My kitchen is going to be a complete gut with new floors, cabinets, appliances, etc. It is also going to involve a wall coming down between the kitchen and dining room.

Shamelessy bumping my own post. I need HELP quick! The GC is coming at 8:30 tomorrow morning!! Any advice is appreciated!!

Okay, I'll start...

I think there is something in the thread we all keep bumping to page 1 from Buehl...

1. Who is doing the actual work? Subs or this guy?
2. What is his cleanup policy at end of the day?
3. What number can he be reached at if you have any problems like a burst pipe from a mistake made on the job earlier?
4. Are you comfortable around this person? Are you able to communicate clearly? ( You will be living with this person and his subs!)
5. Is all of his licensing current and up to date?
6. Who buys supplies like paint, etc.?
7. Where does he plan on storing tools like saws and brushes during the job?

Take a look at his truck and see how it is organized and how clean it is. If the interior is well organized and the outside is clean, then it is a good sign that these are work habits that carry over onto the job site.

Hopefully some of the others will chime in with their suggestions.

Good Luck tomorrow!

Also, is he insured? If you hire him he should be able to provide a current certificate of insurance listing you as an additional insured.

If he has employees, how long have they been with him?

Ask for references and actually call them if you are seriously considering hiring him. Believe it or not, you actually can learn a lot from the references (be sure to ask them if any problems arose and how he handled them, would they hire him again, was he neat, etc.).

I also like to ask how long he thinks it will take to complete the job and what is his availability.

Good luck!

other things to ask:
will they put up plastic curtains to keep the dust in the rest of the house to a minimum?
what are the payment schedules (check on local laws, too)
how are change orders handled (beware any one that doesn't get everything in writing)
make sure the contract is EXCRUCIATINGLY detailed
ask about any subs used - who they are, how long they have worked together, who pays whom, and when?
who orders materials? appliances? fixtures?
what are the cabinet finish/style/size/function options available?
if there is anything you want that might be tricky or unusual - by all means bring it up now! see how they respond (I liked when the GC would ask questions - showed they were taking it seriously)

I will also reiterate that calling references and asking how the GC handled mistakes/unforeseen issues/changes, etc can be really helpful

Not a question to ask - but pay attention to how you both interact - do they ask lots of questions about your plans/wants/needs or are they pushy? Are they going to be annoyed with or supportive of your TKO-tendencies (if you have them :D)

I already really liked one GC when we first interviewed at their showroom but he sealed the deal by being the only one to offer to permit the job (none of the others mentioned it) and on the visit to the house climbed around the garage tracing the electrical lines - he had me. His attention to detail from start to finish was awesome!

Good Luck, and remember if this one doesn't work out you will find another!

I'm just at the demo stage but here are a few things I like so far about my contractor:

-He told me, repeatedly, that he would do as much or as little as I wanted for the job. When it turned out I needed other jobs included, he was very responsive, and fair in his pricing and conversely when I've gotten things on my own that I could price lower, he hasn't been bothered at all. This contrasted with other contractors who weren't at all open to anything but telling me what they would do period.

-He has been in business in the area a long time, and he gave me not only a long list of references but in conversation he mentioned a job he was doing for someone we know. I called one reference on the list and the non-reference and got glowing reviews from both.

-He was honest with me about pricing and quality of different cabinet lines and explained clearly the differences, without pressuring me to go high end.

-His subs are very responsive to him. When he tells me they'll be coming, they show up on time, and the one time when a sub didn't follow up and I mentioned it to the contractor, I got a VERY prompt call from the sub to schedule the visit. This shows me that not only has he worked with these people a long time but they have enough respect for him that they make his requests (on my behalf) a priority.

-Yesterday, first day of demo, the contractor came out at the start of the work day to provide instructions and get everything going. Turned out one worker hadn't showed up so he had a guy call someone to offer him the day's work. Day worker said yes but had no transportation. My contractor volunteered to go get him and drive him to my house so the other guys could keep going on demo. When the boss does the ferrying to keep the customer's job on track...I'm impressed.

-His guys had to leave mid-day to take care of another job, but were returning. They cleaned up completely before they left. They could have left things, but to clean up in mid stream, knowing they would be back in an hour or so, meant to me that the contractor expects that as part of the workers' job. I like that.

-And as others have mentioned, I find him easy to talk to,approachable, and there is a good warm attitude there. I interviewed quite a few designers, as well as a couple of big box kitchen stores and this contractor is by far the nicest I encountered. Plus, every single thing he has said and done so far has been straightforward and as he promised.

Of course we're in mid-project so I can't say all will go perfectly smoothly. But these are indicators that I've noticed, and they seem to bode well.

Thanks everybody! Your comments were really helpful. I really liked the contractor and he seemed nice to work with, however, his quote caught me off gaurd. I know kitchens are not cheap, but I thought it was going to be a lot less. Now I need to find another GC (Chicagoland area) so I can compare the quotes. Let me know if you of anyone!

Thanks everybody! Your comments were really helpful. I really liked the contractor and he seemed nice to work with, however, his quote caught me off gaurd. I know kitchens are not cheap, but I thought it was going to be a lot less. Now I need to find another GC (Chicagoland area) so I can compare the quotes. Let me know if you of anyone!