Questions to Ask a Remodeler First

Make the first call short. Describe the project in two sentences, give a budget range you are willing to say out loud, and write down the answers. Most questions below have a one-line answer you can compare across firms. Where an answer should be in the contract, the question says so.

Each question lists why it matters and where the rule comes from. This is an AI research draft pending expert review, not legal advice. Where this guide could not find a sourced fact, it says so instead of guessing, and the list near the end of the page collects those gaps.

Ask what size and type of project the firm usually takes, whether it has a minimum, and what the last job like yours looked like. A minimum above your budget saves both sides a site visit. A firm with no stated minimum may still be the wrong fit, so the follow-up about a similar finished job matters more.

The Attorney General's handbook tells homeowners to write a detailed scope, including materials, before meeting contractors, so each bid is similar enough to compare 1. Having that list ready also lets the firm tell you quickly whether it wants the job. This guide has no sourced figure for typical minimums in Minnesota, so treat any number you hear as that firm's own policy.

Ask for the Minnesota license number and write it down. Minnesota law requires a licensee's number on building permits and permit applications, on business cards and on every contract for licensed work, and in advertising such as signs, vehicles, websites and ads 9. A firm that will not give a number is telling you something 3.

Look the number up yourself. The Department of Labor and Industry lookup needs no account: choose guest access and enter the complete number. It shows license status, continuing education completion, work experience and whether enforcement actions exist 4. A current license shows a status of Issued in the department's data file 4. DLI also takes calls at 651-284-5069 or 800-342-5354 to confirm a license and any disciplinary history 3.

Read the prefix. Residential building contractor, remodeler and roofer licenses start with BC, CR or RR. Numbers starting with IR are registrations, which DLI says do not carry the same insurance, bonding or recovery fund protections 3.

Know who needs a license at all. A residential remodeler is someone who contracts with an owner to improve existing one-to-four-family housing using two or more of the eight statutory special skills, such as carpentry, interior finishing or exterior finishing 22. Exemptions include a person whose gross annual receipts for licensable work are $15,000 or less, who must hold a certificate of exemption, and a specialty contractor providing only one special skill 5. An owner working on their own home is also exempt 5. Ask which category the firm falls in and why.

Local rules can add to this. The Attorney General notes that a contractor who does not need a state license may still need a city license 1. A city cannot require a state-licensed contractor to also hold a local license or pay a licensing fee, though it may charge for permits 9.

The lookup shows status and enforcement history. It does not show workmanship or customer satisfaction. The statute lists grounds for sanctions, including fraud, failing to pay subcontractors with money received for the job, and not giving the paying person a lien waiver or a payment bond 21. A clean record is the minimum, not a recommendation.

A valid license is the minimum. It is not a recommendation.

Licensed residential contractors must carry commercial general liability insurance with limits of at least $100,000 per occurrence and $300,000 aggregate for bodily injury, plus property damage limits of at least $25,000, or a single-limit policy of $300,000 per occurrence and $300,000 aggregate 9. The Attorney General's handbook repeats those minimums 1. The statute also says the licensee keeps a certificate on file with the commissioner 9.

Ask the firm to have its insurance agent send you a certificate directly, and read the policy dates and the insured name. The statute does not say whether a certificate on file is current on the day you sign, so check the dates yourself.

Ask separately about workers' compensation. The handbook says to ask to see the workers' compensation policy, because you may be liable if a worker is injured on your property 1. The statute sections loaded for this guide set general liability minimums but do not address workers' compensation, so this guide does not state a legal requirement for it. The FTC likewise advises asking for proof of insurance 6.

Ask your own homeowner's insurance agent how the project affects your policy 1. If a firm hesitates to produce a certificate, that is a reason to stop.

Ask who applies for permits and schedules inspections, and ask that the contract say so. The handbook says that if the contractor obtains the permits and inspections, the contractor is responsible for the work meeting code, and that if you obtain them, you are 2. The FTC lists a contractor asking you to get the permits as a red flag 6.

Cities must check the license. A political subdivision may not issue a building permit to an unlicensed person who must be licensed 9, and it may add a surcharge of no more than $5 on such permits to cover checking the license 9. Your permit fee itself comes from the city's schedule, which varies.

Ask what the city will need and how long review takes. As one example of how local processes differ, Wayzata's permit page says that since October 24, 2025, building, HVAC and plumbing inspections are scheduled only through Metro West, that the city has no on-site inspector, and that online or card payments carry a 3% convenience fee 7. Check your own city's page for the same details. This guide could not load fee schedules or turnaround times for Plymouth or Minnetonka (those pages returned access errors), and it did not read Wayzata's fee schedule PDF, so it states no permit fee amounts.

