These days hiring a contractor to do a great job and provide professional communication, scheduling and quality work can be a daunting task in and of itself. I have dealt with lots of contractors and you can usually weed out the poor ones by asking them a few questions and getting some referrals. Here are a few things you can start with by either asking the contractor or researching for yourself.

1. Are you licensed, bonded and insured?

2. Can you show pictures, videos, or a walkthrough of previous work?

3. How far out in your schedule are you?

   Nowadays, everyone is busy, be sure to understand scheduling conflicts if you are coordinating multiple subcontractors or even if you hire a general contractor to take care of the project. You help yourself out in the long run if you have a clear understanding of the schedule they are working with to make sure that it will work with your timeline for the project.

4. What is our scope of work?

   Get a clear scope of work lined out in the contract so that everyone is on the same page as to what work is being completed. This will prevent miscommunication in the long run. If you need clarification on something, ask for it.