1. Don't Get Any Free Estimates
   By asking a contractor to give you a "free estimate" or a "ballpark figure", you may be "signaling" the wrong thing to the wrong guy.
   
   
   • Don't signal "Cheap" if you really mean "Worth the Money"
     
     
   • Get a fee Proposal, not an estimate. Treat you project like any other costly purchase; find out exactly what you'll get for an exact price. You're much less likely to b surprised by changes later if you know what's included and not included up front. Detailed proposals allow you to change the price by changing the specifications, much like a new custom home.
     
     
   • It may be worth paying a conceptual drawing of the project through the contractors to give you a good idea of how it may look on your house.
     
     
2. Hire a State Liscensed Contractor
   
   
   • A state licensed contractor has had to pass a test on construction applications and business law. A locally licesed contractor only paid to register a name. No proof of qualifications was neccessary. (Notice that both types of contractors can truthfully say they're licensed)
     
     
3. Hire a Properly Insured Contractor
   
   
   • Asking if a contractor is insured isn't enough. In Tennessee, if a contractor has even 1 employee, he needs to carry Workers Compensation Insurance. A contractor's insurance company will provide you with an original Certificate of Insurance at no charge. Don't accept a photocopy. Ask that you be listed as a Certificate Holder on it. You'll have to be notified if the contractor's policy lapses. Many contractors simply pay a deposit on a General Liability policy, get a certificate made up, photocopy it a few times and let the policy lapse.
     
     

For more tips, call Artisan at 423-477-HOME