Most advice about "vetting a contractor" is too abstract to use in the moment. Here are five specific questions to ask on your first call, and why each one matters.

  1. "Can I see a copy of your license and proof of insurance?"

    A contractor who does this regularly will have it ready. Hesitation or vague answers are worth noting.

  2. "Who will actually be on site doing the work?"

    Some companies subcontract most of their labor. That's not automatically a problem, but you should know whether the person quoting the job is the person doing it, and who's accountable if something goes wrong.

  3. "What's a realistic timeline, and what would change it?"

    You're not just listening for a date — you're listening for whether they can explain dependencies (permit approval, material lead times, other jobs on their schedule) instead of just giving an optimistic guess.

  4. "How do you handle something unexpected once the work has started?"

    This tells you whether change orders will be documented and priced clearly, or handled as an informal conversation you'll have trouble disputing later.

  5. "Can I contact a recent customer, ideally from a similar job?"

    A contractor with nothing to hide will often connect you with a recent reference, not just a five-star review screenshot.

None of these questions are meant to be adversarial — a contractor who's confident in their own professionalism will answer plainly and quickly. That response, as much as the content of the answer, is useful information.