Credentials and coverage
1. Are you licensed for work of this size and type in this jurisdiction?
2. Can you send certificates for general liability and workers' compensation directly from your insurer?
3. Who pulls the permits, and are inspections scheduled by you or by me?
Scope and money
4. Is the estimate line-item, with real allowance dollar figures?
5. What is explicitly excluded from this price?
6. How are change orders priced, and are they approved in writing before work starts?
7. What is the draw schedule, and what triggers each draw?
Execution and accountability
8. Which trades do your own crews perform, and which are subcontracted?
9. Who is my single point of contact, and how often will I hear from them?
10. What does your warranty cover, for how long, and is it in writing?
One more thing worth doing
Ask to visit an active jobsite. Fifteen minutes on a site tells you more about a builder than any brochure: whether it's organized, whether it's clean, and whether the crew can answer a question without calling the owner.