How to Choose a Remodeling Contractor

Here is what homeowners need to know about how to choose a remodeling contractor, from first visit to final walkthrough. Also, learning how to choose a remodeling contractor is mostly learning which questions reveal the answers. This applies to us as much as to anyone else you are considering, and some of it is uncomfortable to publish. A remodeling company that cannot answer these questions plainly is telling you something. In addition, use this as a checklist in the conversations you have, including ours.

How to choose a remodeling contractor: verify, do not accept

Logos on a website prove nothing. Additionally, everything in this section is verifiable at its source, and the source is the only place to check it.

• Licensing. Ask for the licence details and verify them with the issuing authority yourself, rather than taking a badge on a website on faith.
• Insurance. Ask for a certificate of insurance naming current general liability and workers compensation coverage, issued directly by the insurer or agent.
• Business identity. The name on the estimate, the name on the licence and the name on the insurance certificate should be the same legal entity.
• Reviews. Read them at their source, not as quotes on the company’s own site. A testimonial you cannot trace is not evidence.
• References. Ask for references for your project type, and ask them specific questions rather than “were you happy?”

Compare scopes, never totals (how to choose a remodeling contractor)

This is the single most valuable thing in this article. Furthermore, two lump-sum totals cannot be compared, because you do not know what each one includes. A cheaper number is often a smaller scope.

• Insist on a line-item estimate rather than a single figure
• Find out which lines are allowances and at what value — a low tile allowance hides cost
• Check whether permits, engineering and inspection fees are included or excluded
• In addition, check whether demolition, disposal, dust protection and final cleaning are in the number
• Check what is explicitly excluded; the exclusions list is as informative as the inclusions
• Ask which items are lead-time critical, because those will set your schedule

The Lawrenceville home remodeling cost guide has the published cost data to sanity-check an estimate against.

How to choose a remodeling contractor: permits: who pulls them matters

A contractor performing the work should pull the permit. In fact, be cautious of anyone asking you to pull it as the homeowner for work they are performing — it shifts responsibility onto you and can indicate a licensing problem.

Lawrenceville is the Gwinnett County seat, and the city runs its own Planning & Development department handling permits, plan review, inspections and zoning administration; the city’s Engineering staff also review construction plans. Of course, whether your address is reviewed by the city or by the county depends on city limits rather than your mailing address, so we confirm the correct office before design is finalised.

Always confirm the permitting office for your exact address; city limits do not follow ZIP codes.

Change orders: the question to ask before signing (how to choose a remodeling contractor)

Changes happen on nearly every project, so the question is not whether but how they are handled. In general, ask it plainly: is a change priced and approved in writing before the work is performed, or is it added to the invoice afterwards? Only one of those answers protects you.

How to choose a remodeling contractor: payment schedules

• Payments should be tied to milestones, not to calendar dates
• Be cautious of a large deposit that is not explained by material deposits and ordering
• Never pay for the whole project in advance
• Ask what triggers the final payment — it should be a closed punch list
• Keep a written record of every payment against a milestone

Communication and site conduct (how to choose a remodeling contractor)

• Who is your day-to-day point of contact, and how do you reach them?
• How often will you get progress updates, and in what form?
• Will the crew be employees, subcontractors or a mix, and who supervises them?
• What are the working hours, and how is site protection and cleanup handled?
• Who meets the inspector?

How to choose a remodeling contractor: warning signs

1. A total with no line items, and reluctance to provide them
2. Pressure to sign quickly, or a price that expires
3. A request that you pull the permit yourself
4. No certificate of insurance, or one that is out of date
5. Door-to-door solicitation after a storm
6. Cash-only or heavily discounted-for-cash pricing
7. Reviews that exist only as quotes on their own website
8. An unwillingness to put a change in writing before building it

Good signs (how to choose a remodeling contractor)

1. A line-item scope with allowances stated
2. A schedule that shows dependencies rather than a single date
3. A clear written change-order process
4. Straightforward answers about licensing and insurance, with details you can verify
5. A willingness to tell you what they would not recommend
6. An honest statement of what they do not do

How to choose a remodeling contractor: questions worth asking any contractor

1. Who will be on site daily and who supervises them?
2. What is excluded from this estimate?
3. Which lines are allowances, and at what value?
4. Who pulls the permit and who meets the inspector?
5. How are changes priced and approved?
6. What is the payment schedule tied to?
7. Moreover, what happens if something is found behind a wall?
8. What would you advise me not to do in this project?

