A practical checklist for hiring someone to work on your home — what to ask, what to check, and what the red flags actually look like in the wild.
Every homeowner eventually hires a contractor they regret. Usually it happens once. The goal of this piece is to help you skip that lesson.
The fundamentals are the same whether you're hiring someone to replace a water heater or gut a kitchen. The stakes are different, so the depth of your due diligence should scale — but the checklist items don't change.
Before you contact anyone
Know exactly what you want done before you ask anyone to quote it. Vague scope produces vague bids that are impossible to compare and easy to pad. Write down the work in plain English: what gets removed, what gets installed, what materials you prefer, what the finished state should look like.
Then get three bids. Not because you'll necessarily hire the cheapest — you probably shouldn't — but because three bids give you a real picture of what the work costs and flag outliers in both directions.
What to verify before signing anything
- License: check your state contractor licensing board's website. License numbers should be verifiable online in most states. Don't accept a verbal assurance.
- Insurance: ask for a certificate of insurance showing general liability and workers' comp. Call the insurer to verify it's current.
- References: ask for three recent references for similar work. Call them. Ask specifically whether the contractor stuck to budget, finished on schedule, and was easy to reach.
- Permits: confirm who pulls the permit. The contractor should pull it, not you — if you pull it, you assume liability for the work meeting code.
- Payment terms: never pay more than 10–15% upfront on a large job. Progress payments tied to milestones are standard. Full payment before completion is a red flag.
Red flags worth walking away from
- Requests full payment (or more than 30%) before any work begins
- Can only be reached by phone, not in writing
- Presents a handshake quote with no written contract
- Pressures you to decide today ('I have another job lined up')
- Wants you to pull the permits
- Has no verifiable address — only a cell number and a truck
- Asks you to pay suppliers directly to 'save on markup'
During the job
Keep a log. Note when workers arrive and leave, what was completed each day, and any issues or changes discussed verbally. If scope changes, get it in writing — a text message thread is fine. Change orders should be signed before the work happens, not billed as a surprise on the final invoice.
After the job
Before final payment: walk the job with the contractor and note anything incomplete or not to spec. Get lien waivers from the contractor and any subcontractors before writing the final check. File the permit closeout inspection if applicable.
Then keep the record. The contractor's name, what they did, what it cost, and how it went. Someday you'll want that reference again — or you'll want to warn someone away from them.
