Questions to Ask a General Contractor
For a homeowner interviewing two or three general contractors for a remodel, an addition or a whole-house renovation, before any contract is signed. The questions run in the order the meeting usually does: the company and its license, the crew and subcontractors, plans and permits, the bid and its allowances, the contract and payments, then the schedule and warranty. Licensing, deposit and lien rules change from state to state, so where a note says to ask how it works where you live, check with the state contractor board, the consumer protection office or your local building department.
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The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
Company and license
What license do you hold for this kind of work, and whose name is it under?
Why ask it
Who licenses general contractors depends on where you live: the state in many places, the county or city in others, and some only register contractors or require a license above a certain job size. Write down the number and the exact name, then look both up with the agency that issues it, where the expiration date and any complaints are often listed too. If the license belongs to someone who is not an owner or employee of the company, ask how that arrangement works.
What insurance does the company carry, and will your agent send the certificates straight to me?
Why ask it
You are asking about general liability and workers' compensation, and the certificate should come from the agent's office with your name and address on it as the certificate holder. Note when each policy expires, and if that falls before your likely finish date, ask for the renewal certificate when it is issued. If the owner says workers' compensation does not apply because there are no employees, ask your state's agency how that exemption works before you accept it.
How many jobs like mine have you finished in the last two years, and can I walk through one?
Why ask it
'Like mine' should mean the same kind of work on a house of about the same age, because a second-story addition and a gut remodel of an old house call on different experience. Standing in a finished job shows you trim, tile and paint lines that photos flatter. A job still under way is worth seeing as well, for how the site is kept.
Which past clients can I call, and can one of them be from a job that finished over a year ago?
Why ask it
Ask for clients whose projects resemble yours in scope, not simply the three happiest. The older job is the one that can tell you whether the contractor came back when a door stuck or a tile cracked. A lumberyard or a subcontractor who will say that bills get paid on time is a reference worth requesting too.
Are you bonded, and what would that bond cover on a job like this?
Why ask it
'Bonded' can mean a small license bond the state requires or a performance bond bought for a single project, and the two protect you very differently. Ask which one it is, the amount, and who is able to make a claim against it. On a large addition or a whole-house job, it is fair to ask what a performance bond would add to the price.
How long has the company operated under this name, and who owns it?
Why ask it
Your contract will be with a legal entity, so get its exact name and see that it matches the license and the insurance certificate. A recent name change is not a mark against anyone, but ask what the business was called before and look that name up as well.
What size of job is too small for you, and what would be too big?
Why ask it
A contractor whose usual project is five times the size of yours may fit you in between larger clients, and one who has never run a job this large would be learning on your house. A range given without much thought is a good sign, and 'we do everything' tells you very little.
Has a client, supplier or subcontractor ever filed a complaint, a lien or a lawsuit over one of your jobs?
Why ask it
A company with many years behind it may well say yes, so listen to how the story is told and whether it ended with the problem fixed. Afterward, search the licensing agency's complaint records and the local court index yourself: the thing to worry about is an answer that does not match what you find.
Crew and subs
Which parts of the work does your own crew do, and which go to subcontractors?
Why ask it
Many general contractors keep carpentry in house and hire out electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling, roofing and drywall, while others manage every trade and swing no hammers at all. Either can work, as long as you come away with a plain list of which people the contractor employs and which ones they only schedule.
How long have you worked with the electrician, plumber and HVAC company you would bring here?
Why ask it
Years with the same subcontractors suggests they get paid on time and are willing to show up when called. If the trades are chosen by lowest price for each job, ask how the contractor knows the quality of work they will get. These trades are often licensed separately from the general contractor, so ask for those license numbers too.
Who will supervise the site day to day, and how many other jobs is that person running?
Why ask it
Get a name and a role: the owner, a project manager or a lead carpenter. Someone splitting the week among five sites may see yours for an hour a day, which is fine for a bathroom and thin for an addition. Ask to meet that person before you sign, since they are who you will be dealing with for months.
Do your subcontractors carry their own insurance, and do you keep their certificates on file?
