Before Hiring a Contractor...

7 Things To Ask Your Contractor Before Hiring

Whether you are remodeling your residential or commercial construction or looking for a new build

entirely, hiring the right qualified general contractor is one of the most crucial aspects. You need a

licensed and insured professional you can trust, which means they must be reputable and experienced.



Let’s discuss seven key things you should ask your contractor before hiring them, so your construction

experience is less stressful.

You should ask the mentioned seven questions to get a good idea of a general contractor's practice

- Blackstone Construction

1. “How Long Have you Been in Business?”

Experience is key because it lets you know that the company has dealt with all its teething issues and

has worked with a wide range of clients on a wide range of projects. You want at least 5 to 10 years of

local experience to ensure quality and timely work within your budget.

Local experience matters because if you live in Kansas City or St. Joseph, for example, you want to make

sure that your contractor is well-versed with state laws, local weather, landscape, and other things like

sourcing materials and working with local sub-contractors.

2. “Are You Licensed and Insured?”

Your contractor must be licensed and insured to operate legally in most states. The state decides what

are illegal construction jobs without a license. Make sure to check that their license is for a general

contractor and not only for specific jobs like roofing or carpentry.

On the other hand, insurance gives you peace of mind. Make sure to check that your contractor has

liability insurance and workers’ compensation for the particular type of job they are doing.

3. “Will You Get the Required Permits?”

Permits and inspections are usually required for remodels. You want to make sure that your contractor

is on top of things and can obtain the appropriate permits and inspections required for your residential

or commercial remodeling or construction.

4. “What About Payment and Completion Timeline?"

Of course, you want to clearly outline the completion timeline of your project along with the payment

schedule. Talk about how their current projects may affect yours, any possible delays, and how they

plan to address those delays.

No contractor worth their salt will ask you to pay full price upfront, and you shouldn’t hire one that

does. Regardless of the type and the estimated time of the project, clearly outline a payment schedule

upon certain milestones of the project.

5. “What Should I/ We Expect Day-to-Day?”

While the timeline will give you an idea of milestones and deadlines, you want to know what to expect

on construction days. Don’t be afraid to dive into details like “who is the project manager?”, “how many

in the team?”, “Is there a dedicated team, or will they be working on other projects?”, “Any

subcontractors?”, “Will you clean up after each day’s work?” etc.

Good contractors will never shy away from detailed questions, but they may take some time for

assessment or request a site inspection to give you concrete answers.

Make sure you understand things like working hours, noise levels, parking situation, materials/tools

storage situation, supervision, owner inspections, progress reports, and even things like who can be

present during construction days, including pets.

6. “How Do You Plan to Protect My Property and Deal with Additional Charges?”

Asking them how they will protect your property can come off as disrespectful. However, it is important

to know beforehand. Find out how they’ll use things like tarps for cover, shoe covers inside the home/

build, and locks when they leave the place empty.

As for additional charges, most contractors can give quite an accurate estimate owing to technological

advancements in the field. However, a million different things can happen that can blow the budget out

of proportion. So, make sure the contractor agrees not to spend anything over the agreed-upon budget

without your approval first. It is important that you state this in your contract before hiring them.

7. “What About Disagreements and Warranties?”

Most competent contractors offer a comprehensive guarantee or warranty for the work they do,

whereas some materials used may have warranties as well. Make sure you understand what is covered

and request a detailed copy of this information before the work starts.

Furthermore, problems, errors, and disputes can occur despite everyone’s best intentions. Make sure

communications are open both ways and give the contractor the opportunity to fix any mistakes or

disputes. Good contractors are not ‘yes men.’ They are professionals, and they always ask questions to

get to the bottom of exactly what you want.

Make sure to ask how they intend to handle disputes or disagreements. Good contractors are honest

and professional. Settle disputes by correcting any errors they make because it is in their best interest.

They always want you to recommend them to others.

Just make sure to be fair. Keep your expectations realistic, and everything should go smoothly.

Our Final Thoughts

These are just some of the most important questions to ask your contractor before hiring them, and

there are plenty more we can discuss another time. For now, you should ask the mentioned seven

questions to get a good idea of a general contractor’s practice.

If you want to learn more, or if you live in Kansas City or St. Joseph, Missouri, and are looking for a free

quote from a licensed, insured, and experienced professional contractor, please visit our website today!

At Blackstone Construction, we offer the best and most comprehensive residential and commercial

construction solutions in Kansas City and St. Joseph, Missouri, from general electric and tile work to

remodeling and new builds.