How to Hire a Remodeling Contractor in Connecticut
Are you considering a remodeling project in your home in Madison, Branford or Guilford, CT? Perhaps it’s time to remodel the bathroom or kitchen. Maybe you’ve finally decided to add that addition to your home. Good for you! But before you begin any remodeling job, it’s important to know how to hire a remodeling contractor. And it’s important to hire the right remodeling contractor for the job. You’ll want to hire someone who can make the most of your environment. The following is a checklist of things to consider when finding the right contractor for your remodeling project.
Number 1: Be sure to plan your remodeling project properly. When you know what you want done and can explain it clearly to your remodeling contractor, both you and your contractor are less likely to misunderstand each other, preventing time and cost overruns.
Number 2: Remodeling your CT home can be stressful. Take a lot of the stress out of the equation by conducting phone interviews with several remodeling contractors. You need to make sure that they’re qualified and registered contractors/remodelers. Ask them if they take on projects of the scope and size of your project. Ask them if they are willing to provide you with not just customer references but also financial references from suppliers or banks. Ask them how many other projects will they have going at the same time as your project. You don’t want their time to be spread too thin. And ask them how long they’ve worked with their subcontractors.
Number 3: Next, it’s time to meet with some of the contractors that you interviewed over the phone. Solicit written bids. Then evaluate all aspects of each bid, including the scope of work, references, time frames, price and warranties.
Number 4: Make certain that your potential contractor is registered. Ask for each contractor’s license number. You can find out if a contractor is registered in Connecticut by clicking on the following link: https://www.elicense.ct.gov/, or call (860) 713-6135 and request an inquiry form. Complete the form and return it to the State of Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (http://www.state.ct.us/dcp) at:
165 Capitol Avenue
Room 110
Hartford, CT 06106
Phone: 860-713-6000
Fax: 860-713-7239
You will be notified if the individual is registered in Connecticut.
Number 5: If your remodeling contractor hires workers to work on your remodeling job, you’ll definitely want to verify that he provides his workers with worker’s comp coverage. You can verify this important information by clicking the following link: https://www.ewccv.com/cvs/.
Number 6: Learn if there have been complaints registered about your remodeling contractor. Is he a member of the Better Business Bureau? Click here to see his BBB report: http://ct.bbb.org/Find-Business-Reviews/. You can also learn about possible complaints filed against your contractor at the State of CT Department of Consumer Protection by clicking here: http://www.ct.gov/dcp/cwp/view.asp?a=1629&q=274414. Ensure that your potential contractor does not have a history of disputes with his customers.
Number 7: Ask for references and call each one of them. Try to visit your potential contractor while he’s on a job site… particularly if the homeowner is home and you can discuss their job with you. Ask them if they’re happy about your potential remodeler’s work and work ethics.
Number 8: Look for the warning signs of a scam. Steer clear of contractors who give references that can’t be verified. Also, if he gives you an offer that sounds “too good to be true,” the chances are that the offer really is too good to be true. Watch out for high pressure sales techniques such as offering a special price if you “sign today.” Additionally, if he won’t provide you with a written contract, he isn’t sincere. Find yourself a new remodeling contractor.
I hope the information posted in my first blog post has been helpful to you. Please call me at 203-444-5967 if you have any questions or you would like to interview me for your next remodeling job.
-George Mordecai
203-444-5967
Mordecai Construction Services: Building and remodeling homes in Madison, Branford, and Guilford, CT for over 35 years.