How Do You Hire A Kitchen Remodeling Contractor?

If you’re thinking of making some significant home improvement, you always get the best results by going with professionals. While it’s true that anyone can save money by trying to do something themselves, a kitchen you’re going to be using for years is probably something you want to leave to a kitchen remodeling contractor. But how do you go about finding the right one to work with?

Here are a few of the tips you should follow to find someone you can trust.

Know What You’re Getting

First and foremost, here’s what you should expect from any experienced kitchen remodeling contractor. When you engage their services, they should be doing these three things for you.

Kitchen Demolition

You should never be expected to prepare the kitchen space for the contractors. Demolition should be a standard part of any kitchen remodeling process. If they require you to do this yourself, get away from that contractor fast.

Kitchen Construction

Of course, building out the new kitchen should go without saying, but this is why you are paying professionals. Once the demolition is done, the contractors now come in and start creating the kitchen you planned.

Repair & Restoration

The final phase is making sure that everything is structurally intact once more. For example, if walls had to be torn down to open the kitchen up and make it open concept, repairs should be made to the areas where the floors and walls used to be. The same is true if walls or floors are ripped up to install new plumbing or electrical wiring; these should be repaired, not left to you to fix afterward.

Depending on the scale of the work, such as not just the kitchen but other parts of the home, you may want to talk to either a general contractor or a kitchen or bathroom specialist.

Qualifications

A kitchen remodeling contractor is an expert, and as with any occupation that requires expertise, you can get peace of mind knowing your contractor is certified. Experienced contractors that have enjoyed great success will have both the licenses to prove they are legally allowed to operate. They’ll also have references and client testimonials from people they’ve successfully worked with.

If a contractor can present no verifiable certification or licenses and has no one to back them up as providing satisfactory work, that’s either a red flag or taking a chance on a new, untried business.

Make Your Shortlist

You’ll want to play this conservatively and not bet big on a single choice. Talk to between 3-5 contractors and start making comparisons. Who is providing an estimate, and who is giving a quote? What kind of dynamic did you have when interacting with these contractors? Did one seem friendlier and more open to suggestions, while another was gruffer and ignored your input? How you react to a contractor and your dynamic is just as important as paper qualifications and past references.

Once you’ve discussed the project with a few contractors, you can make your decision based on the qualification, budget, and interactions. Then it’s time to settle in and get that project started.