How I find and screen a contractor/subcontractor | Questions to ask to weed out the potential disaster for your next construction project

As many people who have dealt with contractors or subcontractors before can attest, we've had our fair share of bad experiences throughout our construction journey. For us, it's primarily with subcontractors, but the method to find and screen them is the same whether you're a homeowner looking for a contractor for your next big home renovation project or a professional in the field.

The number one thing to keep in mind: people are in this business to make money. They aren't breaking their backs just to make your home beautiful and you happy—they're doing it to put food on the table and pay their rent or mortgage. So if you decide to outsource the labor, be prepared to let people make the money they need for providing that service. The key is finding a qualified contractor who is happy with the money you're offering.

Trust me, some people think, "Material costs this, labor costs that, so if you're charging me more than that, you're ripping me off." To them, I'd say, if you don’t believe in paying for service and convenience, consider doing it yourself.

To those who say, "It's so hard to find a good contractor," my first impression is that this person might be lazy—unwilling to do the work themselves or spend time interviewing potential candidates for the job. While many people around me struggle to find quality labor, we've never had that problem. The real issue is: how hard are you willing to work to search for and interview as many candidates as you can, especially in a field that’s outside your expertise?

Here’s my list of go-to methods for finding quality tradesmen, ranked from high to low priority:

1. Ask my trades whom I respect. Tradesmen often work with other tradesmen and usually recommend those they respect.

2. Observe tradesmen working on reputable jobs. While general contractors may not love it when others try to hire their subcontractors, it’s completely fair game in a capitalistic society. If a subcontractor wants to work on your job, there’s nothing unethical or illegal about asking.

3. Ask family and friends, especially those who’ve had similar jobs done recently and had good experiences.

4. Google search. Skip the ads and look for highly-reviewed contractors that aren’t paying for advertising.

5. Take note of work trucks you see around town. Save their contact info, but make sure to have a system in place so you can easily find them later—otherwise, it’ll be like finding a needle in a haystack!

Myth #1: "You get what you pay for."

My take: NOT NECESSARILY. A higher price is not a guarantee of good quality or service, just as a lower price isn’t automatically a sign of poor quality.

One factor people often overlook when making such statements is efficiency.

Material cost efficiency: A contractor specializing in one trade might achieve a volume in sales that allows them to get better wholesale discounts from their vendors. While some pocket those savings, others pass the discount to customers to offer a more competitive bid.

Labor cost efficiency: A master tradesperson might finish a job in two hours and charge $120/hour, totaling $240. Meanwhile, a less skilled laborer might charge $40/hour but take an entire day to complete the job, costing you $320 for potentially worse quality.

The best way to get a fair price on a job is to understand your market, but this requires experience.

For those with less experience, my advice is to get as many quotes as you can. Here's what to ask the contractor:

1. Ask them to explain the process. Is logistics or access a concern? Some jobs have easy material delivery, while others could face major delays. An experienced contractor will anticipate these and account for them in the quote.

   
   

2. Clarify what needs to be done before they start. Do they expect you to handle the prep work, or is it included in their price?

   
   

3. Ask for references. For basic jobs, we don't shy away from giving newbies a chance—but the price should reflect that. For complex jobs, however, pay for experience.

   
   

Repeat this process with multiple bidders. Pay attention to how they handle your questions. Some may get frustrated, which is a red flag. If they’re impatient before starting, that won't change once they’ve begun the job.

Myth #2: "My family/friend recommended this contractor, so they must be good."

My take: While word-of-mouth referrals can often lead to great finds, be cautious of these potential pitfalls.

Understand why they’re recommending the contractor. People love to give referrals because it makes them feel important. However, they might base their recommendation on limited experience with the contractor. Ask why they’re making the referral and make sure the scope of work matches your project.

Specialization matters. A person might excel at one job but be out of their depth on another. For example, cabinet and wall tile installation may seem easy, but they require precision and experience. For these jobs, look for people with decades of specialized experience—not a handyman who dabbles in tile work occasionally.

