So, the time has come to remodel your home. Whether because it’s time to sell or time to use hard earned home equity to build for the future, there are many questions homeowners have before looking for a remodeling contractor in Tupelo, MS. Here are some of the most important questions to ask when collecting bids from potential contractors:
- How long have you been doing business in Tupelo? The longer a contractor has been in business, the more likely he or she will have contacts and subcontractors in the area. Ask for a business card with a local address on it. A contractor doing business locally is less likely to cancel days on site than one who has to commute 50 miles each way. If the contractor can supply you with one of his earliest jobs as a reference, that’s a good sign that he has a well-built reputation.
- Who are your main suppliers? A contractor must get supplies from somewhere. Talking with those suppliers lets you verify the contractor pays their obligations on time. Unhappy suppliers are usually a sign of a contractor that has trouble juggling the moving parts of a job. All it takes is a quick phone call to their tile shop, lumberyard or pro desk at the local big box home improvement center to see how smoothly the contractor runs the ship.
- Can I meet the foreman you’ll be assigning to my contract? Rarely does the person with the name on the van swing the hammer at the job site. They’ll assign a foreman to the job to run things while under construction. Smart contractors will connect you with their best crew to impress, which you should insist upon if you like what you see at the job site in progress. If the contractor says they’ll be at the job site to oversee things personally, that’s a promise you can hang on to should things not go smoothly once they are hired.
- Is the bid an estimate or a fixed price? Estimates are easiest for contractors to do, but they can cost you money in the long run. Your bills could end up higher in the end with an estimate, so do your best to try and get a fixed price, especially if you’ve narrowed the possible contractors down to the last two. Contractors also prefer estimates to cover unknowns on the job. The more of these unknowns you can eliminate or negotiate, the more accurate the contractor’s final price will be.
- Can you itemize your bid? The contractor works for you. The more detail they can give about their costs for the work you want them to do, the easier it is to compare contractors and cut services if things go over budget.
Now that you’ve got some questions in mind, you’re ready to seek out a remodeling contractor in Tupelo, MS. Use these questions to find the contractor that’s the best match for your project and go from potential client to glowing reference for the contractor’s next project!