So, you are thinking about doing a home remodeling project, but not comfortable doing it yourself?  Here are some things to take into consideration when looking to hire a home remodeling General Contractor.

General Contractor

First thing to understand is that this is not going to be a very fast process, if done properly.  Be prepared to spend some time doing research and checking referals on any General Contractors that you may be considering.  The first thing that you should do is ask around to your family and friends or co-workers if there is a General Contractor that they have used for any of their home remodeling projects.  Personal referals are a great way to help you find a good, honest and reliable General Contractor for your home remodel project.  Sadly, there are a lot of bad contractors out there.  You hear about it all of the time in the news.  There are even television programs devoted to finding bad contractors.  Take your time.  Get some referals & do some research on the internet.  Check the AZ ROC (Registrar of Contractors) and verify the license number of any and all contractors that you are talking with and/or considering to hire for your home remodeling project.  Also check the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and see if they have any complaints, what they were for and whether or not they have been resolved.

Interview

The next step is to invite them to your home or project site to meet with them and go over the scope of the project.  This will give you the opportunity to ‘get a feel’ of them, personally.  Do not be affraid to ask them about their experience, other projects that they have done, the size and scope of other projects.  Also, do not be affraid to ask for refrences.  Any good General Contractor will have absolutely no problem providing you with a list of previous clients that they have done work for, for you to contact and get refrences from.

Get a written estimate

The next step is to obtain an estimate from them for the home remodel project.  Some may give you a ‘ball-park’ number, on site.  Others may take a few days and give you a more detailed estimate.  We, at FHR Construction, provide our potential clients with a completely detailed, broken down estimate for every portion of the home remodel project.  This way, our clients know exactly what money is going to where and how much.  This way they can more easily make adjustments to their budget, if necessary.

Your house. Your rules.

Just remember, take your time.  Do not rush through the selection process of hiring a General Contractor for your home remodel.  Do the research, take your time and I promise, you will be much more happy in the end.