How to Find a Contractor When Renovating a Home

Preparing to renovate your home? Whether it’s a small, one-room makeover or an entire overhaul of the property, you’ll likely need an experienced and reputable general contractor. While expensive, these construction professionals provide valuable services to homeowners renovating a home. In all likelihood, homeowners won’t be able to spend all day, every day at the home overseeing the day-to-day operations. That’s where a general contractor comes in. Not only do general contractors oversee every aspect of the renovation from beginning to end, but they also guide homeowners in making practical yet budget-conscious decisions throughout the process. In addition, they handle complicated inspection and permitting requirements by the city.

Not sure how to find a contractor that fits your needs? We can help. Below we’ve rounded up several places to find a reputable general contractor as well as tips on how to narrow down the search and ultimately choose the right contractor for your home renovation.

How to find a contractor that fits your home renovation needs

Where to find a contractor

Ask your Realtor

Word of mouth

Search digital marketplaces

How to narrow down the search

Obtain recommendations and conduct research on local contractors

Meet with at least three to four general contractors

Provide a complete list of all renovations and blue prints of the home

Compare bids

Inquire about their payment schedule

Ask about their communication preferences

Who to choose

So you’ve interviewed several contractors, compared bids and narrowed down your search. Now it’s time to choose a general contractor for the job. When selecting your contractor, remember that you’ll be working with this person on a regular basis. That means good communication is key. While you certainly don’t need to be best friends with your contractor, it’s important that you get along and are on the same page about most everything.

When choosing a general contractor, it’s also important to not choose based on their bid alone. Just because one contractor’s bid is considerably lower than another’s doesn’t mean that you should go with the cheapest option. In fact, a lowball, too-good-to-be-true estimate could be an indication that the general contractor is desperate for the job. While price is a consideration, other factors such as quality of work, client reviews and character traits should be top of mind as well. Whatever you do, make sure you’re comfortable with your choice. If none of the contractors interviewed meet your expectations, then start the search over and find new contractors to consider.

Ready to move?

Not sure how you’re going to move into your recently renovated home? To find a reliable moving company, check Moving.com’s extensive network of movers. Our website makes it easy to find and book the best moving company for the job. All relocation companies in our network are licensed and insured, so you can rest assured that your move will be in good hands.