. Most residential renovations will take months to complete, so you will certainly want to only be in close contact with professionals that are fully invested and capable of making your experience enjoyable.
One of the main differentiators between Elite Remodeling and our competitors is our showroom. No matter what we are doing in a kitchen or a bathroom or a room addition, we can bring the homeowners in and show them countertops, cabinets, stains, paint, glazed tile, LED lighting, plumbing fixtures, lighting fixtures, you name it.
#3 | Staying Local
It’s almost always best to only consider working with established local remodeling companies. An established local company is much more invested in providing the very highest quality work that will allow their business to thrive in their shared community. Also, local professionals will know all of the permit requirements and building codes in your city or county, that often change from year to year.
It’s customary and wise to interview at least three contractors for your job before you decide on your contractor. Getting to know the contractor and getting a feel for their work ethics, organization, and overall professionalism can prove to vitally crucial in the end. Ask any and all questions you may have, being thorough now rather than regretful later.
#4 | Design Match
Ideally, you’d want your hired contractor to showcase both timeless design examples and cutting edge, innovative design projects executed to the highest standards of quality. It’s also essential to select a remodeler who is knowledgeable in the design and construction of the desired design style of your home.
Any professional remodeler will have a portfolio of recent projects showing their quality of work and possible design directions.
#5 | Licenses & Insurance
Because Texas does not license general contractors at the state level, it is vitally important that you verify that all permits are correctly pulled for the project. All supplemental workmen such as plumbers, electricians, HVAC suppliers, are appropriately licensed and insured. Your homeowner’s policy may not adequately cover you in the event damages are caused by unlicensed, uninsured contractors. Your potential contractor should have liability insurance to cover the cost of any possible damages during the renovation of your project.
Before you hire a contractor, check with your insurance agent to understand what may or may not be handled by your homeowner’s policy for repairs and remodeling. This could alleviate massive headaches later in the process.
#6 | Customer References
After you have narrowed your list of potential contractors, ask for a list of references you can contact from their portfolio of work. If a contractor is unable to provide you with a sizable list of satisfied clients, it may be an indication that you will not be satisfied either.
It can be very helpful to better understand the organization’s structure and level of communication during the entire renovation process. How professional are their team members? Are they helpful and eager to answer any and all of your questions? Are their past clients ecstatic about the completed work or just satisfied?
#7 | Apples to Apples
While several different factors can make every remodeling project unique, be sure any potential contractors you consider are using the same scope and quality of work requirements.
There are numerous types of questions that need to be addressed to prevent confusion and enable clarity on each proposal. For example, the type and level of granite selected can offer a considerable swing up or down? How about your tile allowance to provide the greatest range of flexibility. Are the selections used in the proposal consistent with your expectations of durability, feel, and wear? Are all applicable permits included?
We suggest discussing any significant variations in price or timelines in detail and certainly be wary of any substantially lower estimates.
#8 | Apples to Apples
t’s safe to say that the type of remodeling project you’re considering can play a significant role in which contractor you may choose. While it can be convenient to find a contractor who has experience and expertise in a wide range of remodeling projects, if you are doing solely a kitchen remodel, a specialist in that type of renovation may prove best for your project. Ideally, you want someone who can do all of the aspects of your project you are considering. It’s also important to consider how long they’ve been in business and how many similar projects they’ve completed similar to yours.
A Local Partner You Can Trust | ELITE REMODELING
Elite Remodeling is the ONLY REMODELER IN DALLAS to have nationally certified kitchen and bath designers, remodelers, and accessibility specialists on staff by NAHB, NKBA, and NARI.
Certified Remodeler (CR) by NARI
Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) & Certified Graduate Remodeler (CGR) by NAHB
Certified Kitchen and Bath Designers (CKBD) by NKBA
