One way of increasing the value of your home is through remodeling. And to make sure your cost will be manageable, you should have good contractor who is reliable and honest. Doing this will be by having a list of contractors and evaluate them together with their proposal.

A contractor must have a good track record. You can evaluate by seeking information about them such as:

Work habits and experience. Make sure that the contractor did projects in the past and have gained good feedbacks. Choose a contractor with at least five years of experience.

License. Most contractors are licensed by the state. A license alone does not make a good contractor or a guarantee of excellence, it is one way to cull unlicensed amateur or fly by night contractors. A business license is important because it validates the legitimacy of the business. Some states have record of complaints filed against contractors. You can use his license number as reference when digging up some information on your contractors.

Bank account. A contractor with five years of experience and a solid record of bank deposits will have the financial backing that will in most likelihood complete your home improvement project. It also indicates that the contractor has sufficient capital and doesn't need your business to pay his own bills.

Insurance. Lack of insurance could make you liable if there are job related injuries. If the contractor’s workers are covered by compensation and general liability insurance, you are protected against possible law suit or claims when accidents happen in your property. Ask to have a certificate sent to you by the insurance company or call the listed agent on the certificate to see if the contractors insurance is paid up to date. Copies of the policies can be obtained from the company as well.

Workmanship and References. Though the photos of the contractor’s work show a great deal of their work, nothing beats an on-site inspection of the houses they did. Ask the contractor for names of recent clients, and arrange to examine the home improvement projects which are similar to yours. You may also ask them when they worked. Would they hire the contractor again? Did contractor respect their property? Did the contractor regularly update the client? Was the quality of work good?

Teamwork. You can choose from someone who is comfortable with minimal supervision to those who needs to work with close supervision. The choice is yours. If you want to be involved in every decision, hire a contractor who's comfortable with close supervision. If you want to leave the details to an expert, hire a contractor whose decisions you will trust. The best contractors are those who are flexible and care about your project.

After short listing or selecting you contractor(s), you should ask them for a written quote. This is a concrete figure that the contractor will be obliged to meet what was agreed upon and not just an estimate. You would like a detailed quote on the specified work (Materials, Labor, Fixtures, and other miscellaneous expenses).

If the contractor isn't willing to put in the time as a professional up front by providing a detailed quote, then they may not be professional with your project. The quote should at least include the following:
* Construction details
* Payment schedule:
* A drawing of the project:
* Parking & Deliveries:
* Utility Repairs:
* Permits:
* Clean Up:
* Communication: