How Do I Find a Contractor?

[cschin4]

I just purchased a house and am planning a big home remodel. I basically want to rennovate the whole home, put in new kitchen and bath, flooring, put on an addition, patio, etc and also have the basement worked on with new french drains put in, etc. And, I also want to do siding and new roof. Basically building a new home out of this one. So, how do I go about finding someone to do the job? Should I hire one GC or a series of contractors each doing their thing? I do not plan to move into the house until it is completed. And, winter is coming so I would like to get done what I can. Any suggestions?

[Ima saver]

My husband is a builder and one that can "do it all" First and foremost, get letters of reference, a bunch of them. A good builder should have this. We have seen people out tens of thousands of dollars in our area because they hired a builder without looking at their workmanship and getting reference letters.
A good builder should be able to handle the entire job. Make sure the builder is licensed. My husband is the only licensed builder in our county. Ask to see his license.

[ccsraj]

I just purchased a house and am planning a big home remodel. I basically want to rennovate the whole home, put in new kitchen and bath, flooring, put on an addition, patio, etc and also have the basement worked on with new french drains put in, etc. And, I also want to do siding and new roof. Basically building a new home out of this one. So, how do I go about finding someone to do the job? Should I hire one GC or a series of contractors each doing their thing? I do not plan to move into the house until it is completed. And, winter is coming so I would like to get done what I can. Any suggestions?

It is really very hard to find a genuine contractor .if found then half work is completed.Enquire in local places and friends and they could suggest better.Check out his license,his experience and knowledge.



Amex Cards

[RetireEarly]

Also make sure he's insured and get a copy of insurance naming you additional insured. I would not act as your own GC unless you know what you're doing and have enough free time to manage it. I would also get several prices and hold the contract, if possible. Never under any circumstances pay him too much money. Always make sure you have enough of his money left to hire someone else to complete the job if he were to stop showing up.

[ktmarvels]

I'm not entirely sure about this, but I think angieslist.com has a way of finding people like this. I've personally never used it so I don't know if they have contractors or not. It's worth a shot if you are completely stuck.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Ima, who licenses in your county or state? Does licensing require some sort of proof of skills and knowledge? Are there multiple licenses that a contractor should have?

I have been known, for small projects, to stop at a work site and talk to the people doing the work, especially as the work is ending and it looks good. Then I can also talk to the homeowner when it is fresh in their mind. This gives me references that are not selected by the company. But I have never done something as bog as an addition.

We have a neighborhood hardware and building supply that is not a superstore and it has a lot of small companies as customers. Some of my best references have come from them. Local people who really understand the idiosyncrasies of the type of houses in the neighborhood. Then, when I have had a good experience with of these companies, I like to ask who they recommend for other types of work. For example, I asked the father-son team who put in a new ceiling for a recommendation of someone to do some work on the indoor stairs.

I only know a few friends to ask recommendations from. But that is, of course, a good way to get a thorough evaluation of a company.

[poundwise]

I have used ServiceMagic a few times with good results.