General Contractors in Santa Cruz, CA

• It’s important that you verify their license is still in good standing. Also keep in mind that certain states or provinces don’t require licensing if the job is under a certain dollar amount.
• You can find a list of your state’s licensing requirements on the HomeAdvisor website. Before you get to work with the pro, make sure their qualifications are current and acceptable to you.
• It is always a good idea to get a copy of the pro’s insurance certificate for future records, and in case anything happens. This is a good way to feel more secure in your home project, and to weed out potential scammers.

HomeAdvisor makes it easy to connect with pros near you. You can read reviews, get quotes and book appointments all in one place.

Depending on the type of project, you may find subtle differences in the hiring process. Here’s a look at task-specific advice.

• How to find and hire an architect
• How to find and hire a gardener
• Steps to hiring the perfect handyman
• When to hire residential general contractors
• How to find and hire a maid service

You can use HomeAdvisor to help evaluate a contractor’s qualifications. We put pros through a screening process, and award badges to high-performing contractors. You can find these badges on a pro’s HomeAdvisor profile, and sometimes, his or her website. 

Your research doesn’t stop here. Once you’ve found a few prospective companies, make an call to ask a few questions about work history, licensure and more:

• Have you completed a job like this before?
• Do you have a list of references I can contact?
• When are you able to start the job?

In most cases, the responses you get to these three questions will give you a very good idea of the right pro for your project. If you have more than one front-runner, these additional questions can help you narrow it down. 

• How many years of experience do you have?
• What’s your permanent business address?
• Are you licensed to work in my area?
• When did you earn your business license?
• How do you handle warranty service complaints?
• Do you have worker’s compensation, property damage and personal liability insurance?

Any good contractor will answer these questions, and most will appreciate dealing with a client that takes such an active interest in finding good service. On the other hand, if a contractor gives you a hard time with these questions, you probably want to find someone else.