Hiring a Contractor - How to Ensure They're the Right Fit

For many, one of the most challenging aspects of a home improvement project is finding the right contractor to carry out the job. Avoid making a deal with the first available Joe with the sole purpose of saving both money and time, given that it could lead to problems down the line. If you’re wondering how to hire the right person, you’ve come to the right place!

It’s important to put time, energy, and resources toward finding the right contractor for your renovation project. Just think of how important your home is and the investment made can also benefit you long-term while increasing the value of your property. Below are some tips, courtesy of RenoQuotes.com, to help you find the right contractor for the job.

How to Find/Hire a Local Renovation Contractor in Canada: 8 Tips to Nail Your Decision

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1. Consider friend and family referrals and references

Has one of your friends or family members undergone a home improvement project recently? Check with your acquaintances for referrals, they might just have the perfect person in mind, and it might be worth a shot! They might be able to share some helpful tips, which you should consider following. If they haven’t hired home improvement professionals in the past decade, keep looking!

You can also check with trusted experts with whom you’ve worked in the past: these might be real estate agents, lawyers, bankers, or even financial planners. They tend to work with reliable businesses solely and are happy to refer them to continue to foster a good relationship with their clients. And, since there’s something in it for them, they have every reason to only recommend top-tier contractors. 

If a contractor is referred to you by a relative or friend, here’s a useful guide detailing everything worth checking prior to signing a home renovation project contract.

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2. Patience is key to finding the right home improvement contractor

Qualified contractors are often very sought-after and busy, so be prepared—it might take a while. Most qualified contractors are business owners and likely already have many jobs lined up. However, bear in mind that a contractor’s current availability doesn’t diminish their expertise.

If you happen to score an appointment with a contractor right away, watch out for any red flags concerning their reliability. For example, if a contractor promises to call you back but fails to follow through, this may reflect on their work ethic later on.

If you want to work with a contractor who’s true to their word, ensure they do everything in their power to return your call. On that note, how many contractors should you meet with? To get the most out of your budget, it’s highly recommended to request multiple job quotes, with three being the magic number. Focus on mid-range quotes, as they tend to be more consistent. 

Higher pricing can reflect the contractor’s expertise or market conditions. Low prices may be indicative of a lack of experience, particularly if the contractor fails to provide you with an accurate project cost estimate. In such cases, it may be best to steer clear.

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3. Prioritize a professional relationship with the reno contractor

Online reviews are notoriously unreliable at times. As such, it can be challenging to decipher whether what was posted on Google, Facebook, or other websites featuring user reviews is authentic. You can easily get pulled in trying to gauge what’s genuine and what isn’t, making it a fickle source. If the contractor has excellent online reviews, it doesn’t automatically translate into reality. Avoid signing a contract solely based on that; meeting with them in person is paramount. Start with a phone call to establish a more honest interpersonal relationship with them. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and make sure they’re met with answers. Start with the basics: Are they familiar with this sort of project? Would they be able to provide the names of former customers? Are they currently working on a project? Based on their answers, trust is either built or not and should it have gone well, set up an in-person meeting.

A good contractor will put you at ease regarding their skills and renovation know-how. However, don’t be fooled by a salesman's personality. Keep it to facts and see if the contractor in question measures up to the others.

Why hire a general contractor for your renovation project?

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4. A good general contractor has great customer service

When dealing with a contractor, you’re considered a customer. Whether prior to, during, or after the job is completed, you’ll always have requests, questions, or suggestions regarding the job site. Although busy, the hired contractor should always take the necessary amount of time to answer your calls or messages within a reasonable delay. This simply comes down to good customer service, reassuring the customer and answering all their queries. 

Even after wrapping up the job, the contractor should remain available to customers to ensure after-sales services. It’s not unheard of for a homeowner to notice potential problems or oversights after the work has been completed. It’s the contractor's job to take some time out of their work day to come back and inspect the situation. The latter is something contractors often struggle to manage, which sets apart reputable contractors and those lacking professionalism. You can verify this sort of information by reaching out to former customers and asking for references about the quality of their work. This is bound to give you some peace of mind.

Discover What to Do When a Contractor Requests Payment Before the Work Is Completed.

5. Stick to deadlines

This is paramount and will either make or break your home improvement project. Indeed, a double-booked contractor may leave your project by the wayside, or worse, botch the job to move on to the next customer. Naturally, a professional contractor will also have a long list of ongoing jobs, but they’ll know how to manage and prioritize their projects to meet agreed-upon deadlines.

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6. Don’t overlook vetting the contractor’s certifications and licences

Before setting up meetings with potential contractors, make sure they hold the appropriate, valid licences and necessary permits to carry out the work commissioned. You can check with construction licensing organizations, such as the Régie du bâtiment du Québec and the Enterprise Registry to find out whether they’re operating a registered business.

If you’re still unsure about whether they should be trusted, head to the Office de la protection du consommateur website (consumer protection office). From there, you’ll be able to determine whether complaints have been filed against them in the past.

To cover all bases, you can also check out the Société québécoise d’information juridique (SOQUIJ) to consult judicial decisions made by Quebec's various legal bodies. Type in the contractor’s name and from there, if anything was ever filed against them by former customers, it’ll turn up, alongside the verdict. 

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7. Be proactive

To best way to spot the warning signs of an unprofessional contractor is by being proactive in your research. That way, the chances of having a bad experience will be slim to none. Beware of door-to-door salespersons and those who accept cash, pushing you to make immediate decisions.

Make sure the general contractor you plan on hiring holds all the necessary licences and is easy to reach. If you’re really determined, you can stop by the general contractor’s former jobsites for further reassurance as to their job quality.

8. Use a construction contractor referral service

Contractor referral services are increasingly common and are proving to be useful tools for finding certified contractors, allowing customers to promptly get in touch with industry professionals for quoting purposes. RenoQuotes.com provides this sort of service. Simply fill out a project request form—a description of the work/project, including a preferred start and completion date—and wait for contractors to reach out to you.

Your project will then be sent to a maximum of four contractors, meaning you won’t be overwhelmed by offers. To join our network, general contractors must be willing to submit to a rigorous screening process during which their certifications and licences are vetted, including their professional reputation. That way, you’ll save both time and money by leaving the research part of it to us, focusing your time on comparing quotes.

Moreover, it’s important to note that RenoQuotes.com is free for customers. Unlike some other similar services, we don’t charge our trade contractors a commission fee.

For more information about our platform, check out our FAQ page.