How to Find a Reliable Local Contractor: 10 Questions to Ask Before You Hire

Most home projects go fine. The ones that go wrong tend to share a story: the homeowner was in a hurry, the quote was verbal, the deposit was large, and nobody checked anything. A little care before you hire is far cheaper than fixing the result.

Start where you live

The best contractor for you is one who actually works in your area. On EZZlisting, the Local Services board lets you search by ZIP code or city, and every result says whether the service is available in your area. Open a service and you can check your own ZIP code before you call. You can also filter for verified businesses only.

Gather a short list of three, then ask each of them the questions below.

Ten questions to ask before you hire

1. Are you licensed for this work in my state? Rules differ by state and by trade. Ask for the license number and check it yourself on your state's licensing board website.
2. Do you carry liability insurance and workers' compensation? Ask for a certificate, and call the insurer if you want to be sure it is current. If an uninsured worker is hurt on your property, you can end up paying for it.
3. Can I see reviews and recent examples of similar jobs? Look for reviews that describe projects like yours, and ask for a couple of references you can call.
4. Will you give me a written, itemized estimate? It should list the work, the materials and the cost. A single round number on a napkin is not an estimate.
5. When will you start, and when will you finish? A reliable contractor can give you a realistic range and tell you what could change it.
6. Who will do the work: your employees or subcontractors? Neither is wrong, but you should know who will be in your home.
7. What deposit do you require, and what is the payment schedule? Pay in stages tied to finished work, not a large amount up front. Some states cap deposits on home improvement contracts. California, for example, limits it to a small share of the job. Check your own state's rules.
8. Who pulls the permits? Many jobs need them. The contractor should handle it and the permit should be in the contractor's name or properly arranged. An offer to skip the permit to save money is a warning, not a favor.
9. What happens if the scope changes? Agree in advance that changes are priced and approved in writing before the work happens.
10. What warranty do you give on the work and the materials? Get it in writing, with what is covered and for how long.

Red flags to walk away from

• Pressure to sign today. A real offer is still there tomorrow.
• A large cash deposit, or a request to be paid in full up front.
• No address, no listing, or a phone number that only reaches voicemail.
• A quote far below the others. Someone is cutting a corner somewhere.
• Unsolicited door-to-door offers, especially after a storm.
• Reluctance to put anything in writing.

Reading a listing the right way

A listing is a starting point, not a verdict. Check that the name, address, phone number and website all agree. Read the reviews and notice how the business answers the unhappy ones, because it shows how they treat a problem. On EZZlisting, a Verified badge means a person on the EZZ team reviewed the owner's proof that they run the business, by phone, website or documents. It is a useful signal that the business is real and the owner controls the listing. It does not replace checking a license.

Get three quotes, and compare like with like

Ask each contractor to quote the same scope of work so the numbers are comparable, and do not simply take the lowest. The right choice is usually the one who answered your questions clearly, showed up when they said they would, and put the details on paper.

If you run a contracting business yourself, the same questions are a good checklist for your own listing. See how to get your business found on Google locally and how to claim and fix your listing.