People change. Life issues can impact someone’s career stability. It's worth investigating their background to avoid surprises.

To safeguard yourself, we usually don’t pay a deposit. If they ask for one to cover materials, request a detailed material takeoff and order the materials yourself. Or, have them arrange delivery with the vendor and call you for payment. If someone insists on a deposit, respect their decision. But try to negotiate a small, meaningful amount that won't hurt you if they disappear—less than $1,000 is usually reasonable. Avoid contractors asking for 30-50% upfront; they’re likely using your money to cover other jobs.

Myth #3: "My best savings come from getting the best price from a quote."

My take: Often, price is a huge decision factor for lowering the cost of a project. However, from decades of construction experience, you best savings come from minimizing change orders and complete the project on time. In other words, a good project management saves the most money for the project.

Trade Secret: Many times an experienced contractor knows a homeowner will change their design many times throughout the project after finalizing the scope of work with the initial contract, to win the job, they might come in with an at-cost bid to beat out the competition while planning on making money with change orders. Therefore it's important to understand the change order procedure from each contractor and account for those in your budget. If you are someone very discipline based on how much you know yourself and your partner, then you can confidently finalize the scope of work upfront and go with the "at-cost" bidder. If you know that your partner often gets emotional about design choices, just account for many change orders down the road. And the change order process need to be understood and negotiated into the contract.

Understand what the contractor wants: A contractor wants least amount of complications, they want to understand the scope of work upfront, when they show up to the job, all initial conditions are met (100% material on site, either ready to start the prep work or the prep work is already done by the homeowner). They want to come in, do the job as efficiently as possible and get out. TIME is MONEY in construction for both the contractor and the customer. So as the customer, you need to respect that. Try your best to make the job as easy as it can be for them. That includes, if you are agreed to setup a certain initial condition for the contractor, do it as soon as possible and send them a photo confirmation.

Your best savings do not come from the hundreds or even thousands of dollars you saved at the initial quote, your best savings come from making as little changes as possible during construction, which means you will need to have a damn good scope of work finalized upfront, and complete the job on time.

Myth #4 Licensing and Business Documents

Lastly, for those who don’t know, I have served 8 years of active duty and 3 years in the reserves as a submarine officer in the Navy. That experience taught me the importance of discipline and thoroughness, which carries over into how I approach hiring contractors. Even though I have been a state-certified and licensed Building Contractor for over three years plus decades of construction experience gained from my family, I don't place too much emphasis on whether someone has a license or not. A license simply shows that someone had the grit to pass the state exams and enough experience and money to obtain it. Most people take their licenses seriously, but there are some who sell their licenses to pull permits for a quick buck.

If you're serious about a project, make sure the company you hire has the license under their company name. Some companies employ a licensee on their payroll just to pull permits. Therefore, when someone says they are "licensed and insured," it almost means nothing to us without further verification. For insurance, make sure they provide you with a Certificate of Insurance listing your name and the job address as additional insured. This should only take them a phone call to their insurance agent and a maximum of a couple of business days to issue. Anyone slow to provide this document is a red flag.

Worker's Compensation: Many contractors will claim they are workers' comp exempt and cite something like, "state law allows the first three employees in a company to be exempt." That is not true. Anyone physically performing the job must have workers' compensation insurance—period—with the only exception being if the owner of the company is doing the work themselves.

In conclusion, finding a reliable contractor isn't about luck—it's about doing your due diligence, asking the right questions, and ensuring the person you hire is both skilled and professional. Don’t be swayed by myths about pricing or word-of-mouth alone; instead, take the time to vet your candidates properly. At the end of the day, your project deserves someone who will treat it with care, respect, and professionalism.

If you're looking for a qualified contractor who will get the job done right, with transparency and experience, give us a call at 904-540-2126 or email us at kenanwang22@gmail.com. We’d be happy to discuss how we can help bring your vision to life.