Short answer: Maybe.

If you need a licensed contractor, you may need a permit. If the work is: structural, adds on to the footprint of your home, involves changing windows or doors out, major electrical, HVAC, or plumbing work, a new roof or new pool, you should have a permit pulled by the licensed contractor.

If they say otherwise, 🚩 red flag. You can always call the Walton County Building Department and ask. Non-permitted work can cause problems down the road if the work is not up to current local building code.

Example questions:

Really get a good understanding of their remodeling history and what projects they’ve complete that are similar to yours. Look at their website, photos, Facebook page and actual jobs if possible.

Contractors that have longevity in building and remodeling can often deal with difficult issues, as well as control their jobs efficiently and provide a high degree of confidence to the client to get the job done correctly.

Do they have repeat business, referrals, or do they get it through advertising?
There may not be much repeat business in remodeling since many owners only do remodel projects every 5-10 years, but there may be some, and you want to see how much of that is referral.

Hopefully, past clients, realtors and others in the real estate business are referring a good portion of his business. Contractors who do great work always earn business through word-of-mouth. Happy clients love to tell everyone about THEIR “great contractor find.”

If you heard about the contractor from someone you trust, that is the best referral. It’s still a good idea to ask them more questions and actually see some work they’ve done. The contractor should have additional past clients he can refer you to and maybe a current client you can speak with, and even visit the job if possible.

Photos of past or current jobs could also be helpful. And of course everybody has a Facebook page. Look there and scroll through the posts of past jobs—it can also give you an idea of their work history for the last few years.

It’s always very important to discuss this right up front. All contractors and projects are different with this. There are fixed price contracts, cost-plus and even a combination of both.

A fixed price agreement can be a good way to go for simple, straight-forward remodel jobs—like new kitchen cabinets and tops, an updated bathroom, a new deck, new roof, replace windows or siding, etc.

A cost-plus agreement is well suited for complicated projects with lots of unknown issues, custom work, water intrusion, wood rot, or large projects where you may not know exactly what you want with everything up front.

Deposits before starting a job may range from 0-50%, depending on the contractor and the nature of the job. Be leery of more than 25%.

Often contractors need payments made weekly if the job moves quickly, is large and labor intense—less often on smaller, slower moving jobs. Also, some material or fixture purchases and custom items require 50% deposits from the suppliers.

Make sure you understand how a contractor will bill you and why. Ask how and when payment is made: by check or wire, which day of the week and how much notice? Contractors are generally NOT in position to bill too far out and cannot finance the job since much of their expense is weekly labor costs.

You want to know the answers to all of these sub-questions:

You should get a good idea when the contractor can start, how long it will take and when they will finish. Discuss how the job will proceed so you can see that they have thought your project through and you can discuss all issues that could affect the timeline.

Remember: on large or complicated remodel jobs, unexpected issues ALWAYS come up which could very likely add time to your project.

Also ask about how many other projects the contractor will be working on while yours is underway, and how that will affect you.

This is a good general question that will give you an immediate feel for the contractor’s knowledge and skill level. Their description in their approach will give you a great deal of insight in to their background and knowledge of your specific problem/project.

Wisdom and experience are great teachers, and if they have plenty, you will hear it in their questions, answers, suggestions and understanding of your situation.

Good, honest remodeling contractors with experience will give you options and warn you of pitfalls. They will point out considerations that need to be reviewed for projects of a certain type. You’re looking for candid, open transparency.

Listen closely and use your own wisdom to judge if they are the right fit for you.

Don’t take this for granted and assume all contractors are clean freaks. Most are the opposite, and construction—remodeling in particular—is a very dusty, messy operation. Make sure the contractor has a plan and has thought about this issue for your home.

You don’t want the workers to damage more than they fix. This is a conversation best had well before construction begins. Part of the house can be closed off, pictures moved, furniture covered or moved, floors, cabinets and tops protected. It’s helpful to remove as much as possible from the construction zone.

Don’t forget the AC system: if left on during construction, dust can get blown to all parts of the house and the filters can clog so badly that your system is damaged, so make sure there’s a plan for this too.

The contractor should be willing to take reasonable measures to protect your property, so be sure to ask what they will specifically do.

Here are some additional questions to get you started:

(Think of other questions that may relate to your specific project too)

Most contractors offer a warranty of some sort on the labor and workmanship which is up to “generally accepted construction standards.”

Most materials used are warranted by the vendors against defects. Equipment, appliances, fixtures come with their own warranties individually. Keep in mind that most contractors do not provide a warranty on products or fixtures UNLESS they provide them.

If you purchase items yourself online to be used on your project, most contractors will NOT replace defective items for free. Working with a contractor that offers a warranty is one way to instantly put your mind at ease.

Make sure you get the details and don’t forget to clarify what your responsibilities are to maintain the warranty.

Communication is so important between you and your remodeling contractor. Make sure you establish the mode and frequency of communication throughout the project. Set expectations for availability and any “after hours” concerns.

Weekly meetings at the job is a great way to make sure you and your contractor are on the same page. If you are not on the job on a regular basis, ask how you can stay informed. Nowadays most contractors send photos, videos, voicemails, texts and emails.