How to Hire the Right Contractor for a Home Renovation

So, you’ve decided to renovate your home, now what?

The steps to deciding on a home renovation may be easy but hiring the right contractor to complete your home renovation requires more than a couple of steps. Undergoing a home renovation is an exciting journey to start, but it is a huge undertaking. The deciding factor in whether the home renovation experience will be enjoyable or not lies in the contractor that you hire.

You need to do your homework in hiring the right contractor for your home renovation. The price shouldn’t drive your decision because the price you’ll pay in the end is looking at a dissatisfying renovation job every day.

Hiring the right renovation contractor isn’t a process you can rush and doing your due diligence will end up saving you time, money, and severe headache. Afterall, you are looking for someone to renovate your home. Your home is where you and your family spend time the most, therefore you want to find the best of the best. I may not be there to walk you through this process, but I have a few critical steps to share during your search.

Begin Your Research

The first step you want to take in hiring the right contractor is to compile a list of Calgary renovation contractors. You can compile a list in different ways. Some would do a simple Google search and look through the available online directory. Realistically, you will probably only end up looking at the first page anyway.

To obtain a quality list of contractors, start asking around for recommendations and referrals. You can start by asking your family and friends. But to get an unbiased opinion, ask Calgary home builder associations or Calgary home supply stores. They may be able to give you different perspective of contractors, especially if your circle of networks has not worked with a variety of contractors.

Once you have compiled a fair number of contractors, you want to start narrowing them down by conducting interviews and doing reference checks.

Interview Process

This is a critical step to the hiring process because you will get to meet with the contractor in person and ask them the necessary questions you have and need answered.

One of the first questions you should ask is if they are a licensed contractor. This may seem silly, but it is a critical question to ask and one that shouldn’t be overlooked. All Contractors are required to hold a valid City of Calgary business licence .If you want to double check their answer after the interview, you can use this online tool to verify a Licensed Trade Contractor. https://dbaservices.calgary.ca/publicinq/Default.aspx?PossePresentation=LicensedTradeContractorsSel&PosseObjectId=124631268. You can also visit the Calgary licensing office to verify this in person.

Other important questions to help guide your interview process are the following:

What are your areas of expertise?
How long have you been in business?
Do you have workers’ compensation and liability insurance?
What projects have you completed, and may I contact the homeowners of the project?
What are your payment options?
Will you obtain the necessary building permits? How many have you obtained in Calgary?
What kind of warranty do you provide and what does it cover?
Can you provide a written contract outlining the details of the project?

These may not cover all the questions you have, but these answers need to be factored in when you are in the decision-making process.

After you’ve conducted all your interviews, the next step in finding the right contractor is to review all candidates and narrow them down.

Reference Checks

Once you’ve asked all the right questions in the interview step, you will need to do a little more digging. Start by doing references checks to see the quality of their work. This is also a great way to get more answers to questions you may still have about the contractor in question. It’s not enough to ask their references if they did a good job, ask them about their experience with the timeline, budget, and the overall renovation process.

Request for a Detailed Contract

When you’ve narrowed down your list to 1 or 2 contractors, ask for a detailed copy of the exact renovation plan the contractor will execute. Ensure that the contract includes details such as the timeline, pricing, materials, etc. The more detailed the contract, the better! It’s important that you have everything in writing, as this document will protect you from losing out on money.

Anything else you are unsure about, review the contract it with a second pair of eyes. If there are any questions about the contract itself, don’t be hesitant to ask further questions from the contractor to gain clarification.

Once you’ve understood the contract thoroughly and feel comfortable, it’s time to sign it and start the project!

When the Work is Completed, Check Your Title

A builder’s lien is a legal notice filed by unpaid suppliers or subcontractors for materials or work on your property. Before making your final payment, check for any liens on your home. This is available form the Alberta Land Titles Office.

Congratulations on choosing the right contractor!

At Turn Key Renovations, we follow a renovation process that has been proven successful with every renovation project. It begins with either a phone call or an initial interview meeting and we are transparent throughout the process form start to finish.

Our team divides the renovation process into three different stages, so you know what to expect throughout the project.

For more information on our process, visit https://turnkeyreno.wpenginepowered.com/our-process/

What does a stress-free renovation contractor look like to you? Let our team show you!

Get in touch today!

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 403-685-2488