(as printed in Remodeling Magazine, Vol. 5, No. 4, Fall 2002, page 35)

Many homeowners today--perhaps even you--are looking at their current houses and thinking how a particular home improvement would cure their ills.  Perhaps a new deck, a bigger kitchen or even a room addition.  But then you hear the bad news--"remodelers" who accepted large down payments and then skipped town...jobs begun but never completed... jobs completed but not to the customer's satisfaction.  It's enough to make anybody wary.

The good news, though, is that by asking the right questions and looking in the right places, you can find a professional remodeler who will do an excellent job that both raises your  home's value and makes it more enjoyable for many years to come.  The Tidewater Builders Association Remodelers Council offers these suggestions to help make your remodeling venture as painless as possible:

• Don't conduct business with a contractor without first investigating his or her reputation and experience.  Price alone isn't an indication of the remodeler's competency or ability to complete your project.

• When searching for a contractor, it's best to seek referrals from family, friends, neighbors and co-workers who have remodeled.  Ask if they are satisfied with their project and with the contractor they hired.  Also, check with local trade organizations, such as TBA, for the names of members who offer remodeling services.  Membership indicates a remodeler's commitment to customer service and quality construction.  It's also a sign that the remodeler is an established member of the local building community.

• Check with your local or state consumer protection agency or Better Business Bureau to find out if any complaints have been filed against the remodeler that haven't been resolved.  However, don't automatically assume that if there's no record of complaints against a particular remodeler that there haven't been any problems.  It may be that such problems exist but haven't been reported.

• Check with our state's licensing agency--the Virginia Board of Contractors at (804)367-8511--or local building inspectors to verify that the remodeler has the appropriate license (if required) and a clean record.

• Ask for a copy of the remodeler's insurance certificates to verify that he/she carries insurance that protects you from claims arising from property liability or job site injuries (worker's compensation).

• When evaluating bids from contractors, make sure that they are based on identical project specifications.

• Although it is common practice to make a down payment when you sign a remodeling contact, you should be especially wary of any remodeler who asks for full payment before the job has begun.  A payment schedule should be part of your written agreement with the remodeler.

• If your sign a contract in your home that is offered through door-to-door solicitation, always remember that the Federal Trade Commission's "Cooling Off" rule gives you the right to cancel the agreement within 72 hours, provided that you haven't allowed the contractor to begin work on the project.