When you’re thinking about renovating your home, it can be overwhelming trying to find the right person for the job. How do you know they’re going to do quality work in a way that fits your preferences, for a price that doesn’t break the bank?

The good news is, there are so many resources to help you connect with remodeling experts, such as a new startup called HK Decoman Technology Ltd. Decoman provides a home renovation platform to find a company, materials, and ideas efficiently and at affordable costs.

To find a contractor who will fit your needs and do the quality job you expect, try taking the following steps.

Step 1: Assess Your Needs

If your home only needs minor renovation, such as a paint job, loose floorboards, large appliances or cabinets replaced, you might want to explore DIY ideas or hire a handyman instead of a contractor.

If you need more extensive renovations, such as remodeling an entire room, or taking down or changing a wall, you’ll want to hire a general contractor. He might have his own team of experts or be certified in the areas needed to complete the job.

You’ll want to consider all aspects of the job, before you start searching for contractors.

Does the job require plumbing knowledge? Does it require electrical know-how and training?

Your answers to these questions will help determine whether you need a general contractor or a more specialized one.

For example, a general contractor will know how to change a light switch or fixture, but you’ll want to make sure you have a licensed electrician for any work with damaged wires or replacing a fuse box.

Once you’ve made a list of all aspects of the job and the skills required, you’re ready to start looking for your contractor.

Step 2: Ask Others for Recommendations

The most natural place to start getting recommendations for a contractor is from friends and family. If you know someone who is genuinely happy with the work a contractor did for them, why not see if the contractor has the skills and licensing required for your renovations?

It’s best not to rely solely on online recommendations, as sometimes these reviews come from friends and family of the contractor. Instead, start by getting a recommendation from someone you trust.

Before you reach out to the contractor who was recommended to you, make sure no one has filed complaints against the contract. You’ll also want to check their licensing, qualifications, and reviews online.

Step 3: Research Contractors

Once you’ve gotten some recommendations from others for potential contractors in your area, you’ll want to do a little more research to make sure you have options.

You can find great contractors who have worked on similar projects to yours on websites such as home advisor, angi’s list, or remodeling done right, or the one based in Hong Kong mentioned at the beginning of this article, Decoman Technology Ltd.

Make a list of up to ten potential contractors, along with their website and contact information.

Step 4: Compare Contractors

Once you have a good list of contractors to do your home renovations, you want to compare their qualifications.

To find if a contractor is licensed and certified in the areas required for your project, you’ll need to look at your state licensing page and search by contractor. You’ll want to look up any special county requirements for where you live as well.

Once you’ve narrowed down your list to those contractors who are qualified to do the work, look at previous jobs the contractors have finished to get a feel for the style and quality of their work. Whoever you hire should have done a similar type of job, or else you run the risk that they will make costly mistakes and not know how to handle certain aspects of it.

If you are having trouble finding evidence of previously completed jobs, reach out to the contractor and ask them about their experience and any special certifications they have.

You’ll also want to gather information about their liability insurance, as if they don’t have their own, you might be liable if anyone is injured on site. Make sure that whoever you are considering knows the procedures to getting the right building permits and can take care of that aspect for you.

Step 5: Get Quotes from Your Top Contractors

Once you’ve narrowed down your list of contractors to your top five based on their qualifications and experience, you’ll want to contact them and see if they are available.

You’ll need to get a quote from them based on the scope of the project. Keep an open mind, knowing that sometimes extra work is required along the way. Ask them to give you a realistic quote that includes the cost of any challenges that might be encountered.

Step 6: Review Contractors and Hire One!

Once you have quotes, more information about the contractors, and know their availability, you can pick the one that is the right fit for your home renovation project.

One pro tip to keep in mind is to choose a contractor who seems trustworthy and reliable over one who gives the cheapest quote, as someone who doesn’t do the job right will cost you more money in the long run.

When you hire your contractor, make sure you know what to expect ahead of time: will they be hiring subcontractors, and is that included in the quote they gave you? How can you reach them? What days and hours do they anticipate working on the job? How and when do they want to be paid?

Talk through a plan with the contractor you choose so that you both know how to handle scenarios where the project is approaching or going over budget. For example, if you’re getting the bathroom redone and the contractor finds mold, you’ll need to spend a little extra to take care of the issue.

Happy Home Building!