▪ Be wary when you get a home remodeing estimate that is very much lower than the others. This may mean that the Contractor is inexperienced and is trying to get started in the business or simply does not know how much things cost. Or, in rare instances, it may indicate that the Contractor is in financial trouble and needs work/money fast. (This has happened to me before.) You get what you pay for, so do not necessarily jump for the lowest bid.

Contractors with ridiculously low prices reminds me of the old joke about not wanting to join any club that is dying to have me as a member!!

▪ Be wary of Contractors who tell you that they are a "jack-of-all-trades" and can do any kind of work. This usually means that they are not very good at any one thing. I prefer to work with an expert who specializes in one thing and does it very well.

▪ Take this advice with a grain of salt: I am speaking very generally here from my own personal experience. I am cautious when a Contractor shows up to give me a bid and is driving a brand new red pick-up truck! I have been burned three times by Contractors who fit this description. I am not sure what the correlation is, but from my experience, the brand new red pick-up truck seems to be the vehicle of choice for inexperienced Contractors just getting started.

▪ If you suspect that a Contractor may be trouble or may be in trouble, ask that Contractor where he buys his materials. Call that supplier to make sure that the Contractor has been paying his bills.

▪ Except for very rare instances, I only hire Contractors who carry general liability and workman's compensation insurance. I ask the Contractor to provide me with a copy of his insurance certificate before the work starts.

▪ Of course, it is helpful to ask how long the Contractor has been in business.

▪ Ask for references. Sometimes I ask for three references and then will later ask for another three. The second set tends to be more accurate! Be sure the reference is not a friend or family member. The Contractor should be able to provide you with names of RECENT satisfied customers. Questions to ask the references: "How was the Contractor with items that needed to be repaired? Was the Contractor responsive? Was the job done on time?"

▪ I find that the prices go up when the Contractors know that I am in a big hurry to get the job done. I try not to disclose my desire to get the job done yesterday!

▪ Here are some good questions to ask the Contractor during your first meeting: Can you give me an exact date when you could start? Can you give me a finish date? Can I have your home phone and cell phone numbers?

Former builder and instructor of "Save Time and Money in Home Remodeling" cont. ed. course at Emory University