What questions should I ask a contractor before hiring?

The interview is where good contractors separate from mediocre ones. Homeowners often skip real questioning, deferring to the contractor's expertise. Good contractors welcome questions; bad contractors avoid them.

Licensing and insurance:

1. "What's your license number?" — get in writing.
2. "What class is your license?" — verify it covers your scope.
3. "Is your license current with the state?" — cross-check.
4. "Do you carry general liability? Workers' comp? Bond? Can I see COIs?"
5. "Are you bonded beyond state minimum?" (for larger projects)
6. "Who is the RMO/RME on your license?" (if corporation/LLC)

Experience and fit:

1. "How many projects like mine have you done in the past 2 years?"
2. "Can I talk to 3 recent customers with projects similar to mine?"
3. "What's unique about my project that might affect your bid?"
4. "What's the biggest challenge you see?"
5. "What's the likely range if problems are found behind walls?"

Permits and plan:

1. "Will you pull the permit in your name?"
2. "What permits do you think this project will need?"
3. "Will you coordinate with the architect/engineer? At your cost or mine?"
4. "What's your experience with this city's building department?"

Team and crew:

1. "Who will be on-site day-to-day?"
2. "Are they employees or subs?"
3. "Who's the project manager / point of contact?"
4. "How many other jobs will your crew be on during my project?"
5. "What's your process if a crew member isn't performing?"

Financial:

1. "What's your draw schedule?"
2. "What's your retainage percentage?"
3. "How do you handle change orders? Cost? Timeline?"
4. "What deposit do you require? (Should be minimal — 10% or $1,000 in California)"
5. "What's included in this bid? What's NOT included?"
6. "What allowances are in the bid?"

Timeline:

1. "When can you start? Is that firm?"
2. "What's your schedule from start to substantial completion?"
3. "What's your process when delays happen?"
4. "How many work days per week? What hours?"
5. "Will you work through holidays? What's the schedule around them?"

Quality and warranty:

1. "What warranty do you provide on workmanship?"
2. "What warranty on materials? Pass-through from manufacturer?"
3. "How do you handle warranty claims after completion?"
4. "What's your final walkthrough and punch list process?"

Problem handling:

1. "Walk me through a project that went wrong. How did you handle it?"
2. "How do you handle disagreements with homeowners?"
3. "What's your dispute resolution language in the contract?"
4. "How would I reach you in an emergency (like a leak)?"

References and recent work:

1. "Who are 3 customers I can call with comparable projects?"
2. "Can I visit a current or recent job site?"
3. "Do you have photos of recent work?"
4. "Any Better Business Bureau or online review history I should know about?"

Red flag answers:

• "We can't show the license right now."
• "We're between insurance renewals."
• "You don't need a permit for this."
• "I need 30% to get started."
• "Trust me, we'll figure out the details."
• "I can't give you references — privacy."
• "Cash only, please."

Green flag answers:

• Specific license number given freely.
• COIs on hand or emailed same day.
• References given with recent addresses.
• Photos of recent comparable work.
• Clear, specific timeline.
• Standard written contract.
• Permit-pulling in their name.
• Comfort with draw schedule + retainage + change order procedure.

AskBaily's contractor interview frameworks are built into our matching process. We pre-verify license, insurance, bond, and references, and contractors in our pool are familiar with the homeowner questions they should welcome (rather than resist).