Q & A

Answers to commonly asked questions from the experts on Thumbtack.

What is a general contractor?

When starting a home remodel or new construction project, you will probably hire a general contractor. A general contractor is a professional who is qualified to take a set of building plans and construct them as outlined. The general contractor may help perform the day-to-day building, or they may just hire workers and oversee all the work activities. In either case, the job of the general contractor is to see that your project gets built.

When you have a building project, ask for bids from various contractors. The bids tell you how much each will charge and what their scope of work will be. Once you have selected a bid, you sign a contract with that general contractor outlining the specifics of the project and the milestones during the project when they will receive payment installments. Once the contract is official, the general contractor will bring in their crew to begin construction. The contractor will manage the workers and subcontractors (anyone who doesn’t work directly for their company but that they need to outsource, like a marble installation pro), order all the materials, obtain work permits, and confirm that all the workers and subcontractors are completing their projects as planned. They typically handle all the payments to the workers and subcontractors, and send you invoice. For all these reasons, it’s also especially important to follow a few smart hiring practices when it comes to finding a general contractor. If you are organized and competent to oversee construction projects, and are able to make sure everything is being built properly and meeting code, it’s possible you can be your own general contractor.

Why should you hire a contractor?

Hiring a general contractor is a good idea for many remodeling projects. Home renovation contractors have a broad range of skills to manage, coordinate and complete a project. They should help make sure your project comes in on time and within your budget as they hire and supervise all the necessary subcontractors, including electricians and plumbers. They also handle procuring all the materials required for your job. Some homeowners look to save money by acting as their own contractor, but an experienced home renovation contractor is worth the cost. They should know local building codes, be able to pull all necessary permits, and work with inspectors to make sure the construction meets local codes. Also, because they get professional discounts, they can typically buy materials at a better price than you can; better prices on materials and labor save you money, and make up for at least a percentage of the cost of the contractor.

How do you choose a commercial general contractor?

A commercial contractor provides similar services as a residential general contractor but specializes in working with large-scale projects for businesses, schools, nonprofits, governments and development firms. When researching commercial general contractors, review their portfolio of work and confirm they have ample experience working in the area you need. For example, if you are building a small strip mall, ask if the contractors have experience successfully incorporating all the needed elements such as a parking lot, meeting ADA requirements, accessing the proper permits, and completing work on time.

Once you’ve identified several qualified candidates, request bids for your project and then compare the scope of work with your needs and budget. Your commercial general contractor should oversee design, permitting, construction, materials purchase, and adherence to building code and zoning regulations, as well as sticking to an agreed-upon budget and schedule. It’s important to establish clear communication with your future commercial general contractor, as this will mean a smoother process for everyone. For all these reasons, it’s also especially important to follow a few smart hiring practices when it comes to finding a general contractor.

Do I need a contractor for a kitchen remodel?

A kitchen remodel is one of the most important investments you can make in your home, and it’s critical to get the details right; that’s where a home renovation contractor comes in. A minor remodel usually includes new cabinet faces and hardware, replacement appliances, and paint, while an extensive job may enlarge the kitchen’s square footage, install new cabinets or an island, change the layout, and lay new tile or hardwood floors. Any renovation that includes filing permits, construction, or electrical or plumbing work is best completed by an experienced contractor who knows local codes.

How much will it cost to remodel my house?

The cost to remodel a home is highly variable — size and scope of the project, quality of materials, and the number of subcontractors required to complete the job all affect the total cost. The average national cost of a home renovation project is $13,500. The national average per-square-foot cost of a remodel ranges from $25 to $100. Nationally, kitchen and bathroom remodels are the most popular types of projects, in part because they typically have the highest return on investment when the home is sold. The national average cost of a major kitchen remodel ranges from $25,000 to $62,000, while the average bathroom remodel tends to cost $6,000 to $18,000. In addition to materials and labor costs, many remodeling project costs include permit fees, which, average $900 or more, depending on your location.

Todd H.

