You only revamp your house once in a blue moon.

So, when you do it, you expect results to be worth your hard-earned cash.
Unfortunately, that dream doesn’t translate well into reality for everyone. But that’s because homeowners often tend to go with the first company that sounds right. Eventually, going in without doing the proper research causes delays, additional costs, hidden charges, or your project that ate a heap of money looks poorly done. Sometimes, all of the above.

This is why doing your due diligence before signing a contract was the right first step. You’re at the right place. So, keep reading to understand the basic qualities to look for in a home renovation contractor.

Official Credentials

The first thing to look for is accreditation. It may seem more affordable to hire an amateur. They charge a lower fee and promise a lot more for it. But they’re usually not too skilled or qualified to professionally handle remodeling projects. This means they’re more likely to experiment, do it wrong, and finally, charge you extra to fix the problem they created.

So, whether you’re planning a complete remodel or partial enhancements, your investment is always safer with a certified service provider. For instance, for Edmonton home renovation contractors, you can look for phbi certifications to ensure your hire is a well-rounded professional.

Extensive Work Experience

Hiring beginners isn’t a bad thing. If they have the credentials and you trust they can do the job, go for it. But you can only expect great results from people who have spent time doing actual work. The more the merrier. Their experiences help them make better decisions by avoiding beginner mistakes and tackling problems more wisely. In turn, when you sign up with them, you can be more relaxed about the project’s ins and outs.

Wide Array Of Projects

Anybody can say they’ve done thousands of projects like yours. But only the most reliable builders can back up those claims. The easiest method of verifying someone’s work experience is to go through their portfolio. If they’ve done it, they can will show it off. Generally, contractors put up their previous projects on their websites for clients to see. On the off chance they don’t have a proper website set up, you may be able to find their portfolios on popular business platforms or social media sites.

Positive Client Reviews

Even if a business may have a ton of projects aligned for you to see, you can’t always take their word for it. The pictures they put up could be over-glorified or tampered with to make projects appear significantly better than the real deal.

So, the first thing you can do to ensure those listings are legitimate is to go through real reviews. There are many places to check the reviews of a contractor. First off, if someone receives positive feedback about their projects, they’d be quick to add that to their website. Additionally, you can go through their profiles on Google, business platforms, and social media to understand how good or bad they are at what they do.

Solid Project References

Lies, lies, and more lies aren’t the qualities to look for in a home renovation contractor. But that’s what people lay back on when they don’t have substance to show you. In this discussion, I’m talking about the reviews and projects. It’s unethical but some new builders would hide the reality of their actual skills and abilities behind doctored project pictures and reviews.

The best way to ensure the contractor you’re considering is honest about those is by getting in touch with the references they provide for each project. Talk to the people mentioned on their platforms to learn about their actual experiences with the business. This way you can shortlist the most reliable contractors more accurately.

Insurance Availability

If they don’t offer insurance, your investment turns risky again.
Insurance protects you by offering you a way out in case the contractor tries to low-ball you on the work they need to put in. A proper insurance policy helps you avoid liability in case of faults that occur at the hands of your contractor.

So, if a service provider doesn’t have the right terms in place, that’s what you would call a massive red flag. The best policy for you in this scenario would be to look for a better contractor.

Knowledgeability

Now it’s time for the next step. You’ve had a chance to thoroughly inspect the qualifications of notable contractors. So, you’ll have a list of prospects you want to go with. Next, you need to contact them and talk to them.
The first thing you need to judge is how well they understand the requirements of your project. The better they understand its nature and complexities, the better equipped they are to deliver to your expectations. So, for instance… ask about the quotations, required material, why certain things might be better, and how you can optimize for price and longevity.

Quality Of Work

This is another consideration during your discussions. There are two ways to complete a project. The first could be to do it willy nilly without a care in the world. But the better way is to do it in an organized manner to deliver in a capacity that doesn’t cause avoidable harm to your property during the remodeling.

The latter is what you want. How can you ensure that’s what you get? Ask more questions. Specifically about how they’ll deal with the time management and cleanliness of the project. Ideally, you want to hear a precise plan for regular cleanups and routine fixtures to keep the project organized and on track.

Professional Communication

There are two types of contractors you want to avoid. The first is the yes-man, who would do things the way you ask without a single objection. The second is the person who undermines your input without a second thought.
This is because proper communication is one of the most important qualities to look for in a home renovation contractor. So, instead, you want to work with the third one. A contractor who takes time to understand what you need from a project, and works accordingly. This one will still turn some of your ideas down, but they’ll explain the how’s and why’s to help you take the right course of action.

You can generally understand how flexible a service provider might be by how they respond to your suggestions and ideas during the initial project discussions. So, try to go for the third kind.

Detailed Contracts

Finally, you want it all written down. Everything should be clearly documented in your contract including the estimated costs, insurance policy, materials required, project timeline, labor, and specifics of the scope of work. No hidden charges. No shenanigans. No nonsense.

The contract should be detailed in every aspect. If you see vague conditions here and there, or an inconsistent pricing structure, that’s quite a reliable signal to leave. You don’t want to work with someone who’s not trying to be honest in writing. If, however, the contract stands up to the mark, that’s a reliable contractor.

The Rest Is Up To You

These are 10 major metrics to define whether a home renovation contractor is right for you. But hey, nobody said there’d only be one good business to work with. So, after you’ve gone through this evaluation process, the final pick is yours.

My advice? Go with whichever one feels right. Any selection you make at this point would be data-driven and hopefully offer you the returns you expect from your project.