During the pandemic, many space-starved homeowners have decided to renovate to increase their home’s square footage — and maintain their sanity. And with so many contractors in the market, it helps to have a resource like LI Press Home Pros, which is loaded with local contractors. Here are four steps you should take before you hire a contractor.
1. Get Recommendations
A good place to start is to ask friends or relatives if they’ve had a good experience with a contractor. Also, if you live near a local lumberyard, ask for a recommendation — lumberyards deal with contractors regularly. Or ask a building super. Of course, you can always check out Home Pros.
2. Work the Phone
Once you’ve assembled a list, call each of your prospects and ask these questions:
- Is the scope of your project within their expertise?
- Can they provide financial references from suppliers and banks?
- Can they give you a list of references, such as previous clients?
- Will they have other projects going at the same time? How many?
- How experienced are their subcontractors, and how long have they been working with them?
3. Meet in Person
Pick three contractors who answered your questions professionally and whom you felt comfortable with. Meet with them for estimates and further discussion.
4. Call Former Clients
Ask them how their project went — did the contractor clean up every day? Were the workers courteous? Ask to see pictures of the finished product.
Looking for other contractors including paving specialists and tile and stone professionals? Check out LI Press Home Pros. Each listing includes project galleries, bio information, testimonials, and contact information so you can reach out to them directly.
Are you a home services professional looking for exposure to an engaged audience of millions of monthly visitors? Sign up for LI Home Pros here. Schneps takes no fee from any job you book through the service.
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