Hiring a contractor can be an overwhelming process.  You are looking for someone who is skilled and knowledgeable, articulate (he or she can communicate clearly with you), and trustworthy.  You are trusting this person with one of your largest assets, your home.  Also this person will become a regular part of your life during the construction process.  We have compiled a brief list of "tips" to think about when hiring a contractor to build or remodel your home.  Some are obvious, some are not.

1. The basics:  licensed, insured, bonded.  Check with the Contractors State Licensing Board to see the status of their license and whether they have any issues.  Ask for a certificate of General Liability insurance.  You can see the status of their bond and worker's compensation insurance on the State's website. 
2. Communicates clearly:  this is somewhat subjective, but very important.  
3. Provides references from prior clients, including phone numbers and contact information.
4. Provides a detailed estimate breaking down each item of the project and assigning costs accordingly.
5. Understanding estimates:  Estimates from contractor's may vary.  It is important that you understand what is included and excluded from these estimates.  It should be clearly outlined.  It is important to realize that accurate bids are impossible unless everything is clearly "specified" in the plans.  If it is not, then a contractor has to make some rough estimates.  We call these Allowances.  The contractor may have services available to assist in your completing the specification process.  This is an important step to assure you do not have surprise expenses during your project.  Additionally, it assures that the construction process has fewer delays waiting for material and product selections.
6. Understand how "Allowances" are calcuted for items.  Some contractors are realistic in their estimates and some provide "low" estimates to entice the homeowner.  
7. Ask to see a sample contract.  You want to make sure that all of the terms and conditions are spelled out thoroughly, including the price, payment schedule, scope of work, exclusions (what is not included), how change orders are handled, how allowances are handled, warranty, how final payment is handled, insurance, and dispute resolution at a minimum.
8. Warranty - how long, what does it cover, not cover, etc.
9. Professional associations - ask to see if they are members of any professional trade associations.
10. Experience - how long have they been in business, how many projects have they completed?
11. Process - ask for an explanation of the construction process.  He/she should be able to give you a fairly thorough description of how they work (how they manage the jobsite, demolition, sanitation, jobsite clean up, etc.)