How to Choose a Contractor in Baton Rouge, LA

Louisiana requires contractors to be licensed or registered once a job goes above certain sizes. The Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors sets those rules and updates them over time, so check the board's website for the current ones.

The same website has a free search tool. Ask the contractor for a license number, type it in, and make sure the company name matches and the license is active. A contractor who won't give you a number is telling you something.

Look the company up on Google and on the Better Business Bureau website. Read what people say about communication, cleanup, and how problems were handled. A few plain, detailed reviews tell you more than a pile of one-line ones.

Then ask for names of past customers you can call, or addresses of finished jobs you can drive by. A contractor who has done good work around Baton Rouge will not mind you asking.

A written scope lists exactly what will be done, which materials will be used, and what is left out. It protects both sides. If something is only said out loud, there is nothing to point to later when memories differ.

When you have two or three estimates, compare them line by line. A lower total often means something is missing, such as permits, haul-off, or painting. Ask each contractor to explain any line you don't understand.

Be careful with anyone who knocks on your door after a storm, pushes you to sign today, or wants a large cash deposit before any work starts. Out-of-town crews often follow floods and hurricanes and are hard to find afterward.

Other warning signs are no written contract, no local address, and a request that you pull the permit yourself. Ask who will be on your job each day and who you call with questions. Clear answers are a good sign.