For home and condo owners, spring brings thoughts of remodeling. Unless you are extremely handy and experienced with the building trades, your home improvement project will most certainly require the services of a contractor.

Home improvement projects easily cost thousands of dollars; making your selection of the right contractor(s) extremely important.

While most contractors are reputable professionals and strive to do the best job possible, there are others who lack the necessary skills or expertise in business matters to insure the successful completion of your project. Less reputable contractors may try to sell you services or materials you don't need and may be financially unable (or unwilling) to resolve a dispute should it arise.

The first step to selecting a contractor or tradesperson is to research your remodeling project. You must be knowledgeable about what the job involves, the necessary materials and the steps needed to complete the project.

Depending on the type and size of the project, you may need to contact your local building inspector to find out what building permits are necessary and what your legal obligations are regarding obtaining and posting permits on the job site.

Ask around and get two or three estimates. Talk with your friends, co-workers and neighbors for references. When interviewing contractors, ask for names and addresses of previous customers and check with those references. Sometimes, the Better Business Bureau maintains records describing whether the company has a number consumer complaint.

Talk with your insurance agent or company about the extent of your coverage during the remodeling project. Before you even begin the project, you should review your policy for weather and water damage, theft, fire and other types of coverage. During the remodeling project, most policies will only cover building materials, so make your contractor be responsible for all products and materials until that time. Additionally, you should be insured for the cost of the construction before any renovations begin and make certain that your home is currently "insured to value."

Hiring a general contractor or a tradesperson brings other risks. Two types of coverage are carried by reputable firms or individuals: worker’s compensation and general liability. Discuss the importance of these items with your insurance agent to gains his / her opinions of the applicability of these insurance products to your particular situation.

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