What Questions Should I Ask a Contractor Before Remodeling?

August 18, 2025

What insurance and licensing should my contractor have?

The licensing and insurance required for your home remodeling contractor depends on several factors, including the type of work being done and your location.

Contractor Licensing

First, be sure the remodeler is a licensed contractor in your area. How can you check if your contractor is licensed? Here are a few ways to confirm licensing.

Ask the contractor to show you proof of licensure.
Check with local or state licensing boards. In Iowa, you can verify contractor licensing here: Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, & Licensing Public Search.
Check other reputable sources, such as the Better Business Bureau.

Contractor Certification

You may also want to check on any certifications you feel are important to your project. Licensing is different from certification. Licensing is legally required to practice a trade in a given area, while certification is typically voluntary and represents specialty training or a higher standard of expertise.

Let’s say you’re remodeling an older home built before 1978. You’ve got your eye on replacing the original windows and opening up a few walls. In this case, it’s important to verify that your contractor is EPA Lead-Safe Certified. This certification ensures they’re trained to safely handle lead-based paint and follow specific protocols during demolition. Without it, your contractor could unknowingly expose your family to lead dust and debris, which is especially dangerous for children and pets.

This kind of certification isn’t always legally required for every contractor on every job, but when it applies, it’s critical to your family’s health and safety. Hometown Restyling maintains their Lead Paint Certification so that we can best serve our Eastern Iowa community.

Permits Required for Remodeling Projects

Another aspect of contracting home remodeling work is permitting, which is different from licensing and certification. Your contractor must follow your local municipality’s legal requirements. Understanding permitting processes is going to be much easier for a contractor who resides and regularly works in your local area. At Hometown Restyling, we handle all permitting and are familiar with the regulations and inspection processes in cities and counties across Eastern Iowa. We’ll make sure your project is not just beautiful, but also fully up to code.

Here’s a quick cheat sheet to help you with the differences between licensing, certification and permits:

License: Legally required to perform general contracting work in your area.
Certification: Optional credentials that show advanced training or specialty knowledge.
Permit: Required by local building departments for structural, electrical, plumbing, or other regulated work.

Contractor Insurance

You can also check the Iowa DIAL Public Search to see whether your contractor is up to date on their insurance. Insurance is just as critical as licensing—if not more so. At a minimum, your contractor should carry general liability insurance and workers’ compensation coverage.

Why does this matter? Because if a worker falls off a ladder and isn’t covered, you, as the homeowner, could be held responsible. As one of our team members pointed out, “A lot of people don’t realize that if the company doesn’t have insurance, and something happens, the homeowner could be liable.”

Insurance is especially critical to understand when subcontractors are involved. Homeowners often assume everyone working on their home is covered, but if a sub lacks insurance, the risk could still fall back on you.

Do you use subcontractors or in-house installers for remodeling projects?

It is important to ask any home remodeler or contractor whether they perform the work themselves, with in-house staff to complete the job, or if they subcontract out the work to other contractors or businesses. There are a few reasons to ask this question.

First, if they subcontract work, you need to ensure the subs are licensed and insured as well. So, as much as you can, get a list of the subcontractors so you can verify.

Secondly, the structure of a contractor’s team impacts your experience. Suppose you’re constantly seeing new faces or don’t know who’s responsible for what, that can create confusion and delays. In-house crews tend to allow for better communication, accountability, and quality control.

Thirdly, when a crew is primarily in-house, the contractor has more control over the project timeline, as they manage everyone’s time and daily whereabouts. If your contractor works mainly with subcontractors, those subs have other projects outside the contractor’s range, so your project is competing for time in several directions.Thirdly, an in-house crew gives the contractor greater control over the project timeline because they manage their team’s schedules and daily activities. In contrast, if a contractor primarily uses subcontractors, your project will contend for time with the subcontractors’ other commitments, as they operate independently.

Ask your contractor not just if they use subs, but how they manage those relationships. The answer will tell you a lot.

Another consideration when talking to your home remodeler about subcontractors is responsibility. If a sub installs your windows and something goes wrong, who do you call? If a subcontractor finds an unexpected issue (such as rotted wood), who pays for the extra material and labor costs for the issue? The subcontractor, the company who hired them, or you? At Hometown Restyling we avoid that loop altogether. Our team handles the install, and our dedicated service department is here to follow through if issues arise. We will take care of you whether our dedicated in-house team has installed your remodel or if we’ve contracted out some of the specialty aspects of the job.

At Hometown Restyling, we see everyday the value of consistent quality. That’s why we use primarily in-house installers. Our staff are highly trained professionals who work directly for us and are committed to our standards. For specialized trades like plumbing or electrical, we partner with local subcontractors we’ve known and trusted for years. These relationships matter. As we like to say, “We know if there’s an electrical or plumbing issue, we can call Duball or Valenta and they’ll come out right away,” avoiding the coordination challenges that other contractors working with subs may face.

Our partners value your home as much as we do, and we would never invite someone into your home that we wouldn’t trust with our own. They are always local to Eastern Iowa and committed to our community.

What are the contractor’s payment terms or payment structure for a home remodeling project?

Payment terms and structures will vary widely depending on your contractor, so it’s crucial to obtain this information upfront. That way you have the opportunity to negotiate if necessary. Often, contractors require 30–50% payment before they start work on a project. There are a few reasons for upfront payment:

To ensure customer commitment to the project
To cover upfront costs like ordering materials
To provide a partnership guarantee because both parties have a stake in the project

At Hometown Restyling, we only ask for upfront payment on cash transactions of one-third of the project cost. However, we understand that every situation is different. We’re as flexible as possible to meet homeowners where they’re at.

We aim to make the financial side of things as smooth as possible. We accept cash, check, and all major credit cards. For larger projects, we also offer flexible financing options to fit different budgets.

If financing is available, here are a few questions to ask your home remodeler:

What types of financing programs do you offer?
What are the interest rates and terms?
Is pre-approval required before receiving an estimate?
Are there any fees or penalties for early payoff?
Is the financing handled in-house or through a third-party lender?

To learn more about Hometown Restyling’s flexible financing options, visit our Home Improvement Financing page.

What are allowances in a contractor budget?

You may also come across terms in your contract that impact how and when you pay. For example, “allowances” are budget placeholders used when a final material or product hasn’t been selected yet. These are often reasonable estimates, but if you choose a higher-end option later, your final cost will go up.

What is time and materials?

Another common pricing method is “time and materials,” which means you’re paying based on the hours worked and the cost of supplies. This method can be more flexible than a fixed price, but it’s also more variable, so make sure you understand how costs are tracked and capped. Ask how frequently you’ll receive updates or invoices under this kind of structure.

Be cautious of any contractor who demands full payment before the job begins. That’s not standard, and it’s not in your best interest. A fair payment schedule protects both parties.

Also, make sure your contractor gives you a written agreement detailing what you’ll pay and when. No one likes financial surprises, especially mid-renovation.

What is included in the home remodeling estimate?

A home remodeling estimate typically includes key pieces of information: the scope of work and any project-related expenses. Sometimes it will also include an estimated timeline for project completion. And it should always include clearly defined payment terms and expectations.

Why is it an estimate rather than a fixed quote? There are a few reasons why an estimate may be just that: an estimate of cost, rather than the final invoiced amount for the project. It all comes down to where you are in the planning process.

For example, after the initial consultation, you may or may not have made every decision related to the project. If you’re remodeling a bathroom, you may have decided on a walk-in shower but haven’t picked out the tile or fixtures. You might know you want a custom vanity, but haven’t selected cabinetry or a countertop yet. Each of those decisions will affect the total cost, especially if you opt for higher-end finishes.

These variables are why it’s so critical to understand precisely what is included in your estimate and what things might change that number. Contractors often include a base-price figure for standard materials, but if you choose something above that level, your cost will increase. Alternatively, they may consist of an “allowance.” An allowance is a budget placeholder based on your consultation. For instance, if you say you want quartz countertops but haven’t picked a specific design, your estimate might include an allowance that reflects an average quartz price point. It’s more generous than a base price, but there’s still room to exceed it depending on your selection.

It’s worth noting that the accuracy of your estimate depends on how far along you are in the decision-making process. If you’re still choosing materials or finalizing your layout, your quote may reflect a range or use allowances to account for variables.

