For most home owners, what is the first thing that comes to mind when considering hiring a contractor for a home renovation?

Cost, indeed. Especially in the current economic climate, when recession is on top of everyone's mind, being smart with one's money becomes even more crucial.

But, while that is an important consideration, there are more important things that should be considered. After all, a home is, to most, the biggest investment they make in their lifetime. When our home equity is directly linked to our net worth, we should ensure the following 10 things before we let someone else handle our biggest piece of equity.

“HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS LINE OF WORK?”

This is one of the first and perhaps most fundamental questions before hiring a contractor. If you’re going to entrust someone with the construction of your home, you should at least know how long they’ve been in the trade.

It would be best to work with a contractor who has a track record of success. It is always preferable to hire someone who has been in the construction industry for at least a few years and is up to date o the latest code regulations and building techniques.

“CAN YOU PROVIDE REFERENCES FOR SOME OF YOUR PREVIOUS PROJECTS?”

Do not be afraid to inquire about your prospective contractor’s previous projects. Even if your contractor has years of experience, this does not guarantee consistent high-quality services. As a result, ask the builder if you can view some of their recent projects. If that is not an option, ask the contractor if they can provide a list of references.

“ARE YOU QUALIFIED FOR THE JOB, AND DO YOU HAVE THE REQUIRED LICENSES?”

Many people do not inquire whether the construction company they intend to hire is registered with the California State License Board (CSLB) which is the only license that qualifies a contractor to perform renovation work.

There are many unlicensed "contractors" that perform contracting work, they usually charge much less. Many home owners think there is little issue in hiring someone without a license for smaller jobs. However, doing so bare much risk, including compromised built quality, which decreases the home value and could bring potential law suits to the owner who made the hire.

“WHAT SAFETY MEASURES WILL YOU IMPLEMENT?”

Another essential question to ask before hiring a contractor is what safety precautions they will take while building your home. Along with ensuring a safe working environment for the labor force, you should also check to see if your prospective contractor will pay special attention to things like fire escapes and adequate wiring to prevent electrical fires, among other things.

Any qualified and good contractor puts safety as the top priority because they are liable for any worker injury. Make sure you also inquiry about their insurance.

“WHAT MATERIALS WILL BE USED IN THE BUILDING, AND WHO WILL PURCHASE THEM?”

This is one of the most important questions to ask contractors when building a house if you want to avoid arguments or delays amid construction.

Contractors typically buy building materials in bulk at a discount. As a result, you may be able to save money by having your builder purchase rough (construction) materials. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be kept informed. In fact, before agreeing to hire a contractor, inquire about the materials they will be employing. This is an area that many contractor who charge less will try to cut corner. Make sure you inquire about things that will be "hidden". Thickness of the drywall, materials of pipes, number of coats of paint, whether there is sub-floor installed below, to name a few. This is why hiring a qualified contractor who charge fairly is very important.

“CAN YOU PROVIDE AN EXPECTED DEADLINE?”

The completion timeline is one of the most important questions to ask before hiring a contractor. Homeowners must understand when their project will be completed. Even if your prospective contractor gives you an estimated completion date for the project, ask if they are likely to change the timeline.

We have all heard of contractors failing to deliver the final product despite multiple deadlines, it’s highly recommended that you request your contractor to provide a production calendar so you understand what they are working on daily. And to track progress yourselves.

"WHO WILL GET THE REQUIRED PERMITS?"

Obtaining necessary permits is an integral part of any construction project. One of the most important questions to ask a contractor is whether they obtain necessary permits themselves or expect you to do so. While your prospective builder must know the types of permits you may require, you must also do your homework and be mindful of what you need.

This is one of the many benefits of working with a design + build company, rather than contracting everyone yourselves. Such a company would have their internal system and team to handle all drawings and are familiar with the permit process.

“WHAT IS THE PAYMENT PLAN?

Construction payment schedules vary by company, but homeowners should never pay the entire amount upfront. Although reputable builders will never ask their clients to pay the whole amount at once, one of the most important questions to ask before hiring a contractor is about the payment schedule. Typically, the payment schedule will differ depending on the scale of the job, and schedule be taken at milestones. The bigger the job is, the more milestones there are.

“WHAT HAPPENS IF THE COST OF BUILDING MATERIALS INCREASES?”

As a homeowner, you should ensure that your contract protects you from material price increases. Such events has become more common since 2020, we have witnessed contractors requesting clients to pay extra because lumber prices had tripled in just a few months.

In most cases, construction companies include a separate clause in their contract that addresses the issue. They usually ask clients if they can raise their contract price in the event of a rapid price increase or if they can cancel the contract entirely if either party cannot afford a material. Similarly, suppose the cost of building materials rises after the homeowner has approved everything. In that case, the contractor may be obligated to pay additional charges because they could have purchased it earlier at a lower cost.

“WILL MY CONTRACT PRICE CHANGE IF SURPRISES ARISE ON SITE?"

This is the MOST important question that most home owner neglect to ask. Most home owners think a contract will bind a contractor to build your renovation or home at the price quoted. However, this is not the case. In most scenarios, a contractor will charge "Change Orders" when surprises come up on site which increase their cost.

Change orders surely make a lot of sense when the clients request something that is totally outside of the contract scope. For instance, the contract was a kitchen remodel, but the clients decided half way that they decide to also change the floors of the entire house. But in most scenarios, Change orders are charged for unpredicted site condition, as surprised often happens once all the walls and floors are demolished. And as the clients, they are often forced to pay for this since the construction has already started.

At Visone, we have eliminated Change Orders for all of our bathroom and kitchen remodel. We believe it is our job, as design and construction professionals, to consider the possibilities of such situations, instead of burdening the clients amid construction. Our price is firm once a contract is signed, simple as that.

Conclusion

Most of home owners these days rely on friends or family's referral to find their contractor. And often that personal feedback trumps all other things when they make their decision. Please make sure you ask these 10 questions because we have seen far too many family referrals turning into disaster projects.

What a lot of home owners aren't aware is how much they can benefit from letting a design build company handle everything to free up their time and mental space. When you try to handle design yourself and hiring a contract for construction, in order to save cost. Often times, what you had envisioned the design to be is very different from what end up getting built. Let alone the hassle, stress and delays that happens naturally when you try to do everything yourself.

We know this option of working with a design build firm is usually expensive and not accessible to the everyday home owners. Visone was founded to deliver this very mission, bring professional level design and construction to everyday home owner's at an affordable price.

At Visone, all of our contractors are license and insured, all of them are home builders (not just remodelers) and build homes across the Bay Area. Everyone of them have been in the industry for around 10 years. Our customers are provided with project management support, production calendars and updates. We do our renovations by the book and guarantee a 100% inspection approval. The best part, our contracts, once signed is flat rate and will not increase during construction. Getting an estimate is as easy as answering some questions and sending in photos of your space. You can get started with your estimate here.