Interview Contractors

Interviewing Potential Contractors

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It is important that you are comfortable with your contractor, that you trust them in your home, and that you have confidence they will complete the project as promised. If you don’t feel that way, you probably shouldn’t hire them.

Free download:
Contractor Interview Worksheet

The best way to determine your comfort level is with a thorough interview. In addition to whether they are able to do the job, you need to obtain the following information:

  • Their qualifications: How long they have been in business, how the company operates (e.g. using their own staff or subcontractors), and their experience with similar jobs.
  • Their references: Obtain contact information for at least three of the contractor's past customers with projects of similar complexity.
  • Their suggestions: Ask what they think of your project, what ideas they can offer to improve it or get more value for the money.
  • Their estimate: Ask for an initial "ballpark" estimate of costs for your project and when it could be started and finished.

Contractor Interview Worksheet  In order to help you conduct contractor interviews, download this Contractor Interview Worksheet. It includes many useful questions for you to ask contractors.