Before you sign a contract, get three things on paper: who has authority to approve design changes, exactly what work is included (and excluded), and who absorbs the cost when scope shifts mid-project. Those three answers, written plainly in the agreement, prevent the majority of disputes that surface halfway through a remodel. Everything else you ask a contractor is really an attempt to find out whether they will hold themselves to what that document says.
The twelve questions below are ordered roughly the way a serious homeowner conversation should unfold: licensing and structure first, then scope and money, then the day-to-day of how the job will actually run. Read them as prompts for a real exchange, not a form to fill in.
Start with licensing, insurance, and who actually holds the contract
- Are you licensed in California, and what is your license number? In California, any home improvement work over $500 requires a licensed contractor. Ask for the CSLB license number and check its status yourself on the state's license lookup. A verbal "yes, we're licensed" is not enough. Confirm the classification too. A general "B" license covers whole-home work; specialty licenses do not.
- What insurance do you carry, and can I see current certificates? You want general liability and workers' compensation coverage, and you want the certificates sent directly from the insurer or broker rather than a PDF the contractor emails you. If someone is injured on your property and the crew is uninsured, the liability path leads back to the homeowner faster than most people expect.
- Who is the legal entity I'm contracting with, and who signs? The name on the proposal, the name on the license, and the name on the insurance certificates should match. Sole proprietor, LLC, and corporation are all fine, but they should be consistent. If they aren't, ask why before you sign anything.
Get specific about scope, drawings, and design responsibility
- Who is responsible for design, and at what level of detail? This is the question that quietly determines how the rest of the project goes. In a design-build arrangement, the contractor carries design; in a separate architect-plus-contractor model, an outside designer does. Neither is universally better. The comparison between design-build and separate contracts matters less than knowing, in writing, which drawings will exist before construction starts and who owns changes to them.
- What exactly is included in this bid, and what is excluded? A bid that says "kitchen remodel, $X" is not a scope. A usable scope names the cabinetry line, the countertop material and edge profile, whether the range hood is ducted or recirculating, whether the electrical panel is being touched, and what happens to the flooring at the transitions. Exclusions matter as much as inclusions. If dry rot, outdated wiring, or a failed subfloor is likely on a home of a certain age, the bid should say who pays when it's uncovered.
- How are allowances handled? Allowances are placeholder dollar figures for items you haven't chosen yet, like tile, plumbing fixtures, or lighting. They are the single most common source of budget surprise. Ask what each allowance covers, how it was set, and what happens when your actual selections come in higher or lower. A contractor who has walked hundreds of Bay Area homeowners through selections should be able to tell you whether the allowances in your bid are realistic for your taste level.
Pin down money, permits, and the change-order process
- What is the payment schedule, and is it tied to progress or to the calendar? California law caps the down payment on home improvement contracts at $1,000 or 10% of the contract price, whichever is less. Beyond that, payments should be tied to identifiable milestones, not to dates. "Payment due July 15" is a red flag. "Payment due upon completion of rough electrical inspection" is what you want.
- Who pulls the permits, and what is the plan if the city takes longer than expected? The general contractor should pull permits under their license, not the homeowner. If a contractor asks you to pull an owner-builder permit for work they are doing, walk away. Permitting timelines in San Francisco, San Jose, and the Peninsula cities vary considerably; a contractor who works locally should give you a realistic window rather than a promise.
- How are change orders written and priced? Every change order should be a short written document with the scope of the change, the cost, and any schedule impact, signed before the work happens. Verbal approvals in the middle of the job are how projects double. Ask to see a blank change order form.
Understand the crew, the schedule, and how you'll actually communicate
- Who is on my job every day, and who is my single point of contact? A general contractor's job is coordination. You should know the name of the project manager, how often they are on site, and who is authorized to give you answers you can rely on. If a salesperson signs the contract and disappears, the project loses its through-line. Ask what happens when the project manager is out sick or on vacation.
- What does your subcontractor bench look like for plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and cabinetry? Whole-home remodels and kitchen and bath projects live and die on the trades. Ask whether the contractor uses the same subs on most projects or assembles a new team each time. Long-standing relationships usually mean better scheduling, better pricing, and fewer coordination failures on site.
- Can I see completed work that matches what I'm asking for, and can I speak to those homeowners? Photos are useful; conversations are better. A contractor's portfolio of completed remodeling projects tells you what they are capable of; a fifteen-minute phone call with a past client tells you what they are like to work with when something goes wrong. Ask specifically for a reference on a project where a problem came up, not just the ones that went smoothly.
If a contractor bristles at any of these twelve questions, that is your answer. The remodelers worth hiring, whether you're planning a bathroom renovation, a kitchen redesign, or a whole-home project through a Bay Area firm like Urban Builders & Remodeling, expect them and often ask you a few of their own before agreeing to take the job.