Renovating
Purchasing and rehabbing a home is something you can achieve and afford with the help of Healthy Neighborhoods. Click here to learn more about Purchase/Rehab loans and more!
Working with contractors
Whether you plan on renovating your basement, adding a room or doing some much-needed repairs, finding a good contractor is extremely important because a home improvement project gone wrong can cost you in the long run.
Just because a contractor may have a fancy advertisement doesn’t mean that they do quality work. Use these quick tips to help you find out the best contractor for the job!
- Make sure the contractor is licensed. EVERY contractor must have a contractor’s state license number. You can log onto
http://www.dllr.state.md.us/pq/ or call 1-888-218-5925 (toll free). - Shop around before hiring a contractor. Get written estimates from several firms, with identical project scopes. You want to compare apples to apples. Keep in mind the lowest bidder may not be the best choice. Also, check with your colleagues, neighbors or family members to see they’ve had renovations done and how they felt about the work completed.
- Ask for personal recommendations. Avoid a contractor who does not want to provide you with any personal references for work they’ve completed. If they are unable to provide you with a minimum of three references, they may not be the one for you. If their customers are satisfied with the results, chances are you will be, too.
- Verify the contractor’s business location and telephone number. Make sure the contractor you hire has a current business address AND telephone number. A contractor without a home base may be difficult to find if a job needs to be fixed, especially after the last bill is paid.
- Verify the contractor’s workers’ compensation and commercial general liability insurance coverage. Ask to see a copy of the Certificate of Insurance, or ask for the name of the contractor’s insurance carrier and agency to verify that the contractor has insurance.
