Prince George has no shortage of contractors. Finding one who does what they say, charges what they quoted and treats your home like it matters is a different job.
After years of renovating homes here, these are the questions we think separate the contractors worth hiring from the ones who end up costing more. Ask every contractor you are considering, including us.
1. Can I see a written scope of work before I sign?
The scope of work is the heart of the contract. It should list everything: what comes out, what goes in, the products by name, what is not included, and the payment schedule. If a contractor gives you a one-paragraph summary and calls it a quote, that is your answer.
A detailed scope also protects you from "extras". It is hard to charge for something additional when every part of the job is already written down.
2. Are you insured, and are your workers covered by WorkSafeBC?
Ask for a certificate of liability insurance and confirmation of WorkSafeBC coverage for everyone who will work in your home. If someone is hurt on your property and the contractor is not covered, you can end up exposed as the homeowner.
Ask, too, who does the plumbing, gas and electrical work. Those trades need the right certification and permits in BC, whoever the general contractor is.
3. Who will actually be in my home every day?
Some contractors sell the job and then hand it to a crew that has never met you and does not know what was agreed. Ask directly: who will be on site, will the person I am talking to be there, and will it be the same people from start to finish?
Continuity matters most for the finish work. Tile, millwork and paint all come out better when the same careful people carry the job through.
4. How do you handle what is behind the walls?
Every renovation carries some risk of discovery: old drain lines, tired subfloors, poor insulation, and in homes built before about 1990, materials that need testing for asbestos before they are disturbed. A contractor who knows Prince George homes will talk about this before you sign, not after.
Ask: "If you open a wall and find something unexpected, what happens? Do I hear about it before any extra work? Is there a written change order?" The answer tells you how disagreements will be handled.
5. What is your waterproofing system, and what product do you use?
In a shower or tub surround, waterproofing decides whether the bathroom lasts. Ask the contractor to describe their system by name and explain how the corners, seams, niches and drain are detailed.
For the record, ours is the same in every bathroom at every budget: cement board with a bonded sheet membrane over every wet surface, using the system's matched drains and corners. We use liquid membrane only for small spot repairs. If a contractor says "we use cement board and tile" and stops there, ask what goes between the two.
6. How will you protect the rest of my home?
Demolition makes dust, and moving materials through a house can damage floors, walls and trim. A good answer includes floor protection from the door to the work area, dust walls at every opening, a tidy site at the end of every day, and a plan for how materials come in and debris goes out.
7. What does your guarantee cover, and is it in writing?
A verbal promise is not worth much. Ask for the guarantee in writing: what it covers, how long it lasts, what voids it and how you make a claim.
Every Zenith project comes with our lifetime workmanship guarantee, in writing.
Asking is normal
Some homeowners worry that detailed questions will come across as distrustful. They do not, at least not to a contractor worth hiring. Good contractors welcome them, because the answers are what set them apart. If someone gets vague or defensive about waterproofing or change orders, that tells you something.
Put us through our paces
If you are in Prince George or nearby, we are happy to answer all seven. The first step is a $250 in-home design consultation, credited toward your project if you go ahead: 60 to 90 minutes on layout, materials, colour and your wish list, followed by a fixed price in writing. Book a design consultation or call our Prince George office at (250) 999-4500. For a longer checklist, see how to choose a renovation contractor.
