It’s a humbling experience.

Find someone you can trust.

We started by polling friends and co-workers for names of contractors with whom they were pleased. We came up with a short list. We then contacted each one for estimates and interviews. We narrowed the three or so names down to one and began talking in earnest.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t get to us until January 2005. I know what you are thinking. January isn’t that far off and it’s after the holidays. Well, in July it seems a lot further, and getting it done before Halloween seemed possible then.

We went back to the drawing board and asked for more recommendations. My boss gave me a couple of names from his friends at a cigar club. We interviewed them, liked them and got more estimates.

One estimate was a little more within our price range. This contractor also gave us hints on how we could save money, such as doing the demolition, flooring and painting ourselves. He also mentioned that we could probably hire each job separately and pull our own permits and save money doing the job without them.

I don’t have that much confidence in either my construction skills or my husband’s. After all, the sink from the spare bathroom is still lying in the garage and has been for about six months. We decided it was best to go with professionals.

Obviously a lot more thought went into this. We didn’t make our decision solely on cost, timing or intuition, but all played a part. You need to do a lot of research to protect yourself as well. And as one of my co-workers said when I asked for advice, Hiring a contractor is a leap of faith.

Here are a few links to check out if you’re looking to hire a contractor. They all give you great tips for questions to ask, what to think about and what to have prepared before you start your interviews.

•League of American Homeowners – Remodeling tips
•Federal Trade Commission – Home Sweet Home Improvement
•California State Licensing Board
•National Association of Home Builders
•VenturaCountyStar.com article: "Ask remodeling contractors the right questions"
•This Old House.com
•Contractors.com

When it came down to it, our project manager, Greg Perham of Dapra JF General Contractors Inc. really impressed us with how he’s answered our questions, provided guidance and has taken our needs and concerns into consideration. Perham and his team are continuing to guide us through this process, and I trust it won’t be an entirely horrible experience.