How can you find a good contractor to avoid construction scams? Here are 8 questions you need to ask a contractor before hiring them. Home renovations are tricky, but they can be done right with a little forethought and planning.

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Today we're gonna talk about 8 questions you should ask a contractor. It's important to ask a contractor some questions before you hire them so can make sure that they're a good fit for the type of work that you need done. It's also important in order to make sure they're a reputable company. Good questions to ask a contractor are:

1) What local trade associations do you belong to? List the organizations they mention and then call those organizations to see if the contractor is a member in good standing.

2) How long have you been in business? Some contractors claim they have more experience than they actually do. Look for proof that they really have been around as long as they say. Sometimes you'll hear the term "combined experience". Be aware of this term in advertising. For example, you may hear "We have 30 years of combined experience." What this really means is, they might have 3 guys with 10 years experience each so really it's a way of cheating and a company that misleads you about how long they've been in business- something as small as that- it's likely they're misleading you about bigger things.

3) Can you give me at least 3 recent references? The keyword is recent. A good company is willing to share contact information of at least 3 customers from the last year. If all of their references are old, it might mean the quality of their work has dropped since then. Also look for customer testimonials online, whether they're videos or written testimonials. The more there are, the more likely it is that this company produces good, quality work consistently. When you talk to these references ask them:

- How quickly did the company return your calls?

- Was the project completed on budget, and it not, why?

- Did they keep their promises?

- Were they adaptable to any changes in the project?

- How did they handle disagreements?

- Would you recommend them to someone in your family?

4) What timeline do you have for this project? Make sure they're able to finish your project in a timely manner, even if they're busy and have other projects going on at the same time and make sure that they have a well organized schedule.

5) What payment schedule do you require? A good contractor will never ask for full price upfront. Most will ask for a deposit and regular payments throughout. Find out when payments will be due and how much they will be.

6) Will the same people work on this project every day? This applies more to general contractors and it gives you an opportunity to ask about the vetting process to their subcontractors. Still, even if we're just talking to a regular contractor, it's good to get to know the people that are coming to your home.

7) What should I do to get the work space ready? If they're good at communicating, they'll give you a clear picture of what to expect. You might even find out that you can lower the cost of the project simply by doing some prep-work yourself.

8) What will the project look like... really? How loud will the work be? How much dust will there be? How much trash will there be and how will it all be cleaned? Will one of us have to be there while the work is being done? What do you do to protect the furniture and other belongings? Will the workers dirty my house with their shoes? Will they be using my bathroom?

These questions help you understand how this is going to affect you and your family and a good company should address these issues with no problem.