How we answer these

Our answers are on the site rather than reserved for the sales conversation. Also, one written scope, one schedule, one point of contact; permits pulled by us; change orders priced and approved before the work is built; a joint walkthrough and a signed punch list at the end. See our four-step process and about Rivermark, which also states plainly what we do not publish and do not claim.

Where to read what we do

Each service page states the scope, the planning sequence, the budget drivers and the permit question for that type of work, so you can judge us on specifics rather than on adjectives: kitchen remodeling, bathroom remodeling, whole-home remodeling, home additions, basement remodeling, interior remodeling and outdoor living.

Related reading

• Lawrenceville home remodeling cost guide
• project planning checklist
• how long a Lawrenceville remodel takes
• remodel or move decision guide
• our four-step process
• about Rivermark

Frequently asked questions

Should I always get three quotes?

Get more than one, and make sure each is a line-item scope. In addition, three lump-sum totals teach you less than two detailed scopes do.

Is the lowest bid ever the right choice?

Yes, when it is the lowest bid for the same scope with the same exclusions. Moreover, that is rarer than it looks, which is why comparing line items matters.

How much deposit is reasonable?

Enough to cover material deposits and ordering, tied to a documented purpose. Additionally, be cautious of a large deposit with no stated use.

What if a contractor will not give me line items?

Treat that as an answer. Furthermore, there is no legitimate reason to withhold the composition of a number you are being asked to agree to.

Do you publish reviews on your own site?

No. In fact, we do not publish reviews, ratings, testimonials or project counts here, because content we wrote ourselves is not verifiable. Read reviews at their source and ask us for references directly.

Images on this site are illustrative design examples, not photographs of completed Rivermark Home Renovation projects. Of course, this site does not publish reviews, ratings or project counts.

Next step: Request an estimate, or call (470) 847-9076 to talk through your project.

Questions that show how to choose a remodeling contractor

How to choose a remodeling contractor comes down to comparing written scopes, asking for proof of the licence and insurance a contractor says they hold, and checking that payment milestones follow completed work. A low number on a vague scope is rarely a bargain.

You can look up local requirements on the City of Lawrenceville website and ask any builder how they handle permits. In general, when you compare bids, remember that how to choose a remodeling contractor is really about clarity, communication and a written plan.

A contractor comparison worksheet you can use today

When you have two or three bids in hand, put them side by side and compare the same items. Also, list what is included for demolition, framing, plumbing, electrical, finishes, permits, cleanup and warranty. Anything that appears in one bid and not in another is either an exclusion you must price separately or a sign that one bidder understood the project differently.

• License and insurance: verified, not just claimed.
• Written scope with named brands or allowances for major selections.
• Payment schedule tied to completed milestones, not calendar dates alone.
• Process for change orders, including how pricing is approved before work proceeds.
• Warranty terms stated in writing, with who to call and how fast they respond.

Red flags worth walking away from

Be cautious of anyone who asks for a large payment before any work or materials are on site, refuses to provide a license number, avoids putting the scope in writing, or pressures you with a discount that expires today. A reputable builder will give you time to compare and will not object to you verifying credentials.

How Rivermark handles each of these

We provide a written scope, explain who applies for permits, and describe change orders before the contract is signed. In addition, if you would like to compare us against another bid, bring it to a free consultation and we will go through the differences with you. See our FAQ for more answers, or review the project types we build.

For national cost benchmarks, see the annual Remodeling magazine data.