Credentials and experience
Verify answers independently — do not take verbal assurances.
- What is your license number?
- Can you provide current insurance certificates?
- May I contact three recent clients?
- Who supervises the job site daily?
Project and payment
Clear answers prevent disputes later.
- Who pulls permits?
- What is the payment schedule?
- How are change orders handled?
- What warranty do you offer on labor?
Questions about the last similar job
“Have you done a shower pan in this city?” is better than “are you experienced?” Ask for the address of a finished job from the last 18 months, what went wrong, and who paid for the fix. People who have never had a problem have not done much work.
- Who is the superintendent and how often are they on site?
- Which subs are regulars versus one-off Craigslist labor?
- How do you handle a failed inspection — whose clock and whose money?
Questions about your house, not their brochure
Ask what they saw in your attic, crawlspace, or behind the bath wall that worries them. A good contractor talks about the out-of-plumb wall and the mystery stain. A salesperson talks about granite colors.
- What allowance did you use for hidden plumbing?
- Will you photograph behind-the-wall conditions before covering them?
- How do we reach you after 5 p.m. if a pipe is dripping?