We also talk openly about what might cause the price to change. Sometimes it’s a material upgrade. Sometimes we uncover structural issues (like rotten wood behind a wall) that require a change order. Either way, we pause, explain the change, and move forward only after you’ve given your approval.

For example, we recently worked on a remodeling project where, during demolition, we discovered some unexpected rot in the structure. At first, we weren’t sure how extensive the damage was. That uncertainty made it difficult to provide an updated estimate right away. In situations like this, we work closely with the homeowner to explain what’s been found, how it changes the scope of the project, and what the options are moving forward.

In some cases, especially in older homes, we may need to pause the project temporarily while we assess the full extent of the issue. This pause can impact the timeline and budget, but it’s necessary to ensure the fix is done correctly and that you remain informed and get the best quality product and service for your home.

Numerous factors go into a home remodeling project’s scope, estimate, and timeline. And any one of them can shift based on what’s discovered during the process. An estimate is only as good as the information going in. Through the consultation and subsequent process, we (both the contractor and the homeowner) may need time to firm up details.

That’s why communication and trust are critical.

What if something goes wrong after the home remodeling project?

If there is an issue with your renovation after your remodeling project has been completed, it’s important to reach back out to your contractor as soon as possible. However, there are some precautions you can take before your project even starts so that you are comfortable with the after-care of your home remodeling project.

Understanding ahead of time how your contractor will respond if something doesn’t go as planned, or if there are fixes that need to occur after project completion, will give you a lot of peace of mind throughout the process. And you want to ensure the best possible quality—this is your home we’re talking about, after all.

There are some things you can assess before starting a project that may indicate how a contractor will handle a call-back situation. For instance, how long did the contractor take to respond to your initial inquiry? If they took a long time to respond to you on the sales side of the process (while they’re hoping to gain your business), chances are they’ll take even longer after they’ve received your payment.

Also: read reviews. Look for patterns in the comments. Are customers praising fast follow-ups and excellent service, or are they frustrated by a lack of responsiveness? Look for terms like “reliable” or “followed through.” These are strong indicators of how the company handles post-project service.

Responsiveness matters. So does access. Can you walk into their office and talk to a manager or owner? Do they have a service department? With us, the answer is yes. Are they local or based hours away? This is where working with a local contractor really pays off. We’re not a nameless crew from a few hours away. We’re right here in Eastern Iowa. If you need service, you know where to find us.

Remodeling Warranty

Determine if your home remodeler offers any warranties or guarantees. If they do, consider asking your contractor:

How long is the workmanship warranty?
Does the warranty cover both labor and materials?
Are service calls included under warranty, or are they billed separately?
How are issues handled when subcontractors are involved?
What’s the process for initiating a warranty claim?

Also, consider who installed the product. If it’s a subcontractor from another company, things can get messy. Did they do the install wrong? Who’s responsible? While you’re asking your contractor about subcontractors, ask follow-up questions like: if a call-back requires a sub, how do you handle that situation? Are your subs covered under your warranty?

At Hometown Restyling, we do everything we can to make it right for our customers. Whether or not our subcontractors have their own warranties, our relationships with them (and with you) guarantee that we stand by the work. And we back it up with our Lifetime Workmanship Warranty. If something’s not right, we’ll fix it. That’s why so many of our customers come back again and again.

StraightTALK Wrap-Up

Choosing a contractor is about so much more than price. It’s about trust, communication, and long-term accountability. The five questions above are your foundation for a solid working relationship and a successful remodel.

We want to leave you with a few red flags to look out for before you sign the contract, so that you have the best home remodeling experience possible:

Refusal to show licensing or insurance
No written contract or payment schedule
Rock-bottom pricing that seems too good to be true
Gimmick sales such as “One-Day” sales or “Free Installation” for a limited time

At Hometown Restyling, we’re proud to serve Eastern Iowa homeowners with quality craftsmanship, and real people based in this incredible community. So, if you’re planning a home addition, a full renovation, or just updating a space that’s seen better days, we’re here to help you build something great. And it all starts with straightforward communication from Day 1.

Have more questions about the home remodeling process? We’d love to hear them. Reach out anytime. And if you’re still deciding who to work with, check out our article on why hiring a local home remodeler really matters.

10 Reasons to Choose Local Remodeler Hometown Restyling