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Checklist for Finding and Hiring a Builder or Remodeler

  • Remodel
  • Build
  • Homeowners
|   Jul 21, 2016
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Doing your homework will help you have a more successful experience

Use this checklist to help you select a homebuilder or remodeler to work on or build your home:
  • Find a member of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties. You can also ask family, friends, or coworkers for recommendations.
  • Make sure the builder or remodeler has a permanent business location and a good reputation with local banks and suppliers.
  • Find out how long they've been in the building business. It usually takes three to five years to establish a financially sound business. You want to make sure they will be around after construction is complete to service any warranties.
  • Check out the company's rating on online review sites and if there have been any complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau.
  • Make sure the builder/remodeler has sufficient workers' compensation and general liability insurance. If not, you may be liable for any construction-related accidents on your premises.
  • Ask the builder/remodeler to provide you with names of previous customers. If they won't, beware. If they do, ask the customers if they would hire the builder/remodeler again.
  • Ask if you can see the builder/remodelers work, both completed and in progress. Check for quality of workmanship and materials.
  • Do you feel you can easily communicate with the builder/remodeler? Remember you will be in close contact with them throughout the construction process and afterward as you live in your new home.
  • Make sure the builder/remodeler provides you with a complete and clearly written contract. The contract will benefit both of you. If you are having a new home built, get and review a copy of the home warranty and homeowner manual as well.
  • Be cautious of unusually low-priced bids. If the builder/remodeler is unable to pay for the materials and labor as the project proceeds, this may indicate a potential problem. Keep in mind that less expensive does not necessarily mean better!
  • Verify that your remodeler is an EPA Lead-Safe Certified Renovator if you are planning work in a pre-1978 home that will disturb more than six square feet of painted surfaces inside the home or 20 square feet on the exterior of the home.

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