Scouring the internet for reviews and checking license information is never wasted time, but when your chosen contractor doesn’t follow up with a bid, it can leave you confused and disappointed. As you may have already discovered, good contractors can get busy and while you were quizzing your chosen contractor about how long they’ve been in the business, they were probably watching for their own red flags with your project.
Here’s what a remodeling contractor evaluates before making a bid on a job.
Do our personalities match?
The contractor may have just completed a project very similar to the one that you’re planning but although it turned out perfectly for them, it doesn’t mean that this contractor will be the same fit for you and your project. Having the same vision and expectations from the start is extremely important. If you don’t get along from the first meeting, it usually goes downhill from there and that isn’t a pleasant experience for either party.
Will they trust me?
Large remodeling jobs can take months, so a contractor needs to feel comfortable and welcome in your home. A contractor may not make a bid on your project if he doesn’t feel trusted around your belongings, pets or children. On the other hand, go with your gut, if you get a bad feeling about a contractor, that’s probably a sign that you’re not a good match and you should certainly seek other bids.
Do all of the home’s decision-makers agree?
One of the most frustrating things for a contractor is when the two decision-makers of a home cannot agree. This doesn’t mean that you need to decide on the color of your backsplash before you meet with the contractor, just make sure you either have a mutual vision or, if you both have ideas, make sure you’re open to the contractor’s suggestions.
Are they willing to pay for an estimate?
It takes a lot of time to put together an accurate bid for a large remodeling project ($150k or higher) so you should expect to pay for the contractor’s effort. Bruce from Remodel Seattle says that typically you should expect to pay $2k-$3k for a project projected to cost $200k-$400k (this may differ from state-to-state and contractor-to-contractor).
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Image Credit: Coop 15 PC, Architect
