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The winds gusted through Kevin Love’s home—gutted for remodeling—as the contractor skipped town, taking Love’s $29,000.

Love, an Arlington, Virginia, real estate agent, quickly hired a second contractor to seal the house from the winter elements. Then, leery of finding yet another contractor to finish the job, he supervised the rest of the project himself.

“The result is magnificent,” he says—but he paid a high price.

In addition to the $29,000, Love estimates he lost $200,000 in business income while he supervised the remodeling. Then there was the emotional toll.

Remodeling a home is complicated. Problems tend to pop up, so it can be a stressful undertaking even with the right contractor. It can be a disaster with the wrong one.

“Unfortunately, fly-by-night contractors exist,” says Jim Lapides, communications manager for the National Association of Home Builders’ Remodelors Council. And with relatively few remodelers capable of doing whole-house renovations, Love says homeowners desperate for renovations are more likely to make mistakes when hiring contractors.

Take No Shortcuts

•	Get referrals from local trade and homebuilders' associations, the Remodelors Council, and independent trade contractors such as architects, engineers, insurance professionals, and home inspectors.
•	Ask friends, relatives, and neighbors for recommendations. Armed with a list of potential contractors, research each one. “Would you buy a car without knowing anything about it?” asks Colin Sonnenday, whose company took over one of Love’s jobs. “ Why should hiring a contractor be any different?”
•	Ask for references, and contact all of them. Talk to past customers as well as those who are in the midst of remodeling, advises Sonnenday. Also, investigate contractors through state and local consumer protection offices and the Better Business Bureau, says Lapides.

Next Step

•	Get at least three bids, using identical specifications.
•	Spell out in the contract every element of the job, including work schedule, payment, and types of materials. Consider asking an attorney to review the contract. Still, expect changes and cost overruns for even the best-planned project.
•	Avoid paying too much up front. Lapides suggests no more than 20 to 30 percent, while other experts suggest even less.
•	Make sure the work has been completed satisfactorily and the subcontractors have been compensated before making final payment. In some states, a subcontractor not paid by the general contractor can make you pay for the work again.
•	Consider hiring an architect or home inspector to help supervise the project, especially if you have little experience with building techniques, permits, and standards.
•	Oversee but don’t micromanage. Be on site often to ensure that all is going according to plan, but trust the experienced professionals you employed, advises Love.

Use your head and listen to your gut, says Lapides: “Remodeling is an emotional event. You want the reassurance that the person you hired is making your vision come true.”