How to Choose a General Contractor: Questions Worth Asking

Most homeowners choose a contractor based on a bid and a gut feeling. Both matter, but a few specific questions tend to reveal more about how a contractor actually operates than either one.

Ask how they handle what gets found once walls are open. Older homes especially tend to reveal surprises once demo starts. A contractor who has a clear process for pricing and communicating that, rather than treating it as an afterthought, is one who has done this enough times to expect it.

Ask who is actually on site day to day. Some contractors run several projects at once and are rarely present. Others, or their lead, are on site regularly. Neither approach is automatically wrong, but it is worth knowing which one you are getting.

Ask about their subcontractors, not just their crew. Plumbing, electrical, and HVAC are usually subcontracted. Ask how long the contractor has worked with theirs. A long standing relationship with subs usually means fewer scheduling gaps and more accountability if something needs to be redone.

Ask what is and is not included in the estimate. Permits, disposal, design fees, and fixtures are all places where estimates can vary significantly between contractors for reasons that are not obvious from the total number alone.

Ask to see a project similar in scope to yours. Not just photos, but the chance to talk to that homeowner about how the process actually went, on time, on budget, and how issues were handled along the way.

None of these questions are meant to catch anyone out. They are meant to give you a realistic picture of what working with that contractor will actually be like, which matters more over a multi month renovation than the lowest number on a bid.

If you are planning a renovation and want to talk through scope before you start collecting bids, reach out to our team.