The Questions to Ask Any Contractor Before Work Starts

A contractor interview isn't a sales meeting. It's a working session, and you're the one running it. The questions below are the ones worth asking before anything gets signed, grouped so you can work through them in order without losing the thread.

One thing first: this checklist assumes you've already decided this contractor is worth an hour of your time. If you haven't done that homework yet, start with how to vet a general contractor. Vetting is how you decide whether to talk to someone at all. This list is what you ask once you do.

Print it, or keep it open on your phone. Write the answers down as you go. You'll want them later.

Start with the business

Before you talk about your kitchen, talk about their company. You're about to hand someone keys and money, and the shape of their business tells you how the project will actually run.

• How long have you been in business under this name?
• Who's on site every day: you, or a crew lead? Can I meet that person before we start?
• Are you licensed for this work in this state, and insured for both liability and workers' comp? Can I get the certificates?
• Will you use subcontractors, and for which parts of the job?

A good answer here is specific and unbothered. Certificates of insurance should come to you directly from the insurer, not as a photocopy from a truck. And "under this name" matters: a company that has cycled through several names may be leaving problems behind each one. What counts as properly licensed varies by trade and by state, and your state's licensing board is the place to confirm it.

Then the project itself

This is where you find out whether they've actually thought about your job or just quoted it.

• What's your read on the biggest risk in this job? Where do we get surprised?
• What's the realistic timeline, counting your other jobs, and what does the schedule usually slip on?
• Who pulls the permits?
• What happens when we open a wall and find something unexpected?

The permit answer should be them. A contractor who asks you to pull your own permits is asking you to hold the liability for the work. On surprises, the answer you want is a process: change orders priced in writing and approved by you before work continues, every time. And a contractor who can name a real risk in your specific job has thought harder about it than one who tells you everything will be easy.

Then the money

• What's the payment schedule, and what milestone is each payment tied to?
• How much do you need upfront? (A small deposit is normal. A large share of the total is not.)
• Will you provide lien waivers as payments are made?
• Is this a fixed bid or an estimate, and what could move the number?

Lien waivers get one sentence of explanation, because most homeowners have never heard of them: if your contractor never pays a subcontractor, that sub can place a lien on your home, and a waiver protects you from exactly that. The mechanics vary by state, so confirm the details for yours. The question itself is standard, and a professional won't blink at it. As for fixed versus estimate, the difference changes what the number on the page actually means, and understanding contractor bids walks through how to read each one.

Finish with the aftermath

The project isn't over when the crew leaves. Ask these now, while you still have leverage.

• What's the warranty on labor, and will you put it in writing?
• How do you handle callbacks after final payment?
• What documentation do I get at the end: closed permits, receipts, product warranties?

That last question matters more than it sounds. Closed-out permits and product warranties become part of your home's record, and the day you sell, a buyer's inspector will care whether the work was permitted and finished properly. A contractor who hands over a tidy closeout package is telling you something about how they ran the whole job.

Write the answers down during the conversation, not from memory that night. Keep them with the contract, and when the project wraps, put the whole file in your home's record. If your agent set you up with Reyn, this is exactly what it's for: the answers, the contract, and the closeout paperwork stay with the house instead of a drawer.

And if you don't have a contractor to interview yet, start with the person who knows your house and your market best. Your agent's trusted network is the shortest path to someone worth asking these questions in the first place.