Ask for a start window, what the crew is finishing before yours, and how long the job runs. Ask what happens if the earlier job runs long. A full schedule can mean steady demand or poor planning, and only the follow-up tells you which.

Ask that start and completion dates go in the contract. The Attorney General's handbook suggests an anticipated start and completion date with allowance for reasonable delays 2. DLI adds that the contract should include specific timelines and say what happens if the contractor misses them 3.

Ask which parts of your job depend on weather: roofing, siding, concrete, excavation, exterior doors and windows. Ask how the firm protects an open wall in winter, what it does if a cold snap stops exterior work, and how long cabinets, windows and other ordered items take to arrive. This guide did not load a Minnesota source for frost depth, cold-weather concrete practice, or lead times, so it gives no numbers. The questions still matter because a schedule that ignores weather is a guess.

Ask what you will live without and for how long: kitchen, bathroom, a room, water or power. Get the answer by week, not by month.

Ask for the name of the person on site, how often the owner or project manager visits, and who you call with a problem. Ask which trades are the firm's own employees and which are subcontracted.

Ask to list subcontractors and major material suppliers in the contract. The handbook recommends naming them 218. This helps with liens, covered below, because you will know who might send you a notice. A clear answer with names is a good sign. A vague answer may mean you end up coordinating trades yourself.

Ask what the first payment is, what it covers, and when each later payment is due. The handbook says a token good-faith down payment is customary but should be a small percentage of the total, that anyone insisting on a large down payment should be avoided, and that a schedule tied to work done is a reasonable alternative 2. DLI tells homeowners to avoid full or substantial payment before work starts and to get a payment schedule that makes clear when payments are due 3. The FTC says not to pay the full cost up front and to hold final payment until the work is done and you are satisfied, and it notes that some states limit down payments 6.

This guide found no percentage cap on down payments in Minnesota Statutes sections 326B.802 to 326B.885 as loaded. It did not search other chapters, so do not read this as a statement that no cap exists anywhere. Ask a lawyer or DLI if you need a firm answer.

Ask about a holdback: a final payment you keep until inspections pass and the work is complete 2. Ask how payments are made. The FTC advises paying by credit card or check rather than cash or wire transfer 6.

Ask for a lien waiver with each payment. Minnesota's licensing statute lists as a ground for sanction a licensee not giving the person making payment either a lien waiver for unpaid labor and material or a payment bond in the contract price 21. That makes the waiver question a normal one.

Change orders: ask how changes are priced, who approves them, and how fast you get a written price. Minnesota law requires bids, estimates, change orders and contracts between a licensee and a customer to be in writing with a detailed summary of services, specific materials or standard features, and the price or how it is calculated 10. DLI says to require that every change be a written change order you sign 3. A change agreed to out loud can become a dispute.

Allowances: if the bid has them, ask for each dollar amount, what it covers (material only or installed) and what happens to the price if your choice costs more or less. The companion bid guide shows how to line allowances up.

Design fees: ask whether design is included, billed separately or credited if you hire the firm. This guide has no sourced norm for design fees or deposits, so compare what each firm says in writing. The handbook adds that if a contractor offers architectural planning or structural design, you should be sure the contractor is licensed by the Board of Architecture 1.

Also ask when the three-day cancellation right applies. A home solicitation sale generally can be cancelled until midnight of the third business day 20, and DLI says a home improvement contractor must give that right when the contractor made the first contact with you 3. The statute excludes some sales where you started the contact and gave a separate handwritten, signed waiver 19. If you called the firm, do not assume you have this right.

Ask what the firm warrants in writing and who does warranty service. Then compare it with the statutory warranty, which applies to home improvement contracts. For work involving major structural changes or additions, the contractor warrants one year against defects from faulty workmanship and materials and ten years against major construction defects 13. For plumbing, electrical, heating or cooling installations the warranty is two years 13. Other home improvement work carries a one-year warranty 13. The period starts on the date the work is completed 12.

The warranty covers noncompliance with the State Building Code standards in effect at the time 12. A major construction defect means actual damage to the load-bearing portion that vitally affects use of the home improvement for residential purposes 12. The remedy for a home improvement is limited to the amount needed to fix the defect 16.