Why ask it
How an injury to an uninsured subcontractor's worker would be handled depends on state law and on your own homeowner's policy, so put the same question to your insurance agent. A contractor who collects current certificates from every sub can say so at once and can show you the file.
How do you check a subcontractor's work before the next trade covers it up?
Why ask it
Rough plumbing, wiring and ductwork disappear behind drywall, and the city inspector looks at code, not at craftsmanship or at what you asked for. Listen for the contractor's own walk-through before close-up, with the plans in hand. Ask for photos of every open wall as part of the job: they are worth having years later when you want to know where a pipe runs.
Will the same people stay on my job until it is finished, or do crews move between sites?
Why ask it
Crews get pulled when another job has an emergency or an inspection, and the honest answer usually admits it. Ask what the longest gap with nobody on site is likely to be, and which phases bring those gaps. Continuity matters most with the lead carpenter, who carries the details of your house in their head.
What days and hours will crews be here, and do you ever work weekends?
Why ask it
Many towns and homeowners associations limit construction noise to certain hours, so ask whether the contractor knows the rule on your street. Weekend or evening work can shorten the job, but it should be your choice. Get the normal start time too: it decides whether the driveway is clear and the dog is put away before the first truck pulls in.
Who will have a key or the door code, and will subcontractors ever be in the house with nobody from your company present?
Why ask it
Subcontractors often arrive before the general contractor does, so this comes up in the first week. Settle the lockbox or code, who opens and closes each day, and what happens with the alarm and the pets. If unsupervised subs make you uneasy, say so now and see whether the contractor can work around it.
What is your daily routine for dust control, cleanup and locking up?
Why ask it
Specifics to listen for are zippered plastic walls, covered floors on the path in and out, sealed air returns, a sweep at the end of each day and tools put away. In the US, work that disturbs old paint can fall under lead-safe renovation rules, so ask whether the firm is certified for that and how it changes the setup. Ask where the dumpster and the portable toilet will sit while you are at it.
Plans and permits
Who pulls the permits for this job, and whose name goes on them?
Why ask it
The usual answer is that the contractor pulls them in the company's name. If you are asked to take out the permit yourself as the owner, call your building department and ask what responsibility that puts on you before agreeing. Find out as well whether permit fees are inside the bid or billed on top.
Which permits and inspections do you expect this project to need?
Why ask it
Requirements are local, and a contractor who works in your town regularly should be able to list them from memory: building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and sometimes zoning or historic review. Compare the list with what the building department tells you. 'This doesn't need a permit' may be true, and one phone call will confirm it.
Who produces the drawings that the permit office and the crew will work from?
Why ask it
Design-build firms draw in house, other contractors price plans from your architect, and small jobs sometimes run from a sketch and a written scope. Ask who pays for the drawings, whether you can take them elsewhere if you hire a different firm, and whether structural changes will need an engineer's stamp where you live.
Have you worked with my building department before, and how long are permits taking there right now?
Why ask it
Review times differ widely from one town to the next and change with the season, so recent local experience is what counts. The follow-up is whether the start date you were quoted assumes the permit is already in hand. A contractor new to your jurisdiction can still do good work, but pad the calendar.
If the project touches setbacks, zoning or a homeowners association, who handles those approvals?
Why ask it
An addition can run into setback lines, height or lot-coverage limits, a septic review or an association's design committee, and each of those keeps its own clock. Some contractors manage the applications and some leave them to you or your architect. Whoever it is, have it stated in the scope so the task does not sit between two people.
Having looked at the plans, what would you change and why?
Why ask it
Someone who has studied the drawings will have opinions: a window size that has to be special ordered, a duct run with no room, a simpler way to carry a load. No comments at all can mean the plans were only skimmed for a price. You also learn how this person disagrees, which you will see again during the job.
What do you expect to find in a house of this age once demolition starts?
Why ask it
An experienced remodeler can name the likely surprises for your home's era, such as old wiring, undersized framing, earlier work done without permits, or materials that have to be tested before they are disturbed. Ask whether the bid carries any money for those. Rules on testing for and removing lead paint and asbestos vary, so ask how they apply to your house and who would do that work.
Bid and allowances
Is your bid a fixed price, cost plus a fee, or time and materials?
