The questions that separate experienced, accountable contractors from the ones who will cost you more in the long run.
Before you hire anyone, get clear answers to a handful of questions: Who actually does the work every day? Can I verify your license and insurance? What waterproofing system do you use — by name? Will the scope, exclusions, and allowances be in writing? How will you communicate during the project, and how are changes priced? What does your warranty actually cover? A good contractor answers all of these easily. Evasion on any of them is your answer.
When a homeowner tells me a horror story about their last contractor, the story almost always traces back to a question that never got asked — who's actually showing up, what happens when something changes, what exactly does the warranty cover.
None of the questions below require construction knowledge. They work because of how they're answered, not just what's answered. Specific, comfortable, documented answers predict a good project. Vague, defensive, or "don't worry about that" answers predict the other kind.
This is the single most revealing question in remodeling. Many companies send a polished salesperson to your home, then hand the job to whichever subcontractor crew is available that month. The person you liked and trusted never touches your bathroom.
Ask directly: who performs the work, who supervises it daily, and will I meet them before demo day? At Stonebrite the answer is short — you're talking to the person who'll be doing the work, and our own local crew, not a rotating cast of strangers. Whoever you're talking to, make sure you're evaluating the people who'll actually hold the trowel.
In California this takes five minutes on the CSLB website — you can look up any license number and see its status, bond, and workers' compensation coverage. A legitimate contractor will hand you the number happily; ours is #1113488 and I'd genuinely rather you check it than take my word.
Workers' comp is the part homeowners skip and shouldn't: if someone uninsured is injured working on your home, you can end up involved in ways you never imagined. "We're licensed and insured" is a sentence. The lookup is a fact.
This is my favorite filter question because it separates professionals from everyone else in one sentence. Your shower's finish — tile or panels — is not the waterproofing. The membrane system behind it is, and it's the difference between a shower that's perfect in year fifteen and a rotted wall you discover from the ceiling below.
A pro answers with a name and a method — the membrane system, how seams and corners are treated, what happens at the pan. If the answer is "we use cement board, it's fine" or "the tile keeps the water out," thank them for their time. I mean it: this one answer is worth the whole meeting.
The scope, the exclusions, the allowances and what they're based on, the payment schedule, the estimated timeline, the warranty — every one of those belongs on paper before any money moves. Not because anyone plans to be dishonest, but because memory is a terrible contract.
Related and worth knowing: California caps the down payment at $1,000 or 10% of the contract, whichever is less. And a proposal isn't a hostage negotiation — you should be able to read it on your own time, without a "tonight-only discount" expiring while you decide. Pressure at the estimate is a preview of pressure during the project.
The number-one complaint about contractors isn't workmanship — it's silence. Days nobody shows, no explanation, no idea what happens next.
So ask: Will I get a daily update? Will I know what time you're arriving? Who do I call — and does that person answer? Our clients hear from us every working day: what got done, what's next, what time we'll be there. One reviewer put it simply — they always knew when we'd arrive, and we were always on time. That's not heroic. It's the baseline you should demand from anyone.
Something usually changes — you add a niche, or the wall opens up and reveals 1970s plumbing. The question is whether changes are handled in daylight: described in writing, priced before the work happens, and signed by you.
Ask how hidden conditions are priced and whether you'll ever be billed for extra work you didn't approve in advance. "We'll settle up at the end" is how $3,000 surprises are born. A written change process protects both of us — and honestly, when a project is scoped carefully upfront, zero change orders is a realistic outcome. We've had clients finish exactly there.
Everyone says they stand behind their work. Ask what that means on paper: What's covered — the waterproofing, the plumbing connections, the electrical? For how many years? Who shows up if something's wrong in year three, and how fast?
Ours is a 5-year workmanship warranty covering the waterproofing system, plumbing connections, and electrical work we performed — written into the proposal, not mentioned on the way out the door. Be extra careful with "lifetime warranty" pitches from high-volume bath companies: read what's actually covered and picture actually reaching that company in year twelve. A specific 5-year promise from someone who answers the phone beats a vague lifetime promise from someone who won't.
After the questions, sit with the simplest one: how did the visit feel? Did they listen more than they pitched? Did they measure and look at your actual bathroom, or recite a script? Could you imagine this person in your home for two weeks?
You're not just buying a shower — you're choosing who walks through your door every morning for a couple of weeks. Hire the person whose answers were specific, whose paperwork was clear, and whose presence didn't make you feel managed. If that ends up being us, great. If it ends up being someone else who answered all of this well, you'll still have gotten a good bathroom out of the deal — and that's the point of the article.
In California, unlicensed work over $500 is illegal, usually uninsured, can void protections you'd otherwise have, and can complicate resale. The discount exists because the safety net doesn't. For a wet room with plumbing and electrical, it's not a trade worth making.
$1,000 or 10% of the contract price — whichever is less. It's one of the easiest red-flag checks there is: anyone asking for more is out of step with the law that governs their own license.
Search the license number on the CSLB (Contractors State License Board) website — it takes about a minute and shows status, bond, and workers' comp. Any contractor should volunteer their number; ours is #1113488.
Pressure to sign today, a discount that expires tonight, a big cash deposit, no license number offered, vague answers on waterproofing, and a price quoted without measuring or looking closely at your bathroom. Any one of them is a reason to slow down.
You should at least know exactly who is showing up and who supervises daily. With owner-led companies like ours that's automatic — the person who gives you the estimate is the person on the job. With larger companies, ask, because the answer often surprises people.
