Projections show that the global home improvement services market will reach a size of $585.3 billion by 2030.
There are various jobs that you may want to do on your home, which you’ll need to hire a contractor for. There are plenty of options available, and you should always be aware of what you’re paying for so that you know you’re getting a reasonable deal.
For 5 key questions to ask a contractor before starting a project, keep reading.
1. Can You Itemize Your Bid?
When hiring a builder, many will give you a single price for your entire project. While this is ultimately how much you will pay, it leaves you a bit uncertain about how much each element of the project costs.
Sometimes the original plan changes throughout the project. If the original bid contains something that you later remove, you want to make sure you don’t get charged for it. An itemized bid will break things down to include separate costs for things like:
- Plumbing
- Electrical work
- Tiling
- Painting
- More
This also makes it easier to compare prices between customers and may affect your choices when it comes to individual parts of the job.
2. Is Your Bid an Estimate of a Fixed Price?
Contractors vary, with some treating their bids as estimates and others treating them as fixed prices. It’s important to know which you’re dealing with so that you don’t end up being surprised by the final cost.
With a fixed price, you’ll know how much you’re paying from the start. If it’s an estimate, however, the final cost might be higher, so you’ll want to be prepared for this.
3. Have You Completed Similar Projects Before?
Before hiring a contractor, you want to know that they’re capable of completing the job. One way to be sure of this is to ask if they’ve done similar jobs in the past.
Experience is always a good thing. If a contractor has completed similar projects to yours before, you can be confident that they know what they’re doing.
You can specifically look for contractors that have a lot of experience in a certain type of work to be more certain. If you what an accessory dwelling unit for your home, for example, you can contact this ADU contractor.
4. What Is the Estimated Timeline for the Project?
If a contractor gives you a very accurate timeline, this can actually be a bad thing. Experienced contractors know that there are a lot of variables that can affect the timeline of a project. They should be able to give you a rough idea, but nothing too specific.
Whether you’re hiring a plumber, an electrician, or a builder, they should be able to give you a rough idea of how long it will take. They should also be able to explain why it will take that amount of time and give an idea of how much longer or shorter it may turn out to be.
5. Do You Provide Any Kind of Warranty?
No matter how skilled a contractor is, there can always be problems after the job is finished. A reliable contractor will provide some form of warranty, offering to amend any mistakes for a certain time after completion.
Other Questions to Ask a Contractor
There are plenty of other questions to ask a contractor, and they can vary depending on the type of work you’re having done. You want to make sure you’ve cleared up any confusion before a project starts.
For more home improvement articles, check out some of our other blog posts.
