Choose the Right Contractor with Advice from NoVA Pros

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When it comes to choosing your home project contractor, it’s important you take your time and do your homework. 

“Think about it like this,” says Michael Sauri, owner and president of TriVistaUSA Design + Build in Arlington. “When you go to see a doctor, you expect that the doctor has been to the right school, received the right training, and has all the right experience for the job.” You would not even consider working with a doctor who does not have those things, he adds.

It should be the same for any contractors you work with for your home.

“For Northern Virginia, this is going to be someone who is licensed,” says Sauri. “And that is a really easy thing to ask: What kind of licenses do you have?”

But that is only part of the equation. “You also need to ask what professional certifications they have,” notes Sauri. “And unfortunately, this is where a lot of people are going to say, ‘none.’”

This will help you narrow down the list of who you may or may not choose to work with.

Another secret to success with finding the right contractor is knowing where you need help, notes Cynthia Murphy, a certified kitchen and bath remodeler and co-founder of Murphy’s Design in Northern Virginia.

“Truly understand who you are looking to hire,” she advises. “Make a list of your needs and when interviewing companies, focus on how you will benefit from their process.”

“There are many types of contractors today, and hiring the wrong one who is not focused on what you need can make for a more difficult experience,” Murphy says.

Ensuring that you naturally click and that your personalities mesh well together will make all the difference.

“Thinking back to the doctor example, when you’re trying to find the right doctor, you want to make sure that you really like them and feel comfortable,” says Sauri. “Sometimes, while they are professionally certified, they’re just not the right fit for you. And the same can be true for contractors.”

Watch how they handle any questions that you have.

“You are about to enter a very long, close working partnership when you contract for a home project, so it is important to make sure that you can work well together from the start,” Sauri says.

Feature image, stock.adobe.com

This story originally ran in our March Issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.