Here are some tips:

Listen to Word of Mouth In addition to asking neighbors and friends who have done remodeling work, Ellen Horner of Chapel Hill suggests getting referrals from people who have been in the community a long time and are well connected.

“When we did our kitchen in Florida, I used an online recommendation site and I was not happy with who I got,” Horner said. “He wasn’t really licensed, and he didn’t really manage the project well at all. He was a good designer, which is why we liked him, but he was an awful contractor. The kitchen looked great, but walls had to be moved several times. The refrigerator didn’t fit — things like that.”

Experience Matters Ron Webster of Ronald M. Webster Construction in Pittsboro recommends finding someone who has been in the business for a while.

Orange County resident Julie Hogue also recommends finding a contractor with experience in the community. She’s convinced the addition to her home came out so well because her contractor, Webster, a lifelong resident of the area, knew which subcontractors were the best to work with.

Check Credentials Both Webster and Bonnie Strowd, owner of Bathrooms by Bonnie in Chapel Hill, stress making sure that a contractor is licensed by the state. The contractor should be able to produce a copy of his state license or provide the number.

The status of the license can be checked through the N.C. Licensing Board for General Contractors’ Web site, www.nclbgc.net.

Got Insurance? Ask for proof of insurance.

“Say you had plumbers and the house caught on fire,” Webster said. “You need to make sure they have liability in case they were at fault. That way everyone is protected. This day and time there are so many people trying to cut their expenses, and insurance is one of the things they cut.”

Check Work Check references, ask for photographs and visit any current work sites. “I just always believe that if someone isn’t good about giving you information, then what are they not telling you?” Strowd said.

Webster also advises visiting work sites. “If they have junk all around the job site and it looks cluttered, then I wouldn’t go with them,” he said. “Look at the general appearance. If you can live with what you see, that’s a good gut feeling.”

How’s the Communication? Someone who doesn’t listen to what you’re saying raises a red flag.

“We had someone over when we were interviewing contractors for our upstairs project,” Horner said. “He just seemed to give everything a cursory glance, and then he wanted to bring in an architect. We called Wayne Herndon [of Herndon Construction in Pittsboro], and he brought an architect over to see whether the project needed an architect. He said, ‘No. Save your money.’ He wasn’t trying to make the project into something bigger than it really was.”

Strowd also says communication is key, and it works both ways.

“We’re always thinking about the mechanics of what we’re asked to do,” she said. “If you have a contractor come in and say, ‘I don’t know. You tell me what you want.’ That’s pretty much a sinking ship. Someone who’s on their game, they’re going to pump you; they’re going to ask you a bunch of questions beyond your list of what you want.”

She cautions, though, that it is one thing to be educated about choices and another to feel like you’re being bullied.

Project Estimates Take Time Once you get an initial set of names, interview the contractors and then get two to three estimates. An accurate estimate of the cost of a job will take time.

“Ballparking over the phone is the kiss of death,” Strowd said. “You don’t have a clue what you’re looking at.” The contractor Horner eventually chose for her upstairs remodel, Herndon Construction, met with her and her husband at their home and then came back with all the subcontractors he would use. “He didn’t just take a guess at what he thought the whole project would cost,” she said. “He wanted it to be as accurate as it could be. That impressed me.” Her husband also liked that the estimate was broken down by category on a spreadsheet. Go with Your Gut From your estimates, find the ones most compatible with your budget. Then choose the contractor you get along with. “I do always caution people: ‘You get what you pay for,’ ” Strowd said. “The cheapest contractor in town is not necessarily what you want. The cheapest bid should not always be your guide. Pick the one that is most compatible with you and your project.” Webster also cautions, “If you go into a situation with a bunch of bad feelings, don’t do it.”

“When you’re doing a project, you really kind of get involved very personally with people,” he said. “You’re building something for them that is going to make their life better. You need to be able to communicate with them, discuss problems that arise and be able to resolve them. You need someone you like.”

What if you really like a contractor but the estimate is more than you can spend? Strowd suggests calling the contractor and discussing how it can be trimmed, such as choosing a vinyl floor instead of tile.

“People are sometimes timid about that,” she said. “It boils down to finding a contractor that you feel you can work with.”

Do Your Paperwork Once you find a contractor, Webster advises doing the necessary paperwork to ensure there are no surprises.

“It’s always good that the homeowners and the builder have a complete set of working construction drawings, so that everybody knows what is included in the scope of work,” he said. “That protects the builder and the homeowner.”

Contact Catherine Wright at catherine.wright@gmail.com.