Questions worth asking any contractor before you sign
A plain-English guide to what Pennsylvania homeowners should ask before signing a home improvement contract: PA HIC registration, proof of insurance, who does the work, written scope, change orders, payment schedule, warranty, and permits, plus the red flag behind each question.
Before you sign a home improvement contract, ask for the contractor's Pennsylvania HIC registration number, current proof of liability insurance, and a written scope that names materials, exclusions, change order pricing, the payment schedule, the warranty, and who pulls the permit. Ask who physically performs the work. How readily those answers come is nearly as useful as the answers themselves.
- Pennsylvania home improvement contractors register with the state Office of Attorney General and receive a PA HIC number any homeowner can look up.
- Registration is a public filing, not a skills test, so treat it as a floor and not an endorsement.
- Verbal promises rarely survive a disagreement. If a detail matters to you, put it in the written scope.
- Settle how change orders get priced and approved before one comes up.
- A contractor who will not put the warranty in writing has told you what it is worth.
Most of the questions to ask a contractor before hiring are not gotchas, and anyone running a real business has answered them before. Watch how the questions land. A push to get a signature tonight, before you have read anything, is itself an answer.
Is the contractor registered with the state, and can you check it yourself?
Yes, and checking takes a couple of minutes. In Pennsylvania, home improvement contractors are generally required to register with the Office of Attorney General, which issues the PA HIC number that belongs on their contracts and estimates. Registration is not a license and it does not certify craftsmanship. It means the business filed its information, including insurance details, with the state. Ask for the number in writing, then verify it yourself. Here is how to look up a PA contractor's registration. Treat "we're licensed and bonded" with no number as a non-answer.
What counts as real proof of insurance?
A certificate of insurance sent to you directly by the contractor's insurance agent counts. A folded photocopy from the truck says nothing about whether the policy is still active. Ask for general liability, and ask that the certificate show dates covering your job. If the contractor has employees, ask about workers compensation too, because an injury on your property with no coverage behind it can become your problem.
Who actually performs the work, employees or subcontractors?
Either arrangement can be fine, but you should know which one you are getting. Subcontractors are normal in the trades, particularly for electrical and mechanical work. What matters is supervision and accountability. Ask who is on site each day and who comes back when something needs attention next spring. Ask whether subcontractors carry their own liability coverage and how the contractor documents payments to subs and suppliers, since lien rules turn on the specifics of a job.
What is in the written scope, and what is left out?
The scope should state what will be done and with which materials, and it should name what is excluded. Exclusions are the part most homeowners skim. Does a deck price include stairs and railings? Does a roofing price include replacing rotted sheathing found underneath, or is that billed separately? Does a mini split installation include the electrical work the unit needs? If an insurance claim is paying, ask how items missing from the adjuster's estimate get handled, because a contractor estimate and an adjuster estimate are built for different purposes.
How do change orders get priced and approved?
A change order should be written, priced, and signed before the extra work starts. Ask how the price gets set: unit pricing, hourly plus materials, or a fixed quote per item. Ask who has authority to approve one, and confirm that it is you. Rot behind siding and a soft subfloor are ordinary discoveries on real jobs, and the discovery is not the problem. "We'll square up at the end" is the problem, because that is how a bill grows without anyone agreeing to it.
What does the payment schedule look like?
A sound schedule ties money to progress, with a deposit sized to cover materials and hold a spot on the calendar rather than most of the job. Pennsylvania's home improvement law places limits on deposits for covered contracts, so ask the contractor to point out where the deposit and payment terms sit in the document. Final payment should come after the work is complete and, where a permit was pulled, after the inspection. Cash-only demands deserve a hard pause.
Is the warranty in writing, and who stands behind it?
Ask for it in writing, then read what it covers. Most jobs carry two warranties: the manufacturer's on materials and the contractor's on workmanship. They cover different failures and run for different lengths of time. Ask what voids the workmanship warranty and how a callback gets requested once the crew is gone. A verbal "we stand behind our work" will not help you a year from now.
Who pulls the permit?
For work that requires one, the contractor should pull the permit. The permit holder is responsible for the work meeting code and for having inspections done, so a contractor who asks you to pull it is moving that responsibility onto you. Whether a permit is needed depends on the municipality and the scope, and the local code official makes that call. See permit requirements around Clinton County for how much rules differ between townships.
Which answers should slow you down?
Compare what you hear against what a working business normally says.
| What you asked about | An answer that holds up | An answer that should slow you down |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | "Here is our PA HIC number, look it up." | "We're licensed and bonded," no number offered |
| Insurance | Certificate sent by the agent, dates current | A photocopy, or "it's in the truck" |
| Scope | Written line items with exclusions named | "Everything's included, don't worry about it" |
| Change orders | Priced and signed before the work happens | "We'll square up at the end" |
| Payment | Progress payments tied to milestones | Most of the money, in cash, before materials arrive |
| Warranty | Written, with a term and stated exclusions | "We stand behind our work" |
| Permit | Contractor pulls it and schedules inspection | Homeowner asked to pull it to save time |
Common questions
Does a PA HIC number mean a contractor is licensed?
No. Pennsylvania registers home improvement contractors rather than licensing them, so the number shows the business is on file with the state, not that anyone tested its work. Certain trades and some municipalities add their own licensing or permit requirements.
How many estimates should you get?
Enough to compare scopes, which in practice means more than one. Line the estimates up and read what each includes before you look at the totals. A lower number often reflects less work, or an exclusion the other contractor priced in.
Is a deposit before work starts normal?
Yes. Deposits cover materials and hold a spot on the schedule. What is not normal is a demand for the bulk of the price before anything happens, or a cash-only requirement. Pennsylvania law limits deposits on covered contracts, so the terms belong in the document.
What belongs in the contract besides the price?
Both parties' names and contact information, the PA HIC number, an approximate start and completion window, the scope with materials, the exclusions, the change order process, the payment schedule, and the warranty. Pennsylvania's home improvement law also requires certain notices, including the homeowner's right to cancel within a short window after signing.
Can you ask to see recent work?
Yes, and it is a fair request. Ask for recent jobs similar to yours and, where a homeowner is willing, to see one in person. Photos help when you know where and when they were taken.