7 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a General Contractor in Georgia
Hiring the wrong contractor is one of the most expensive mistakes a Georgia homeowner or business owner can make. These seven questions will protect your investment.
Georgia's construction market is booming — and with that growth comes a flood of unlicensed, underqualified contractors eager to take your money. Every year, thousands of Georgia homeowners and business owners are left with unfinished projects, failed inspections, and no legal recourse.
The good news? You can avoid this completely by asking the right questions before you sign anything. Here are the seven most critical ones.
1. Are You Licensed to Operate in Georgia?
This is the first and most important question. Georgia requires general contractors to be licensed by the state for projects over a certain dollar threshold. A legitimate contractor should be able to provide their Georgia Contractor License number immediately — without hesitation.
Once you have the number, verify it at verify.sos.ga.gov. Takes 60 seconds and can save you tens of thousands of dollars.
Red flag: Any contractor who dodges this question, says licensing "doesn't apply" to their work, or can't provide a number on the spot.
2. Do You Carry General Liability and Workers' Compensation Insurance?
If a worker is injured on your property and the contractor doesn't carry workers' compensation insurance, you could be held liable. Similarly, if the contractor damages your property or a neighboring property, general liability insurance covers the claim — without it, you're responsible.
Request a Certificate of Insurance and have it sent directly from the insurance company to you. Don't accept a copy handed to you by the contractor — those can be faked.
- General liability should be $1M per occurrence minimum
- Workers' comp should cover all employees and subcontractors
- The certificate should list YOUR property as an additional insured
3. Who Will Be Doing the Actual Work?
Many general contractors are "paper GCs" — they sell the job and subcontract 100% of the work to the cheapest bidders available. This isn't inherently bad, but you deserve to know who's showing up to your job site.
Ask specifically: Which tasks do your in-house crews handle? Which are subcontracted? How long have you worked with your primary subs? Can I meet the site supervisor before we begin?
4. Can You Provide References From Similar Projects in Georgia?
Don't just look at Google reviews — request actual client references from projects similar to yours in scope and type. Then call those references and ask detailed questions:
- Did they finish on time and on budget?
- How was communication throughout the project?
- Were there any unexpected issues, and how were they handled?
- Would you hire them again without hesitation?
5. What Does Your Written Contract Include?
If a contractor resists putting everything in writing, walk away immediately. A legitimate contract should include: exact scope of work, materials specifications, payment schedule, start and completion dates, change order procedures, and warranty terms.
In Georgia, any residential contract over $2,500 is governed by the Georgia Home Improvement Act. Know your rights.
6. How Do You Handle Change Orders?
Scope creep is the #1 source of blown construction budgets. A transparent contractor should have a clear, written change order process: any changes must be agreed upon in writing, with cost and timeline impact documented before work begins.
Any contractor who says "don't worry, we'll figure it out as we go" on change orders is setting you up for disputes later.
7. What's Your Payment Schedule?
Legitimate contractors don't require 50% or more upfront. A typical payment schedule for a large project might look like: 10% at contract signing, milestone-based payments during construction, and 10-15% retained until final walkthrough approval.
Never pay the final payment until you are 100% satisfied with the completed work and all inspections have passed.
The Bottom Line
A great contractor will answer every one of these questions confidently, completely, and without hesitation. If you're asking these questions to T Square Remodeling Inc., we'll provide documentation for every single one — because we have nothing to hide and everything to prove.
Ready to work with a contractor you can trust? Request your free estimate today.