Hiring a contractor for performing work on your home can be a pretty straightforward thing in the case of certain projects – plumbers work on your pipes and ducts, electricians work on the wires in your walls, your outlets and fixtures, masons build your fireplace or your floor. However, things are a bit different when it comes to remodeling your basement – for basement refinishing, you have two choices: you can either hire a general contractor who will manage the entire project and will coordinate the work of all subcontractors or you can hire a basement expert, a contractor that specializes in basement remodels. Whichever solution you choose, here are some of the features to look for when evaluating the contractors available in your area.
Localizing Available Contractors
Whether the most suitable solution for you is to work with a general contractor or with a specialist, the first thing to do is to localize the contractors available in your area. Tell everyone you know about your intention to remodel your basement – you will probably be surprised how many of the people you talk to have remodeled their basements with the help of basement refinishing contractors and how many recommendations you will get. Use online sources to check all the names recommended to you and also perform a search to find other contractors in your area – you will probably come across many great contractor websites as well as review websites and forums where you can check independent reviews and opinions.
The larger your pool of options, the better the results, so put together a list with all the companies and contractors that seem suitable for your project and start contacting them for a personal meeting to find out about the contractor’s experience with the type of project that you want to accomplish.
Experience in the Area of Basement Remodeling
Basement renovation poses some special challenges that are not encountered with remodeling projects performed over the ground. Basement refinishing projects need to observe special building code regulations and the problems that need to be fixed are also different from regular home renovation jobs, therefore the contractor that you hire for your basement needs to be experienced in the field. To be sure that your contractor has the right type of experience, you can ask the contractor to show you their references as well as their portfolio and you can also check the contractor’s license and online reputation. Checking out the contractor’s longevity in the business is also a great idea – if the enterprise has been prospering for a long time, the contractor surely has many happy previous customers.
Personal Impression and Written Cost Estimates
You should never neglect what your gut instinct is telling you. While talking to contractors, evaluate them from the point of view of helpfulness and willingness to answer your questions and also evaluate them in terms of how much trust they inspire. A good and reliable basement refinishing Centennial contractor is also willing to provide a detailed and accurate cost estimate for your project and they should also be willing to sign a contract that summarizes the details of the project – it is a very important aspect that should not be neglected.