Why ask it
With a fixed price the contractor carries the risk of an overrun, apart from changes you ask for and conditions nobody could see. Cost plus moves that risk to you in exchange for seeing the invoices. On a cost-plus bid, ask what counts as a cost, how the fee is figured and whether the contractor will put a ceiling on the total.
Do you charge for a detailed estimate, and does that fee come off the price if I hire you?
Why ask it
A rough number after a walk-through usually costs nothing. A line-by-line bid on a large remodel can take days of the contractor's and the subcontractors' time, so some firms charge for it or ask for a paid pre-construction agreement. Find out exactly what the fee buys: a written scope, sub quotes, a schedule, or only a firmer total.
How detailed will the written bid be: one figure, or a line for each phase and trade?
Why ask it
Lines for demolition, framing, electrical, plumbing, drywall and finishes let you see where two bids part ways, and it is often because one of them left something out. Some contractors will not show their numbers that finely on a fixed price. In that case ask for the scope to be written tightly instead, with brands, model numbers and quantities.
What allowances are in the bid, and what would each one buy at today's prices?
Why ask it
An allowance is a placeholder for something you have not chosen yet, typically tile, plumbing fixtures, lighting, cabinets or countertops. Set low, it makes a bid look cheaper and returns later as an overage. Ask to see what the figure buys at the showroom they use, and choose the expensive items before signing so they turn into real prices.
What have you left out of this price that I will still have to pay someone for?
Why ask it
Design and engineering fees, permit fees, utility company charges, painting, landscaping repair, appliances and the cost of storage or somewhere to live are common gaps. Get the exclusions as a written list. A bid with no exclusions listed has not promised to cover everything; it just has not said.
Did your subcontractors see the house before you priced their parts of the job?
Why ask it
Numbers from an electrician and a plumber who stood at the panel and the main drain are firmer than figures worked up per square foot. Ask which lines came from sub quotes and which are the contractor's own estimates, because the estimated ones are where the price is most likely to shift.
On your last few jobs like this one, how far did the final cost land from the signed price, and why?
Why ask it
A believable answer comes with causes: upgrades the owner chose, rot under a window, a panel that had to be replaced. Sorting those into choices and surprises tells you how much of your own reserve to hold for each. Put the same question to the references and see whether the stories agree.
How long is this bid good for, and what happens if material prices move before you start?
Why ask it
Some contracts carry an escalation clause that passes increases in lumber or other materials on to the owner. Ask whether yours would, what triggers it and what proof of the increase you would be shown. It matters most when a long permit review sits between signing and the first delivery.
Who buys the materials and fixtures, and what changes if I supply some of them myself?
Why ask it
When the contractor buys, a wrong size, a damaged crate or a late delivery is theirs to sort out. Items you supply usually come without the contractor's warranty, and a delay they cause may be counted as yours. Ask about any handling charge both ways before deciding that an online price is a saving.
Contract and payment
How much is due at signing, and what does that money go toward?
Why ask it
Some states limit the down payment on a home improvement contract, so check with your licensing agency or consumer protection office before you compare offers. A deposit tied to named items, such as the permit, special-order windows or cabinets, is easier to agree to than a round percentage. If a large sum is wanted 'for materials' months ahead of the start, ask what is being ordered and when.
Which milestones are the progress payments tied to, and who decides a milestone has been reached?
Why ask it
Payments by calendar date can run ahead of the work, while payments by milestone keep the two in step. A passed inspection makes a good trigger because neither of you decides it. If a lender is funding the job, bring up the bank's draw schedule now: its inspector may set the pace more than the contract does.
With each payment, what lien waivers will you give me, and from whom?
Why ask it
In many states a subcontractor or supplier who was not paid by the contractor can file a lien on the house even after the owner has paid in full. The notices, forms and deadlines differ a great deal by state, so ask a local construction attorney or your state's consumer agency how it works there. A contractor who gathers waivers as routine will name the forms without being prompted.
How much of the price stays unpaid until the punch list is finished?
Why ask it
The final payment is your main leverage over the last cabinet handle and the paint touch-ups, so pin down exactly what releases it. If the contract makes the last payment due at 'substantial completion', have that phrase defined, because it usually arrives before the list is done.
