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The most important aspect of remodeling is hiring the right people to do the work. Knowing how to find them can mean the difference between complete satisfaction and sleepless nights.

Ask for referrals
Get recommendations from friends, neighbors and family members. Ask them detailed questions about their experience. Did the project come in on time and on budget? Were they pleased with the result? If problems arose, were they handled satisfactorily? Would they hire the same people again?

Review credentials
Make sure the contractor is properly licensed by the state and/or city where you live. The most qualified candidates will have passed tests and ideally will have designations from organizations such as the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) or the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB).

Review the Web sites of prospective contractors and designers for photographs and detailed information.

Interview candidates
Meet with the most promising applicants. Pay close attention to what they say and whether or not they are listening to you. Do you feel comfortable with their style of communication? Is it easy to talk about budget? Do they seem trustworthy?

Ask if they are a specialty firm or a full-service one. For a small project that requires a specific skill-set, you may want to hire a smaller firm experienced in exactly the type of remodeling work you need.

Find out how they would approach a project like yours. Request several references and check them out. Go see at least one completed example of the contractor’s work.

Download a detailed list of essential questions to ask from the Web site of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (www.nari.org).

Interview designers about their previous clients and projects. What were the challenges and were they handled? Do they have the latest product knowledge and design techniques? California designer Carolyn Robbins suggests also interviewing previous clients and visiting at least one of their projects.

Get bids from the top candidates and weigh their offers before making a decision.

Get a contract
Make sure it includes:
a) a bid price and payment schedule
b) the scope of work
c) a site plan
d) a sequential schedule of primary construction tasks
e) a change-order clause
f) a written procedural list for close-out
g) an express limited warranty
h) a clause about dispute resolution
i) a waiver of lien, which would prevent subcontractors and suppliers from putting a lien on a house should their invoices go unpaid by the contractor

In addition, get any warranty offered by the contractor for labor and materials in writing. It should specify which parts of the work are covered and the duration of the warranty. You should also request any written warranties offered by the manufacturers of materials or appliances installed by the contractor.

Lesley Pinder McCarthy, design manager for John Wieland Homes, recommends setting up a payment plan in the contract for installments to be paid when work milestones are met. "Never pay them until some of the work is complete," she cautions.

Keep a job file
Include documents such as plans and specifications, bills and invoices, lien releases from subcontractors and material suppliers and pictures of the work in progress.

Address any problems or complaints directly to the contractor in writing and keep all such correspondence in your job file. Should the contractor fall short of his obligations, you will have what you need to file a complaint with the Contractors State License Board and your local building department.

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Sources

Carolyn Robbins
Carolyn Robbins Design
www.carolynrobbinsdesign.com

Lesley Pinder McCarthy
John Wieland Homes
www.johnwielandhomes.com