Red Flags to Avoid with Home Remodeling Contractors

For many of us who aren’t managers or heads of HR, home remodeling contractors are just about the only people we’ll ever get to hire. We come to the task uneducated, though; we’ve never done it before, with maybe a few exceptions that are years apart.

While this is by no means a comprehensive “expert’s guide” to hiring a home remodeling contractor, we hope it will be good for at least a few insider tips and help you avoid being a character in a renovation horror story.

First of all, in Oregon, all legal home remodeling contractors have CCB numbers. Ours is at the bottom of every page of our website. This is your first vetting criterion. If one of your candidates doesn’t have a CCB number, then they’re not a candidate unless you’re into black markets and the allure of catastrophic danger.

Ask for their CCB number and check it online.

Having a CCB number is what we Oregon renovation contractors mean when we say “licensed and bonded”. That’s a ubiquitous phrase and sometimes, it gets abused. It also means we have liability insurance and Worker’s Comp. Feel free to ask any further questions about the world of CCB numbers when you call us.

Of course, being legal isn’t the same as being good . Once you’ve compiled a list of, say, three to five candidates who have their magic numbers in hand, you have to move on to more subjective criteria. Here are three red flags that tend to be especially important:

Nobody wants a small problem to blow up because someone didn’t check their messages or make that return call. Remodeling is stressful for every homeowner and the more real-time conversation that you can have with your home remodeling contractor, the better. Besides, doesn’t an unresponsive contractor just seem lazy?

If your home remodeling company doesn’t seem to be interested in checking for or getting the required permits for the job you’re hiring them for, that’s pretty much the same as not having a CCB number. Everybody can get in trouble, including the homeowner.

You’ve already made your decisions about your remodel. It’s not a contractor’s job to sell . If you feel pushed around, bullied, or any other kind of pressure from your renovation contractor, that’s a major red flag.

Fitzpatrick is a highly rated and trusted painting company , but we also happen to specialize in every aspect of home remodeling and renovation. We remodel and renovate commercial and industrial buildings too. Our understanding is deep, our track record is long, and our people are nice. Insightful. Friendly.

When you call, ask about our 12-year warranty too. It’s important to us that our customers are satisfied and we built our business systems to make sure they are.