Know the process before you need it. Exclusions include loss or damage not reported to the contractor in writing within six months of when you discovered or should have discovered it, normal wear and tear, owner-supplied materials, and defects in the existing structure not caused by the improvement 14. After written notice, the contractor must inspect within 30 days and give a written offer to repair within 15 days of the inspection 13. You cannot go to district court until the dispute resolution process ends or 60 days after the written offer, unless the contractor fails to inspect or offer 13.

Contracts cannot casually waive these warranties. A modification must be in a signed written instrument in boldface type of at least ten points that sets out the terms, and the contractor must substitute express warranties offering substantially the same protection 15. If a bid contains a warranty disclaimer, ask about it before you sign. The handbook also notes the statutory warranties are in addition to any warranty the contractor agrees to provide and that they transfer to later buyers 2.

Ask how the firm handles waivers and subcontractor payment. Minnesota's mechanic's lien law lets people who supply labor or materials to improve your property file a lien, including subcontractors you never hired 18. A prime contractor who uses subcontractors must put a statutory notice in the written contract, or deliver it within ten days after the work is agreed if there is no written contract 17. A subcontractor or supplier must give you its own notice within 45 days after first furnishing labor or materials 17. The statute says you may withhold payment until 120 days after completion unless you receive waivers from those who gave timely notice 17. A lien statement must generally be filed within 120 days after the last work 18.

Ask whether the contract contains the notice language and whether the firm will give signed waivers from each subcontractor and supplier before final payment. Check that the lien notice is there when you read the contract.

The Contractor Recovery Fund is a backstop, not a plan. It can help if you hold a judgment against a licensed contractor, and you must apply within two years after the judgment became final 11. The statute sets a limit of $100,000 per licensee to an owner and $550,000 in total per licensee 11. The Attorney General's handbook gives $75,000 and $300,000 2, so the amounts conflict across sources and you should confirm the current figures with DLI. DLI says unlicensed contractors do not give you access to the fund 3.

Ask whether the firm is certified under EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule. EPA says anyone paid to disturb painted surfaces in housing built before 1978 must be certified in lead-safe work practices, including sole proprietors, and that its workers must be trained 8. EPA recommends homeowners hire a lead-safe certified contractor 8.

The rule generally does not cover homeowners working on their own pre-1978 home, but it does apply if you rent out part of it or flip homes for profit 8. EPA's page lists the states that run their own programs, and Minnesota is not among them, so the EPA program appears to apply here. Confirm this with EPA, since this guide did not read the rule text.

Ask what the lead-safe steps cost and whether they are in the price, because they affect comparisons. This guide has no sourced cost for lead-safe work.

The handbook says cleanup is often neglected and should be in the contract, especially when a lot of debris is generated 2. Ask who hauls debris and when, whether a dumpster is included, how floors and finished rooms are protected, how dust is contained, what the working hours are and where workers park.

Ask who handles damage to the existing house. Defects in the existing structure not caused by the improvement are outside the statutory warranty 14, so a photo record of existing conditions before work starts helps both sides.

Ask for recent references on projects like yours, and call at least a few. The handbook says former customers will tell you whether they were satisfied and what they would change, and suggests viewing finished work and searching Minnesota court records for judgments or suits 1. DLI also suggests asking how long the firm has been in business, a Minnesota street address other than a post office box, and a local phone number 3.

Online reviews and complaint records are other inputs. The companion bid guide explains how to read them without treating them as scores.

Typical minimum project sizes; permit fees and turnaround for Plymouth and Minnetonka, and Wayzata's fee amounts; Minnesota frost depth and cold-weather construction practice; the current State Building Code edition; any statutory cap on down payments outside sections 326B.802 to 326B.885; costs of lead-safe work; and norms for design fees.

Recovery Fund limits conflict between the statute and the Attorney General's handbook, noted above. Nobody visited, interviewed or contacted any firm for this page.

Use these steps in order and stop at the first failure.

• Write a two-sentence project description, a scope list with materials, and a budget range you will say out loud.
• Call and ask for the license number. Look it up yourself in the DLI lookup and confirm status, prefix (BC, CR or RR) and enforcement history.
• Ask for the minimum project size, start window and the name of the person who runs the job. Stop if the minimum is above your budget or no name is given.
• Ask for an insurance certificate sent from the agent, and ask whether workers' compensation is carried.
• Ask who pulls permits, how payments are scheduled, whether waivers come with each payment, and what written warranty is offered. Stop if the firm asks for substantial payment before work or asks you to pull permits.
• If your house is pre-1978, ask for lead-safe certification.
• Only then book a site visit, and ask each firm for a written bid that lists allowances and exclusions.