How do you handle change orders, and what will I have in writing before the changed work starts?
Why ask it
Look for three things on the page: the cost added or taken off, the days added to the schedule, and both signatures. Ask how credits are figured when you remove something, since a deleted item rarely comes back at its full line price. Check too whether there is a flat administrative fee for each change.
What markup do you add on change orders, and is that percentage written into the contract?
Why ask it
Contractors differ on whether they will show markup inside a fixed-price bid, and that is their call. The markup on changes is another matter, because once the job is under way you cannot shop that work to anyone else. Having the rate in the contract means every later change is priced by a rule you agreed to on a calm day.
Who pays when a hidden condition turns up, and how does the contract word that?
Why ask it
Find the concealed-conditions clause and read it with the contractor. A fair version stops work in that area, shows you the problem and prices the fix as a change order before anyone continues. For the surprises most likely in your house, ask for unit prices now, such as a rate per foot of rotted sill, so the number is not invented under pressure.
Do I need to tell my homeowner's insurer about this project, and who insures the new work while it is being built?
Why ask it
Your own agent has to answer the first half, since policies differ on renovations, on a house left empty and on materials stored on site. For an addition or a whole-house job, ask the contractor whether a builder's risk policy will be carried, who buys it and whether its cost is in the bid.
May I take the contract home and have someone review it before I sign?
Why ask it
For a job of this size, an hour of a construction attorney's time is a small line in the budget. Watch the reaction as much as the answer: a confident contractor expects the request. While you read, look for any right to cancel within a few days of signing, which some states give for home improvement contracts and which you should confirm locally.
What does the contract say about ending the job early, on your side or on mine?
Why ask it
Ask what you would owe if you stopped the project, and what counts as the contractor abandoning it, for example a set number of days with nobody on site. Then read the disputes clause to see whether a disagreement goes to mediation, arbitration or court. Nobody likes to discuss this at the start, and it is much harder to negotiate later.
Schedule and warranty
What is the earliest realistic start date, and what does it depend on?
Why ask it
The honest list usually includes the permit, your final selections, long-lead orders and the job the crew is finishing now. Ask whether the start date will be written into the contract or only mentioned. An offer to begin next week in a busy season is worth a polite 'why are you free?'
How long will the job take, and can I see a schedule broken into phases?
Why ask it
A written schedule shows whether the contractor has thought through the order of trades and inspections for your house in particular. Ask which items control the finish date, since windows, cabinets and inspection slots often do. Then ask how the last three jobs finished against their own schedules.
If the job runs late, which delays are on you and which ones push the finish date back?
Why ask it
Weather, backordered materials, slow inspections and changes you request are commonly excused in the contract. A crew sent to another job should not be. If a late finish would cost you rent or a second mortgage payment, say so and ask whether the contractor would accept a daily amount for delay; expect that to be negotiated, perhaps with a matching bonus for finishing early.
Which selections do I have to make, and by what dates?
Why ask it
Tile, plumbing fixtures, windows, cabinets and light fixtures all have lead times, and a late choice by the owner is a delay the contractor is not answerable for. A selections list with a deadline beside each item turns a vague 'pick your finishes soon' into dates you can put on a calendar.
How often will we meet on site, and how will you keep me updated in between?
Why ask it
A standing weekly walk at a fixed time catches most problems while they are still cheap to fix. Agree on the channel for everything else, whether that is text, email or a project app, and on decisions being confirmed in writing. Also ask who picks up on a Saturday if the water is off.
Would you advise us to move out for part of this job, and for which weeks?
Why ask it
Additions that open the roof and whole-house remodels bring stretches without water, heat or a kitchen, and the contractor knows roughly when. Moving out can also shorten the job, because the crew can work in every room at once, so ask what it would save. Mention children, pets and anyone working from home: they change the answer.
What will you hand me when the job is closed out?
Why ask it
A complete answer covers the signed-off permits or certificate of occupancy where one applies, final lien waivers, product warranties and manuals, paint colors, and contact details for each subcontractor. Ask for the open-wall photos here if they were not offered earlier. Raising it now matters because paperwork is far easier to collect during the job than after the last check has cleared.
