Adding an addition or remodeling your home can be a fun and exciting project. For many homeowners it is an opportunity for them to finally make the upgrades that they have dreamed about for years. On the other hand, the remodeling process can also be quite overwhelming especially when it comes to hiring a contractor. I hope the following tips will be helpful in guiding you on what to look for when hiring and working with a contractor:

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• Hire only a licensed contractor. Ask for a copy of the contractor’s license, proof of liability insurance, and proof of workers’ compensation insurance if applicable. Also feel free to ask for another form of identification to help you verify that the contractor’s license belongs to this individual.

• Check the contractor’s license number with the Contractor’s State License Board in Sacramento at (800) 321-2752 or online.  Check Sinclair Construction’s Contractor License here.  The State Board can inform you of any complaints  filed, or if the license is invalid or has been suspended.

• Get written bids from at least three licensed contractors.

• Get three references from each contractor. Contact the people provided as references and ask questions that will help you decide whether the contractor you are considering will satisfy your needs. Inquire about the quality of work, quality of materials used, time taken took to complete the project. Were there delays? How did the contractor and employees conduct themselves when working in your home? Were they neat and respectful of your property? Does the contractor do background checks on the employees? Arrange to see the contractor’s past work if possible.

• Do not rush into selecting a contractor. Take your time and make sure you feel comfortable about your selection. These individuals and their employees will have full access to your home, so make sure you thoroughly check out the contractor and his business. If you are hesitant about someone, then keep looking.

• Upon selecting a contractor, get a written contract with the contractor’s license number on it. Do not sign the contract until you fully understand all of the terms.

• Make sure the contract includes everything you and the contractor have agreed to, including a list of the materials the contractor will use and the quality, grade, and brand. If it’s listed in the contract, expect to have it done. If it’s not there, even with a verbal promise, you may not get what you pay for.

• Do not pay cash and do not let the payments get ahead of the work completed.

• Make frequent inspections of the work, including a final walk through.

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