However extensive your remodeling plans are, you can’t afford to hire the wrong Chicago contractor for the job. Choosing poorly can lead to greater expenses, more time for completion and assorted other issues. Here are some ideas to find a reputable, capable professional that will do what you expect them to:

Ask Your Family and Friends

This is the easiest way to find someone reputable — ask the people you trust for a recommendation. People are generally happy to share their experiences, especially if they’ve left a very good (or very bad) impression.  Make a list of the contractors that were enthusiastically recommended, and a list of contractors that you were instructed to avoid. Reach out to your friends and family directly, and you can even make a Facebook post to get feedback from your larger network of acquaintances.

Do Your Research

Even if you found some recommended pros from asking around, it’s still important to do additional research on them. Look for a modern website and online reviews. But don’t let one or two negative reviews outweigh 60 good ones. If you see a high percentage of poor reviews, you should probably take them off your list.

Set Clear Expectations

Before approaching a contractor, you should have a very clear idea of what you want. Decide on the scope of work and your budget in advance. You can still be open to advice, but there will be less of a chance that you get sent in a direction you hadn’t intended. Again, if you start with someone you trust, you won’t have to always be on guard worried about being taken advantage of.  Allow them to advise you, but having clear expectations set before you approach them helps keep you in control.

Explore All of Your Options

Don’t make a decision after getting one quote, no matter how well the conversation went. Get bids from several contractors, review all the materials, and then make a final decision on who’s right for the job. Once you’ve factored-in price, trustworthiness, and your level of confidence in their abilities for each prospective contractor, you’ll be in a much better place to make a confident decision. Also, letting a contractor know that you’re getting multiple bids usually results in them quoting you their best price.

Spending some time vetting the contractors you’re considering using for your remodeling job can save you from a stressful experience.

If you’d like some recommendations for experienced, local contractors, please reach out to us. We’re always happy to help.