The questions that separate a contractor who will finish well from one who will not — and the answers you should expect to hear.
Hiring a carpenter is largely an exercise in judging someone you have just met on work you cannot yet see. These questions help, and we have included the answers you should expect — including for us.
First: are you licensed and insured, and can I see the certificate? Insurance is the one that matters most. If someone is injured on your property or your house is damaged, an uninsured contractor makes that your problem. Any legitimate contractor will produce a certificate without hesitation. Hesitation is your answer.
Second: will you put the scope in writing before work starts? A written scope should say what is being done, what materials are being used, what is explicitly excluded, and what happens if something unexpected is found. Verbal agreements are where disputes come from, and the exclusions matter as much as the inclusions.
Third: who will actually be doing the work? The person quoting is not always the person swinging the hammer. That is entirely normal, but you should know whether it is employees or subcontractors, and whether someone will be supervising day to day.
Fourth: what is the payment schedule? A reasonable structure is a modest deposit, progress payments tied to visible milestones, and a final payment on completion after the punch list is closed. A demand for a large percentage up front is a genuine warning sign. Nobody legitimate needs half your money before starting.
Fifth: what happens if you find something unexpected? Older homes hide things — rot, previous bad repairs, undersized framing. The right answer is that work stops, you are shown the problem, and you approve a written change order before anything proceeds. The wrong answer is a vague reassurance that it will be sorted out.
Sixth: can I see photos of similar work, and can I speak to a recent client? Photos of the specific type of work you need matter more than volume. A carpenter with excellent deck photos may have never built a closet system.
Seventh: how do you handle cleanup and dust? If you are living in the house during the work, this genuinely affects your quality of life for weeks. Ask specifically about containment, floor protection, and whether cleanup happens daily or at the end.
Eighth: what is your timeline, and what could change it? Any honest answer includes the things outside their control — material lead times, inspections, weather for exterior work. A contractor who promises a date with no caveats is either inexperienced or telling you what you want to hear.
Ninth: what warranty do you offer on workmanship? Materials carry manufacturer warranties. Workmanship is the contractor's own guarantee, and it is worth knowing its length and what it covers before you sign.
One additional piece of advice: get three quotes, and be careful with the cheapest. A quote significantly below the others usually means something has been left out of the scope, and you will meet that omission later as a change order. Compare what is included rather than the bottom-line figure.
If you are gathering quotes for work in Burlington or the surrounding area, we are glad to be one of the three. Estimates are free and written, and we would rather you choose well than choose fast.