Deciding whom you want to perform your kitchen remodel is a big deal you should take seriously. These renovations cost an average of $20,000 and take eight weeks to complete. You must ensure that whomever you have hired to do the job is prepared to do it well.
We will discuss a few different questions to ask and signs of trouble when searching for a contractor.
Licensing and Insurance
Contractors must pass the required tests and meet the industry’s standards to be considered licensed professionals. The first thing you should do when meeting with a new contractor is to ask them if they have the proper licensing and their license number.
With the license number, you can see if the license is in good standing and up-to-date. You can contact your state’s consumer affairs department or local government to check the licensing number, and you can check for any recent complaints about the contractor’s work.
If they are properly licensed, you must ensure they have insurance. They should have multiple kinds of insurance to cover their work, employees, and job site(s). Before you work with them, check to see if they have workers’ compensation insurance, general liability insurance, automobile insurance, and if they are bonded.
Together, these are the bare minimum they should have. It covers you and the contractor if something occurs, like an accident, damage to public or private property, or injury. Ask for copies of their certificates of insurance to ensure they have these.
If they do not have these insurances, you could be dictated as being responsible for any damages.
Payment Options
Since this project can get pricey, you want to ensure that you can afford the renovations and that the contractor has no surprise fees.
Discuss with the contractor any deposits and down payments that must be paid upfront. This is usually 5-25% of the total bill’s estimated cost. Additionally, see what payment plan options they have and what the policies are.
If Kansas City kitchen remodeling contractors try to make you pay in full upfront, especially if it is a big project, you should go to someone else because reputable contractors will never require all or a majority of the money upfront.
If their payment plans seem unreasonable, you begin to feel uneasy, or you want to check on their work, go to public reviews online.
Public Reviews
When choosing a contractor, you should always read their reviews. Be sure to check public reviews from outside sites from them as well as their own. There will likely be a couple of bad reviews because not everyone can be pleased, but if there appear to be too many poor reviews, take this into account.
If they only have excellent reviews but red flags when discussing licensing, insurance, or payment options with them, then be wary of this because they could just be friends and family giving false reviews.
Additionally, ask the contractor for references. A reputable contractor will happily provide references to defend their quality of work and reputation.
Additional Questions Before Starting Your Kitchen Remodel
Once you discuss the above questions and feel more confident in the contractor’s work, consider asking them the following questions to further ensure their reputability before hiring them.
- What kind of contract do you use?
- Do you provide a written warranty?
- Do you use subcontractors? If so, are they vetted?
- What is the best way to communicate with you?
- Have you ever done a project like this one before?
- How long can I expect this project to take?
- What does your process and work schedule look like?
- How often will we meet to check in on the renovation?
Let Karin Ross Designs Perform Your Kitchen Remodel
Karin Ross Designs serves those in all residential design services throughout the Kansas City metro area, including Leawood, Overland Park, Olathe, Prairie Village, Lee’s Summit, Blue Springs, and Independence. We want to help model or remodel your kitchen today!
If you are wary about the process of a kitchen renovation, there are typical stages of a full kitchen renovation that you can check out. We want to make this transition as easy as possible for your sanity.
Contact Karin Ross Designs today to get your kitchen remodel started!
