Price and timeline are the usual questions. The questions below are ones people often forget to ask, and they can tell you a lot.
These are questions, not accusations. A good contractor will answer them without difficulty, and we name no contractor.
1. About the people
Who will be on site every day, and who is the foreman? Will the same team work on my project from start to finish?
Do you use your own workers or subcontractors, and who supervises them?
2. About problems
What happens when you find a problem behind a wall or underground? How do you price and approve the fix?
Can I see a project where something went wrong, and how it was handled?
**Listen**: How a contractor answers matters as much as the answer.
3. About money
How do you handle changes in material prices during the project? What is included in the quote and what is not?
Are payments tied to finished stages, and do you give receipts?
4. About the end
What warranty or guarantee do you give for the work, and who do I call if something fails after turnover? How long do you take to respond?
Ask for this in writing.
5. About the details
How do you protect my neighbours, my property and the site? How do you handle waste and safety?
A contractor who has thought about these will answer easily.
6. Ask for it in writing
Whatever the answers, ask for them in writing and keep them with the contract. A good contractor will not mind.
Take notes during the meeting and share them afterwards, so both sides remember what was promised.
If something is not clear, ask again in a different way.
The point is not to catch anyone out. It is to start the working relationship with open and honest answers.