Verified review

Mogi and his crew painted multiple interior areas in our home where we’d done some remodeling. They also hung crown in our family room and installed customized casing around a built-in wine fridge. They showed up on time and worked efficiently, and the work was good quality. When finished they were willing to touch up anywhere I asked. Mogi is very interested in making sure you are happy with the final product. This is refreshing. Part of the job involved trying to fix some shoddy work another contractor had just done on casing and texture, and they did a good job to fix that as best they could. Mogi proved himself on this project and I would definitely recommend his services. I am in discussions with him now to hire him and his crew for a larger garage remodel project.

Sasidhar K.

Rob is an excellent person to work with. He is very detail oriented and makes sure things are taken care of overall. He understands the big picture and what are trying to do and got work done at my house. He was affordable compared to other contractors and am happy that his work is of good quality. I would highly recommend Rob and I have been hiring him for other jobs every since :-)

Jodi M.

My clients hired this company to paint and fix a few areas in the interior of their home before putting it on the market. They did a great job but did offer a few things to my client that they never followed up on but overall great job.

Vicki S.

We have used several Pro.com contractors as we prepare our home for sale. Triple Power addressed some dry-rot in cedar siding and an interior closet floor and subfloor. They were professional and the finish in both cases exceeded our expectations.

Stanton C.

I heard about Anthony's contracting through a friend of mine. I had hard wood floors installed in one side of my duplex and was so happy with the work I asked them back two weeks later to do new siding on the front of both duplexes. Again, the work was on time and very well done. I have decided to ask them back for a third time for more flooring replacement. Two thumbs way up for this company.

Cheryl B.

If I could give Bob 100 stars I would. His workmanship, skills attention to detail and professionalism is superior. He replaced all my floor trim and door trim that was done incorrectly by another contractor and he also fixed all my door jams that were short due to new flooring I had installed. He also reset my doors Which were not properly aligned and painted my walls. I will definitely hire him for any other projects I have in the future .

Mike S.

Steve is, simply put, the best. Throughout the entire process, I felt confident and aware of what was going on with the project, and Steve made sure to do quality work. I've worked with other contractors before, and it's clear they're just wanting to get the project done and get paid; with Steve, he truly cares about doing the project right. I will absolutely hire him again when the time comes, and he's at the top of my list for recommendations. You owe it to yourself to hire the best, and that would be Steve.

Chet M.

Polo and his crew did a great job on a retaining wall for us. He was on time for the estimate and helped me visualize the final product. The price was competitive and the work was completed on time. Thanks again.

Avinash B.

Julio and team did a great job with landscaping for our house. They were professional, responsive, punctual and worked within agreed upon budget. Overall they did a great job. I would highly recommend them and will definitely hire for other landscaping work.

Corey T.

I hired R&R hardscapes to build a complex deck with a roof and finished underneath of the deck equipped with lighting and electrical outlets. When I approached Ricardo, owner of R&R and let him know what my idea was he gave me great advise on what materials to use to fit into my budget. One of my biggest challenges in living in the northwest with a deck was having to replace deck boards all the time, even when treated. Ricardo told me about brazillian hard woods and the benefits of this product. Mind you that I was trying to find the right contractor foe this deck for 2 years and out of the 10 contractors I spoke with not a single one told me about brazillian iron woods, probably because of how expensive the product was and how much time it takes to install. These hardwoods last 75+ years. Ricardo was able to come up with a plan for my dream to have this extension added to my house and fit it into my budget. Most contractors didn't want to touch the project because of how complex it was. Ricardo has a real sense for what I wanted to create for my family so that I can enjoy it in all seasons. His first thing was safety. I didn't want a bunch of cross boards hindering my view both on the top of the deck and under the deck. He poored nearly 2000 pounds of concrete under each support pole and doubled the size of the footings to make it super stable, enough to put 2 elephants on my 350 square foot deck. Let me tell you that my deck is the talk of the neighborhood. Everyone wants to come over and hang out. Another thing a really appreciate about Ricardo is he always picks up the phone to talk to you when you have questions and I had a lot of questions. He did such a great job on my deck that I contracted him to do my pavers under the deck and souronding areas and my fence. Check out the pictures.

Yuniesky R.

