It can be helpful to have some guidance with the questions you ask when checking a Contractor’s references. There may be some things in this list that you had not thought of, but it is best to understand the complete experience of working with a Contractor, and not judge just by the attractiveness of a completed project.

Questions you could ask a Contractor’s Reference:

1. was the Contractor was pleasant to work with? Construction is stressful and you want a pleasant contractor to work with
2. could the Contractor solve problems that arose during the project effectively?
3.  did the Contractor bring good ideas to the project from his experience and creativity?
4.  was the Contractor was able to be flexible with necessary changes as the project proceeded?
5. did the Contractor keep a tidy and organized job site?
6. were there any issues with smoking on the jobsite?
7.  were you given enough lead time to make decisions about material and fixture choices?
8.  how did the Contractor handle any items you wanted to purchase on your own?
9. how closely did the final bill match the cost estimate provided by the Contractor for the clients, and did you know about any changes in advance if getting the bill ?
10. how closely did the completion date matched the anticipated completion date?(remember however that often clients change the scale and complexity of the project after it gets started and the construction might take longer and cost more because of that)
11. was the Contractor good at following up with issues after the project ended and the final bill was paid?