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The questions you ask before hiring a contractor determine whether your project succeeds or fails. Most homeowners ask about price and timeline, but those two questions alone leave critical gaps. The right questions expose red flags early, set clear expectations, and protect your money.
Here are the 20 questions every homeowner should ask before signing a contract.
What Questions Should I Ask About a Contractor's Business?
Ask about licensing, insurance, years in business, and how their company is structured. These questions verify legitimacy and protect you from liability. A contractor who hesitates or deflects on business questions is telling you something important. Legitimate professionals answer these confidently because they have nothing to hide.
1. Are you licensed for this type of work?
Indiana does not require a general contractor license statewide, but specialty trades like electrical, plumbing, and HVAC require state licenses. Some municipalities have additional requirements. Ask to see the license and verify it independently.
2. Do you carry general liability and workers' compensation insurance?
Request a certificate of insurance and call the insurance company to verify it is current. General liability should be at least $1 million. Workers' comp is required if the contractor has employees. Without it, you are liable if a worker is injured on your property.
3. How long have you been in business?
Longevity matters. Contractors who have operated for five or more years under the same business name have a track record you can verify. New businesses are not automatically bad, but they carry more risk.
4. Is your business registered with the state?
Check the Indiana Secretary of State website for business registration. Legitimate contractors operate as registered LLCs or corporations, not as unnamed sole proprietors.
5. Can I see proof of a physical business address?
Contractors with physical locations are invested in their community and harder to disappear. A P.O. box alone is a concern.
What Questions Should I Ask About My Specific Project?
Ask how many similar projects they have completed, what challenges they anticipate, and who will physically do the work. These questions reveal whether the contractor has relevant experience or is learning on your dime. A qualified contractor should be able to describe their approach to your project in detail without vague generalities.
6. How many projects like mine have you completed in the past two years?
Experience with your specific project type matters more than general experience. A contractor who builds decks may not be the right choice for a kitchen remodel, even if they are technically capable.
7. What challenges do you anticipate with my project?
Good contractors identify potential problems upfront. If someone says "no issues at all" for a significant renovation, they either lack experience or are not being honest. Older Indianapolis homes commonly have outdated wiring, galvanized plumbing, or foundation concerns that experienced contractors spot immediately.
8. Will your own crew do the work or will you use subcontractors?
Neither answer is wrong, but you need to know. If subcontractors are used, ask who they are and whether they carry their own insurance. You want to know who will actually be in your home.
9. Who will be my day-to-day point of contact on the job?
On larger projects, the person you meet during the sales process may not be the person managing the job. Know who will be on site, who answers questions, and how to reach them.
10. What permits are required and who pulls them?
The contractor should handle permits. If they suggest skipping permits, walk away immediately. Unpermitted work creates legal, insurance, and resale problems.
What Questions Should I Ask About the Estimate and Contract?
Ask for a line-item breakdown, not a lump sum. Ask what is excluded, how change orders are handled, and what the payment schedule looks like. The detail level of the estimate directly predicts the quality of the working relationship. Vague estimates lead to vague outcomes and surprise costs.
11. Can you provide a detailed, line-item estimate?
You need to see labor costs, material costs broken out by category, permit fees, and any other charges. "Kitchen remodel: $45,000" is not an estimate. It is a guess.
12. What is NOT included in this estimate?
This question catches more surprises than any other. Common exclusions include permits, dumpster fees, appliance installation, painting, landscaping repair, and cleanup. If it is not listed, ask whether it is included or excluded.
13. How do you handle change orders?
Changes happen. The process should be: written change order describing the work, agreed-upon price, signed by both parties before the work begins. Never accept verbal change orders.
14. What is your payment schedule?
Payments should be tied to completed milestones, not calendar dates. A typical structure is 10-20% deposit, then payments at defined completion points, with the final 10-15% held until the project passes your walkthrough.
15. What warranty do you provide on your work?
Most reputable contractors offer a one-year workmanship warranty at minimum. Some offer two to five years on certain work. Get the warranty terms in writing as part of the contract.
What Questions Should I Ask About Timeline and Process?
Ask for a start date, estimated completion date, and the specific milestones in between. Ask what could cause delays and how they will communicate schedule changes. Contractors who cannot give you a timeline with milestones either have not thought through your project or are unwilling to commit to accountability.
16. When can you start and when do you expect to finish?
Get specific dates, not "a few weeks" or "sometime in March." The contract should include a start date, milestone dates, and a target completion date.
17. What could delay this project?
Weather, material lead times, permit processing, and subcontractor availability are common factors. A contractor who acknowledges potential delays and plans for them is more trustworthy than one who promises everything will go perfectly.
18. How will you communicate progress and problems?
Establish the communication method and frequency before work starts. Weekly updates are standard for most projects. Some contractors use project management apps; others prefer phone calls or emails. The method matters less than the consistency.
19. What is your process if something goes wrong?
Problems arise on every project. What matters is how they are handled. A professional answer describes their process for identifying issues, communicating them to you, proposing solutions, and resolving them without finger-pointing.
20. Can you provide three references from similar projects completed in the past year?
Recent references for similar work are the gold standard. Actually call them. Ask whether the project was on time, on budget, and whether they would hire the contractor again.
How to Use These Questions Effectively
Before the Meeting
- Print or save this list
- Customize questions for your specific project
- Prepare photos or sketches of what you want
- Have a realistic budget range in mind
During the Meeting
- Take notes on every answer
- Watch for body language and hesitation
- Note which questions they answer confidently versus which they dodge
- Do not feel rushed to make a decision
After the Meeting
- Compare answers across all contractors you interview
- Verify claims independently (insurance, references, licensing)
- Trust patterns over promises
- Eliminate anyone who could not answer basic questions
Red Flag Answers to Watch For
| Question | Red Flag Answer | |----------|----------------| | Insurance? | "Yeah, we have it" (but no proof) | | References? | "Our clients prefer privacy" | | Permits? | "We don't really need them for this" | | Timeline? | "Hard to say until we get started" | | What's excluded? | "Everything's included" (unlikely) | | Change orders? | "We'll figure it out as we go" | | Warranty? | "We stand behind our work" (but nothing written) |
FAQ
How many contractors should I interview?At least three for any project over $5,000. This gives you comparison points on pricing, approach, communication style, and professionalism.
What if a contractor gets annoyed by my questions?That is a red flag in itself. Professional contractors expect informed homeowners and welcome questions. A contractor who resents being asked about insurance or references is not someone you want in your home.
Should I share my budget with contractors?Share your range, not your maximum. Saying "we're hoping to stay around $40,000-$50,000" helps contractors scope the project appropriately without inviting a bid that conveniently matches your ceiling.
What if all three estimates are wildly different?Wide variance usually means contractors understood the scope differently. Go back to each and make sure they are bidding on the same work before comparing prices.
Is the cheapest bid always a bad sign?Not always, but investigate why. Ask the low bidder to walk you through their estimate line by line. If they are cutting corners on materials or underestimating labor, the savings are an illusion.
Hiring With Confidence
Asking the right questions is the single most effective way to avoid contractor problems. But thorough vetting takes time and expertise that most homeowners do not have.
Vetted Crews handles this entire process for Indianapolis homeowners. We verify licensing, insurance, references, and quality standards so you can hire with confidence.
Call (317) 850-8396 to get matched with a contractor who has already passed our rigorous vetting process.