What warranty do you give on your own workmanship, and where is it written down?
Why ask it
The contractor's warranty on labor is separate from the manufacturers' warranties on windows, roofing and appliances, and each has its own claim process. Some states set a minimum for new work or additions, so ask what applies where you live. In the contract, look for the length, the exclusions and how you are supposed to report a problem.
When something fails a year from now, who do I call and how quickly does someone come out?
Why ask it
Ask for an example of a callback from the past year and what was done about it. Some contractors schedule a walk-through shortly before the warranty period ends to catch nail pops and sticking doors in one visit, and you can ask for that to be added.
What do you need from me for this job to go well?
Why ask it
Save it for last. Good contractors answer quickly: decisions on time, one person speaking for the household, payments when they are due, and questions taken to the lead instead of to whichever sub is nearest. What they say also shows how they think of clients, as partners in the work or as obstacles to it.
How to interview a general contractor
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Setting up the interviews
One bid package for all of them
Hand each one the same drawings, the same written scope and the same list of finishes, even if the list is rough. Bids built from three different conversations describe three different jobs, and no amount of comparing will line them up afterward.
Look up the license first
Ask for the license number by email and check it with the issuing agency before anyone drives to your house. An expired license or an open complaint is quicker to find from your desk than across a kitchen table, and it tells you which answers to listen to closely.
Meet at the house, not the office
Walk the job together. What a contractor stops to look at, such as the electrical panel, the crawl space or the slope of the yard, shows how they think, and their questions about the house are as telling as their answers to yours.
Documents by email, judgment in person
Insurance certificates, references, the bond and a sample contract can all be requested in writing. That leaves the visit for the questions where the manner of the answer counts: supervision, surprises behind walls, how changes get priced.
During the walk-through
Say what you want, then go quiet
Describe what you want, then give them time to walk around without a commentary. A contractor who measures, opens the attic hatch and looks under the sink is pricing your house. One who glances and quotes is pricing an average one.
Ask about the most recent job
'How did your last addition finish against its schedule' is harder to answer vaguely than 'do you finish on time'. Recent, named projects are also ones you can check when you phone the references.
Meet whoever will run the site
If the person across the table is the owner or a salesperson, ask for ten minutes with the project manager or lead carpenter before you decide. That is the relationship you will live with, and the two do not always make the same impression.
Write up what was said
The same evening, send a short email listing what you understood: who pulls the permit, the allowance figures, the start window. Ask them to correct anything wrong. Whatever survives that exchange belongs in the contract.
Putting the bids next to each other
Match scope before you look at totals
Make a column for each contractor and a row for each part of the job: demolition, framing, each trade, finishes, permits, cleanup. Blank cells are the first thing to chase. A total only means something once every column covers the same rows.
Level the allowances
If one bid allows twice as much for cabinets as another, the gap between them is partly an accident of guessing. Substitute one figure, the cost of what you really intend to buy, into every bid and add them up again.
Go through the low bid line by line
Ask the lowest bidder to sit down with you and go through it one line at a time. Sometimes the price is low because the company is lean or wants the work. Sometimes a subcontractor's quote is missing, and it is better for both of you to find that before signing.
Count the answers as well as the dollars
Put the clear answers and the dodged ones beside the totals. A contractor a little above the others who named the supervisor, offered lien waivers unasked and marked up your plans may be the cheaper hire by the end.
When to cross a name off
The certificate never arrives
A promise to send proof of insurance that takes three reminders is a preview of how paperwork will go during the job. If it has not come by the time you are ready to choose, choose among the others.
A price that expires tonight
A price that is only good today, a discount for cash or a request for a large share before anything is ordered all push you to commit before you have checked. A contractor with steady work can wait a week for your answer.
An offer to work without a permit
The suggestion may be framed as saving you time and fees. Ask your building department what the work requires and what unpermitted work can mean when you sell or make an insurance claim, then judge the suggestion with that in hand.
A contract that fits on one page
For a remodel or an addition, a single page cannot hold the scope, the payment schedule, the change-order terms and the warranty. If the contractor will not add what you discussed, the discussion has no weight once work starts.