Picking a Contractor to Help You Finish Your Basement

In the first installation of the “how to finish your basement” series we discussed the preliminary work and decisions related to finishing your basement. In this segment we will discuss how to find contractors and how to choose between them. If you plan to finish your basement yourself then there is no need to worry about a contractor so go ahead and skip to part 3 of this series, but if you are using a contractor for even a small piece of the work then keep reading here. Picking a contractor is a very important step in finishing your basement. The right contractor will provide smooth sailing to a beautiful new basement, while the wrong contractor can lead to months of chaos in your house and money down the drain.

If you have decided to use one of the basement finishing systems then the best route will be to search that company’s website for local contractors certified to install that basement system.

If you decide to use a contractor for a traditional framed basement, then you need to find contractors to interview and to ask for estimates. There are thousands of contractors out there so how to choose between them? The first step is to ask family, friends and co-workers if they have any recommendations for contractors or any that they recommend avoiding. Another source of recommendations is your neighbors. If a neighbor is getting work done on their house or recently had work done, then stop by and ask them about their contractor. Decide on three contractors to interview and ask for estimates. Contractors have no problem giving a free estimate for work so if someone wants payment for an estimate you need to run the other way.

Meet with each contractor to discuss what you want done. It helps to have at least some preliminary ideas for the basement space at these meetings. If you want the contractor to design the space or plan to hire a designer or architect make that clear to the contractor. Make sure the contractors are all familiar with local codes and clarify if the contractor will pull any necessary permits or if you will have that responsibility. Ask how long they expect the project to take. Ask them about their insurance and license. Spend some real time discussing ideas and plans with the contractor in order to get a better impression of them. Does the contractor pay attention to your questions and really answer them or just say “we’ll take care of it”? If you already have some specific ideas for the space does the contractor seem to understand your intent and offer relevant suggestions that might improve the idea?

Expect it to take one to two weeks to get the estimates. Once you get your estimates it’s time to pick a contractor. This choice is part brain and part gut. Look at the numbers and see who offers the best price. Check over the estimate to see if everything you discussed is included. Expect the final cost to vary some from the estimate, but make sure the estimate is as complete as possible to reduce miscommunications and misunderstandings. Consider also how well you were able to communicate with the contractor and whether you felt the contractor really understood what you want to do with your basement. The best price isn’t useful if you are unhappy with your finished basement. Think about your overall impression of each basement contractor and factor that into the decision. Listen to your gut; if it’s saying a certain contractor is right or wrong, then pay attention to that feeling. Evaluate all of these factors and decide which contractor is right for you and your basement.

Once the contractor has been picked, you will need to finalize the basement design. In part 3 of this “how to finish your basement” series we will explore what rooms you want in the basement and some other structural decisions that need to be made.