It’s time to start planning your next project. You have the ideal image in mind for your home, whether it’s a bathroom or kitchen remodel, addition, outdoor living space, deck, or other renovations. It’s easy to imagine the end result, but selecting the company to deliver those results might not come so easily. There are specific qualifying questions to ask before hiring a contractor. With endless options, how do you know who is truly up to the task? The following questions will separate the serious candidates from the fly-by-night “handymen.” 

“What’s The Cost? How Long Will It Take?”: Important Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Contractor

Naturally, the chief concern for most of our customers is the cost and estimated project budget. All too often, we’ve encountered customers who were initially misled by other companies that withheld details or overlooked necessary aspects of the remodel or renovation. 

While unexpected costs are sometimes unavoidable, Frame To Finish takes pride in being thorough when familiarizing ourselves with your property, your needs, and overall vision for the finished product. 

That attention to detail will hopefully identify potential issues before they have a chance to arise, as we make every effort to ensure your remodel goes without a hitch. 

We’ll be upfront with you on our findings, as they will determine the necessary types of labor, equipment, and materials we use to achieve the beautiful result you have in mind. From there, issue you a budget proposal outlining the what and the why of the expected costs. 

It’s equally as important to budget for time. We know that when you can’t use amenities in your home for any length of time, it’s inconvenient regardless of the reason. So, combined with examining the space we’re working within, we consider our experiences from similar renovations in the past to provide you with a realistic timetable. It’s easy to see why asking about the budget is a crucial question to ask before hiring a contractor, as this sets the tone for all other aspects of the project.

From Where Do You Source Your Materials?

 While it matters that your renovated space is visually appealing, it should also be functional and durable for the long haul. Unfortunately, many contractors or handymen seek the cheapest materials possible, enabling them to either win your business by naming the lowest price or overcharge you by price gouging. It’s an often-overlooked question to ask before hiring a contractor, but it’s a quality-defining criteria. 

Frame To Finish is very selective regarding where materials such as our lumber, fasteners, fixtures, tiles, and tools come from. We aim to ensure the work we do for you holds up over time and is something your family can enjoy for years to come, not something that will need to be revisited within months.

Do You Clean Up After Yourself?

Perhaps it’s a question better suited for a parent to ask their child, but it’s one of the questions to ask before hiring a contractor, too! Sometimes you have to be clear about who is doing the cleanup! While others do the work and leave the mess for the customer, that is frankly unacceptable to us. We believe that a job is not complete until we’ve cleaned up after ourselves daily. You are paying us for the work, and the cleanup is a part of that. We take great pride in our work and always want the astounding results to be accompanied by a clean space for you to come home to. 

Are You Licensed and Insured?

It might be obvious, but hiring a contractor whose licenses are up to date and who is properly insured is a necessity. It’s not just about your comfort knowing we’re appropriately licensed and insured; a company must be licensed to safely and legally complete specific types of work! Frame To Finish Construction is a Class-A Contractor in Virginia. 

Do You Have References and Reviews?

There may be no better gauge for what you can expect from your contractor than the experiences of other customers. If a company wants to steer you away from reading their reviews or doesn’t have any to speak of, it may be a good idea to look elsewhere. Everyone we’ve completed work for has been a happy customer and we’ll gladly share what our satisfied customers have said. 

How Can I Be Involved In The Process?

Some contractors lead you to believe that with their expertise and experience, they need zero input from you. We consider that a red flag! Our job is to make your home one that suits your style and tastes, not to take a shot in the dark and assume that we know what you’ll like! 

While we’re happy to provide our creative input and suggestions for what makes the most sense, we welcome you to join us in the planning so that the end result reflects what you have in mind. It’s a necessary question to ask before hiring a contractor, but it will also give you an idea of the type of person you’re talking to. 

Any Other Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Contractor?

We think the Roanoke Valley is a beautiful place to live, and we want to keep it that way with the quality results we consistently deliver to our many customers. We encourage our customers to ask us or whoever else they speak with these questions as we believe being clear and transparent is essential to delivering “Quality You Can Come Home To”. 

There are plenty of other questions to ask before hiring a contractor, so if you have a specific one, feel free to drop it in the comments and we’ll be glad to chat it up!