Print this list, or keep it open on your phone, and go through it with every contractor before you sign anything. A contractor worth hiring will answer all twelve without hesitation — and if one of these makes them defensive or vague, that's useful information on its own.
- Are you licensed for this specific type of work in my state? Ask to see the license number and confirm it's active with your state or county licensing board yourself, rather than taking the contractor's word for it.
- Can I get a certificate of insurance directly from your insurer? A real certificate covering both general liability and workers' compensation protects you if something goes wrong on your property during the job.
- Are you bonded for a project this size? A bond gives you a way to recover money if the job is never finished or the contract is broken — it's a layer of protection insurance alone doesn't cover.
- Can I call three references from jobs like mine? Ask to see completed or in-progress work yourself, not just photos the contractor chose to show you.
- What's the full scope of work, in writing? Get materials and labor itemized separately, not folded into one lump-sum number.
- What's the realistic start date and completion date? A vague answer here is often a sign the crew is juggling more jobs than they can actually staff.
- Who will actually be on site day to day? Some contractors sell the job and then hand it to subcontractors you never meet. Ask who's doing the work, and whether they're licensed and insured too.
- What's the payment schedule? A responsible schedule ties each installment to a completed stage of work, not to the calendar — and a demand for full payment upfront is a red flag on its own.
- Who pulls the permit? If the answer is "you don't need one" for work that clearly requires it, or "you pull it," that's a shortcut you shouldn't take.
- What happens if we want to change something mid-project? Ask how change orders are priced and documented before you're standing in a half-finished kitchen negotiating on the spot.
- What warranty do you offer, on materials and on your own labor? Get the terms in writing, including how long the warranty lasts and what would void it.
- Who do I call if something goes wrong after the job is done? A contractor confident in their work will give you a straight answer, in writing, before you ever need it.
None of these questions require confrontation — a legitimate contractor answers them as a matter of course, because they're asked constantly. The ones worth worrying about are the ones who make you feel like asking was the problem.
Keeping the answers somewhere you'll actually find them
Once you've got license numbers, insurance certificates, and quotes from three contractors, the hard part is remembering which one said what. The My Home Genius app keeps a record of your home so you can hand any contractor an accurate scan and estimate instead of a guess, and its Pros on Demand feature can match you with a vetted local contractor directly when a project is too big to DIY.