Very professional, great organization and speed to complete a job with great quality. You just ended up having more good ideas for new home projects when you see Mr Mijangos' job quality.

Melanie M.

Kriss was incredibly responsive and helped me when I was in a real time pinch. He got the job done quickly and great quality! Kriss and his team worked incredibly hard, which can be difficult to find these days. I would certainly hire them again.

Hoh G.

The job was a earthquake retrofit. I had spent six months on the wait list with another earthquake retrofit company, only to be dropped four weeks before they were supposed to start the work, so I was in a huge panic, because I had a larger scope project of an entire basement remodel scheduled to start as soon as the retrofit was done. Needless to say, I was terribly worried I wouldn't be able to find another contractor who would be able to do the work. I VERY luckily found Sound Pacific, who recognized my time crunch, and were happy to step in and take over. They were extremely competent, well organized, and got the job done in the correct amount of time, so that my basement remodel could proceed on time. The best part about working with them is they are very communicative at all times as to what is happening with the project, and were very good at asking questions as to what the customer wanted. I very much enjoyed working with them, and would gladly recommend them to anyone. If my basement contractor falls through on the job, I have already informed him I have a great team who I would be thrilled to have takeover. Thank you Derek and Michael for all your hard work. Sincerely, HG, West Seattle

Jose M.

I couldn't have hired a better Pro to handle this project, Ray is very thorough and he completed everything quickly and perfectly. He not only finished this project but also went above and beyond to help me deal with a multitude other issues that come with an old house. He even pointed out many things I didn't even know about and took care of some of them just as a courtesy. My wife and I couldn't be happier with the result and we will definitely make Ray our preferred contractor. We 100% recommend hiring Ray if you get a chance, there is no way you will get more value for your money with someone else.

David W.

First off, Joshua, the owner of JW Builders, is one of the most professional contractors I have worked with to date. His crew rebuilt my deck and did a repair/rebuild of part of my fence. His crews attention to detail and communication are what stood out the most. I would highly recommend these guys to anyone looking for excellent quality work and on their ability to work on a tight deadline. Thank you so much for my amazing new deck. One happy customer here.

Cathi S.

Robert did a great job wireing and installing our dishwasher. He went out of his way to get it done for us in a timely manner. We have many more home projects that we will be hiring him for.

Thumbtack Customer

John was great to work with as a painter, and we will for sure use him again as a contractor. He is great person to get along with and he gets the job done. Couldn't be more pleased. Painted our whole house in a reasonable amount of time, and we appreciated that we could go to work and trust our house to him. Thanks John!!!

Amit K.

Getting professional remodelers in Seattle Bellevue area in a short amount of time can be overwhelming. Tulga reached out to me and completed the estimation on day one I submitted the request in Thumbtack. His availability and responsiveness is unparalleled. He will return your call for sure. I was redoing the place from start to finish (painting, patching, kitchen cabinets, countertops, finishing's, bathroom, sink, hardwood flooring, electrical, plumbing, windows etc ) you name it. Talking to different contractors, making sure they show up in time and work in close coordination with other contractor employees can be intimidating to handle. Tulga picked up the entire laundry list of activities and ran with it. I didn't believe in penny pinching as I had the peace of mind that everything will be taken care of the way we want it. He gave us a reference where to look for all the stuff that we were shopping for. And doing a market comparison, we ended up saving a few 100 dollars. We chose and he picked up the stuff for us. I got him the permission to start his work on 21st and with a deadline of 10 days. He got 85% done by that time. It was a tremendous amount of work per-se, at one point I was having 11 people working at the same time on different things. I was about to move in on 1st, but I had to prepone it to 29th instead. He made sure, he caters to this aggressive timelines. There was work that happened after we moved in, but he planned meticulously so that it creates the minimum fuss. Another thing, as we progressed, there were surprises, hot water tank busted, kitchen exhaust wont work etc, he made sure that was taken care of. One thing I like about him is he is upfront, he will tell you what's covered and what isn't in the contract. So there are no grey areas. I would call him for any work that I might have in future without a 2nd doubt. He is a busy man so if you get a chance to work with him grab it with both hands, he wouldn't disappoint.

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