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Answer: This is a big investment. You want to make sure that the job will be done well and that you will be happy with the results. The worst thing you can do is to assume that a company will do a good job based solely on what you have heard in an ad or have seen on social media. It would be wise to look at several companies and compare their operations.

Q: Once I have chosen several companies how do I go about choosing the best one?

A: Spend some time at the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Registrar of Contractors website, . Here is what you will want to check:

• Verify that their license is in good standing, has not expired or been suspended and has no complaints against it. Look for companies that have been in business five years or more and have been operating under the same name.
• Make sure the company is licensed in the category that you are hiring them to do work in.
• Check the owner’s name listed on the site. Does it match the current owner of the company? If not, find out why.
• Run a search on the owner’s name. Do they own other companies? If so, make sure to check them out as well.
• How much are they licensed and bonded for? Preferably, the amount is equal to the amount of work they do during the year. Take note of when their bond and insurance expire. Make sure the license and insurance will be good for the duration of your project.

Q: What else should I watch for?

A: First impressions will reveal a lot. First and foremost, are they timely? If timeliness isn’t important to them when you are “dating� it won’t change by signing a contract. Are they friendly and polite? Are they dressed neatly? How are you greeted when you call the office? Visit one of their job sites: Is it clean and organized? Are there piles of trash or litter? Is the job site generally picked up? Have they been respectful as to where they park? Visit their office for the same reasons. Is it clean and organized? If the office is a pickup truck, that is OK as long as it is tidy.

Q: How important are referrals?

A: It is crucial to talk to past customers, suppliers and subcontractors. Here are some ideas on what to ask:

• Past and current customers: Ask why they hired the company and if they would do it again. Is the company doing a good job communicating with them, keeping the job in good order and keeping their commitments? Would they allow you to come and see the work? Are past clients happy with the finished product? Reputable contractors will want you to talk to past customers.
• Suppliers and subcontractors: Get a list of suppliers and subcontractors they work with from each potential contractor. Contact them. Chances are that the name of one of them will show up on a couple of contractors lists. Call that sub or supplier and tell them what you would like to get done. Without telling them who you are considering, ask who they would choose to work on their own house. If they don’t list one of your candidates, ask what they know about them.

Q: We are on a budget. Should I choose the contractor with the cheapest estimate?

A: If you are shopping for the cheapest price, there is nothing I can say to help you choose a good contractor. Anyone can finagle a bid to come in at the lowest price. This can be very costly to the homeowner. A lowest bidder may be low because he has left something out of the bid or he is new to the industry and underestimates the cost of doing business. He will need to add change orders to compensate for what he forgot on the estimate or he may run out of money before the job is complete.

Once you have found a contractor that you can trust based on the guidelines above, ask them for an estimate without telling them your budget. Calculating an accurate bid for a project takes lots of time. For that reason, many companies charge for the estimate. Once you are given the price, ask them what is covered and, just as importantly, what is not covered. If the price seems high, ask the company what about their services sets them apart and makes their pricing worth the money. If it is low, ask them how they are able to bid low. If it seems too good to be true, it is.