The 47 Questions To Ask Any NYC Contractor Before You Sign

Licensing, registration & insurance

If a contractor can't clear these five, walk away.

1. 1.Are you licensed as a Home Improvement Contractor in the city and county where my project is? (NYC DCWP, Westchester County, and Mount Vernon each require a separate HIC license.)
2. 2.Can I see a current Certificate of Insurance listing me and my building's managing agent as additional insureds — issued by your broker, not handed to me as a PDF from a prior job?
3. 3.What are your General Liability limits, and — non-negotiable — what is your Workers' Compensation coverage? If anyone on-site is uninsured and gets hurt, the homeowner is personally liable.
4. 4.If anyone on your crew is a 1099 sub, do they carry their own WC policy, and is that policy on the COI too?
5. 5.Are you bonded? If so, with what surety company and in what amount?

NYC permits & DOB

Cutting corners on permits is how homeowners end up selling a house with open violations.

1. 6.Does my project require a DOB permit? If you say no, cite the specific provision of the NYC Building Code that exempts it.
2. 7.Which filing class applies — ALT-1, ALT-2, EWN (Equipment Work), or PW? Who signs the filing?
3. 8.Will you be the permit holder, or will I be? (I should only be a DIY permit holder for very minor owner work — anything structural or trade-related belongs on a licensed filer.)
4. 9.Do you work with a Registered Architect or Licensed PE? Who on your team coordinates with them?
5. 10.Will you use an expediter, and will the expediter's fee appear as a separate line item on my invoice?
6. 11.Who schedules DOB inspections, meets the inspector on-site, and tracks lead times? What's your plan if inspections are 4+ weeks out?
7. 12.If DOB issues a Stop Work Order or a violation during my project, whose cost is it to cure?
8. 13.At closeout, who pulls the permit sign-off and obtains the final Letter of Completion or updated Certificate of Occupancy?

Co-op, condo & HOA projects

1. 14.Have you worked in my specific building, or a comparable NYC co-op or condo, in the last two years? Can you share a reference from that job?
2. 15.Will you handle the alteration agreement, board submission package, and any building security deposit with the managing agent — or is that on me?
3. 16.My building requires specific insurance limits and language on the COI. Will you reissue a COI that matches my building's requirements exactly?

Subcontractors & crew

1. 17.Which trades will you self-perform, and which will you subcontract (plumbing, electrical, HVAC, tile, hardwood, painting)?
2. 18.Are your plumbing and electrical subs individually licensed as NYC Master Plumbers and Master Electricians? Can I see a COI for each?
3. 19.Will the same crew work my project from start to finish, or will people rotate in and out?
4. 20.Who is the on-site foreman? What's their direct cell number — not the office line — if something goes wrong?
5. 21.Is your crew W-2 employees or all 1099 workers? (This affects whether they're covered by your Workers' Comp policy.)

Pricing & payment structure

Vague pricing is where projects go sideways. Get it in writing.

1. 22.Is your quote fixed-price, cost-plus with a Guaranteed Maximum Price, or time-and-materials? What is the exact scope that price buys — room-by-room, line-item?
2. 23.What's the deposit, and does it comply with New York Lien Law §71 (which restricts how a contractor may hold or use a deposit on residential work)?
3. 24.What's the progress-payment schedule, and is each payment tied to a specific milestone — not a calendar date?
4. 25.For change orders and extras, what is your markup on materials and on subcontractor costs? Is that percentage written into the contract?
5. 26.How will you price change orders — hourly, by unit price, or full re-estimate? Is the formula in the contract so I know what to expect before I approve?
6. 27.Will you furnish signed partial lien waivers from yourself and every sub at each payment, and an unconditional final lien waiver at closeout?
7. 28.What payment methods do you accept, and does any method carry a surcharge? (If credit-card payments are allowed, is the surcharge disclosed in writing?)

Hidden conditions & change orders

1. 29.When you open a wall and find asbestos, lead paint beyond RRP scope, mold, or structural rot — what's your stop-work protocol, and who writes the change order before anyone resumes?
2. 30.If you uncover a code violation from prior work, is correcting it included in your scope, or is that a change order?
3. 31.What's your minimum change-order charge (trip fee plus labor)? Is there a price below which you won't write one at all?
4. 32.Do you consider verbal approval binding for change orders, or do you require written (signed, SMS, or email) approval before proceeding?

Schedule & communication

1. 33.Given current DOB and inspection lead times, what's a realistic start date and a realistic substantial-completion date?
2. 34.How often will I get a written status update, and through what channel — SMS, email, or a project portal?
3. 35.What hours will your crew be on-site, and do those hours comply with my building's rules and any local noise ordinances?
4. 36.If weather, permits, or sub availability delay the job, how will I find out, and will the revised schedule be sent in writing?
5. 37.If something urgent happens on-site and my PM isn't reachable, who do I call, and does that person have authority to stop work?

Warranty & punch list

1. 38.What's your workmanship warranty period, and what does it cover — leaks, tile cracking, cabinet alignment, paint failures, caulk/grout within the first year?
2. 39.When do we walk the punch list, and what's your target to complete it? (30 days after substantial completion is the industry standard.)
3. 40.For manufacturer warranties (appliances, flooring, roofing, fixtures), will you coordinate warranty claims on my behalf during the product warranty period?
4. 41.If I withhold final payment against punch list items, is the withheld amount capped at 150% of the reasonable cost of those items (the New York standard)?

Closeout & records

The handoff packet is what separates a real contractor from a fly-by-night.

1. 42.At closeout, will I get a single package containing final permits, DOB sign-offs, trade inspection reports, and material receipts?
2. 43.Will you provide as-built drawings or red-lined mark-ups showing anything that changed from plans — especially plumbing and electrical paths behind finished walls?
3. 44.Will I get operating manuals and warranty registration cards for every installed appliance and fixture?
4. 45.Will you document where concealed shutoffs live — water, gas, electrical panel changes — so future trades can work safely?
5. 46.Do you keep EPA RRP disposal records for any pre-1978 material removed? (Required by federal law; a real contractor keeps these for three years.)
6. 47.What are my rights to photos of my completed project — and what are yours? Do you need my written consent to feature my home in your portfolio, and can I opt out at any time?