Selecting the right contractor for doing those improvements is extremely important--the wrong one can be expensive, cause inconvenience and headaches. So how do you know which contractor to choose?

Contractors can be looked up on the Contractors State License Board's internet site at (http://www.cslb.ca.gov/).

Basics

First let's cover some basics:

1. License: Make sure the contractor is licensed for the type of work you plan to have done. License numbers with the lowest numbers have been active for the longest period of time; this could mean the company has more experience. Contractors can be looked up at the Contractors State License Board by contractor number at the above mentioned web site, which should match their name (sometimes contractors ??borrow?? other license numbers which is illegal!).

2. References: Get references of previous clients from the contractor. Determine whether he did the work on time and in budget and what the general professionalism of the contractor was. Ask to see photos of his past work. If a contractor has a lot of references that give a good report, then it's a good chance he's consistent.

3. Contract: Make sure you have a written agreement before beginning any work and that the contract is specific, including:

a. The name, address and license number of the contractor.
b. The approximate dates when work will begin and will be completed this is required by the Contractors State License Board.
c. A detailed description of all work to be done and quality of materials to be used. Ideally as part of the contract a construction cost breakdown (estimate) of all labor and materials with subcontractor costs, profit and overhead are indicated. This way if there are any changes to the scope of the work, the associated costs can be adjusted up or down in a fair manner.
d. Specification of whether any additional or related work needs to be done in order to comply with laws or building codes. In other words, the job must be done per code.
e. Payment schedule: the schedule of payments should be specifically tied to the approximate amount of work done, the materials, labor and equipment to be supplied by the contractor.
f. Any down payment should not exceed $1,000 or 10% of the contract price, whichever is less.
g. One-year warranty guaranteeing quality of workmanship.
h. A provision that the contractor must obtain any necessary permits.
i. Insurance: It's important that a contractor has adequate liability and Worker's Compensation insurances. The Contractor's State License Board shows contractors status of workers compensation insurance.

Beyond the Basics

Plan ahead: Determine your needs, priorities and goals for the job. Also determine your budget, including approximately 10% over the estimate for additional work that may have to be done. Formulate a good idea what you must have in the project and what you can do without.

Be an informed consumer: Learn about the type of work you plan to have done. Review magazines and use the Internet.

Rapport: You should have a good rapport with the contractor. Observe their level of professionalism. Courtesy, respect, punctuality, dependability and the ability to communicate are some of the most important attributes a contractor must have next to their basic technical skills.

Design Capability: If a contractor is also an architectural designer or has that capability in-house, that is a huge plus. This allows you to make major changes to your home and have the confidence that they will be done right.

Years of Experience: Although this is not a hard requirement, it pays to hire a contractor who has at least 10 years experience or more in the line of work you're hiring for.

Selecting the right contractor will help ensure you get a great home improvement product, with years of increased enjoyment in your home.


Roger Perron is President of Fine Designs by Roger Perron, Inc., General Contractors (http://www.rogerperron.com), offering Architectural Design, Home Remodeling and Additions of all types, as well as Custom New Home Construction in the Los Angeles area. He can be reached at: http://www.rogerperron.com/site/contact.html.