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What You’ll Find in this Article
- The Trust Problem in Modern Home Renovations
Why many homeowners struggle to feel confident when choosing a renovation partner—and how the industry got here. - The Potential Costs of Working with Unreliable Contractors
How poor workmanship, unfinished jobs, and lack of accountability can cost far more than money. - What Does Transparency Mean in Home Remodeling?
What homeowners should expect when it comes to upfront pricing, consistent communication, and verifiable credentials. - How Does Great Day Improvements Bridge the Trust Gap?
How an end-to-end process, trained experts, and decades of experience help homeowners renovate with confidence. - How to Best Evaluate Home Remodeling Contractors
The most important questions to ask, credentials to verify, and red flags to watch for before you commit. - Trust Shouldn’t Be Optional with Your Home Remodeling
Why trust is essential to protecting your home, your investment, and your peace of mind.
We’ve all seen the chat boards, op-eds, and articles written about contractors who broke their contract or produced sub-par work or even walked off the job in the middle of it. In fact, 28% of homeowners struggle to find trusted professionals causing remodeling delays. Situations like these erode our confidence in the profession, but here at Great Day Improvements, we work tirelessly to earn and keep our your trust.
The Trust Problem in Modern Home Renovations
Why Do Homeowners Struggle with Confidence in Contractors
It’s the lemon effect. On paper, contractors often look the same. Their estimates look similar. Their promises sound the same. This leaves the homeowner with the bid-price as the deciding factor.
Very often, the homeowner will go with the lowest bid, inadvertently penalizing the higher quality contractors who have more overhead for insurance, training, and project management.
The market then becomes saturated with the “lemons” because the high-quality contractors are priced out or booked through word-of-mouth recommendations.
The Potential Costs of Working with Unreliable Contractors
The potential costs go way beyond losing your deposit. You lose your time, your peace of mind, and the potential future value of your home.
- The most obvious is losing your deposit. If the contractor fails to finish the job, that money is gone. Very often, a deposit is 30-50% of the job.
- There is the cost of the rework. If the contractor delivers sub-par work, then you’re forced to tear out that work, and start from scratch. This can cost up to 3x more than the original job!
- Finally, the value of your home. Shoddy work is a “lien” on your home. When it is time to sell, a home inspector will flag the renovation that doesn’t pass, and you’ll be required to make the repair.
What Does Transparency Mean in Home Remodeling?
Clear and Upfront Pricing with No Surprises
Right from the start, a contractor should be willing to be open and transparent. One way is through clear and upfront pricing. Instead of receiving an estimate with simply a lump sum on it, you should be given an itemized statement: the exact number of labor hours, the exact number of supply items, and the cost of each.
In addition, you should be given receipts for the supplies and services the contractor pays for as well as what they pay their sub-contractors.
Proactively Consistent Communication
Daily updates should be given to show progress before the next step is taken. For example, you can see the pipes in the wall before the drywall goes up. Then have weekly meetings to summarize the week and preview the following week.
Verifiable Credentials and Proven Craftmanship
Before you enter into an agreement with a contractor, you need a “proof packet” from them. A respectable contractor will expect this. This includes:
- A certificate of insurance. Ask them to have their insurance agent send you a copy of their insurance, so you can be sure it’s up to date. This insurance protects you from liability if there’s a flood or something falls on your neighbor’s roof for example. The policy will pay for it not you.
- A license to operate from the state/local community. You can verify this with your State Contractor License Board once the contractor has given you their number.
- Worker’s compensation. This protects the sub-contractors should there be an injury on the job. With this in place, you cannot be sued for damages.
- A surety bond. This is a financial guarantee that the job will be finished. If the contractor bails on the job, you can file a claim against this bond.
Respect For Both Your Home and Your Time
Remodeling can be a stressful time. You’re worried about the job being finished on time, how it will look, the cost, etc. On top of all that, strangers are in your home.
A schedule should be established ahead of time that work will be completed at a certain time each day—a time of your choosing. If there will be work that is particularly loud or messy, a good contractor will give you a heads up prior to that work starting. Especially if you work from home.
How Does Great Day Improvement Bridge the Trust Gap?
Proven Track Record That Speaks For Itself
The Great Day Improvements brands have been serving homeowners for over fifty years! Project after project they feel confident when selecting Great Day and depositing your hard-earned money with us. Give us a call and see for yourself!
A Trusted Team of Professionals
With Great Day, you know who you’re going to get. It’s always the A-Team because our process is end-to-end. We will work with you from start to finish—from design to installation.
This closes the gap of insecurity because we know who the players are—we trained them!
Transparent Processes to Keep You Informed
At Great Day, we are an open book. Every step of the way is drawn out for you from start to finish. No surprises here. We can walk you through each step from replacing your windows, to finishing your kitchen or bathroom, to replacing your roof!
How to Best Evaluate Home Remodeling Contractors
What Questions You Should Ask
- Who is in charge? You need to vet the person who will actually be in your house running things—not the salesperson or the owner of the business.
- What part of the job will be completed by your company and what part by subcontractors? If the contractor can’t answer with specific details, that’s a red flag. At Great Day, we do everything in-house!
- How do you handle change orders? A good contractor will give you a written estimate for a change before proceeding. A shady contractor will tell you not to worry about it until the end.
Identify the Red Flags
- The “cash only” discount. If a contractor is offering a cash-only discount—say goodbye. This usually means they’re trying to avoid paying taxes.
- Large deposit requirement. This generally means the contractor is cash-poor.
- Aggressive low-ball bid. This is usually a trap. Later down the line, you’ll be hit with large change orders.
Trust Shouldn’t Be Optional with Your Home Remodeling
This is your home. What you do with it is up to you. In every facet of industry, there are bad actors. However, the good ones out there make up for the ones that are not. Not to mention, there’s so much to be excited about in the world of remodeling for the upcoming year. Check out the State of American Home Renovation Annual Report to see what homeowners have planned! At Great Day, we strive to earn our customers’ trust with each and every job. See our completed projects for yourself!
Key Takeaways About Trust in Home Renovations
- Trust is the most critical factor in a successful home renovation, impacting cost, timelines, and peace of mind
- Low bids and unclear processes often lead to unfinished work, costly rework, and long-term home value issues
- Transparency—through upfront pricing, clear communication, and verified credentials—protects homeowners
- Respect for your home, your time, and your questions is a clear signal of a reliable renovation partner
- Great Day Improvements builds confidence by owning the entire process, delivering accountability from design through installation
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is trust so important in home renovation projects?
Trust is the foundation of a successful home renovation because you’re inviting experts into your home and investing significant time and money. Without trust, homeowners often experience stress, delays, unexpected costs, or unfinished work. A trusted home improvement partner provides transparency, accountability, and clear communication—so you can renovate with confidence instead of uncertainty.
What are the biggest risks of hiring an unreliable remodeling contractor?
Working with an unreliable contractor can lead to lost deposits, costly rework, project delays, and even reduced home value. Poor workmanship may be flagged during a future home inspection, forcing repairs before you can sell. That’s why choosing a proven, accountable home improvement company matters far beyond the initial price.
How can homeowners tell if a renovation company is trustworthy?
A trustworthy home renovation company will offer clear, itemized pricing, consistent communication, and verifiable credentials. Look for proof of insurance, proper licensing, worker’s compensation, and bonding. Just as important: they should respect your home, your time, and your questions—without hesitation or pressure.
What does transparency mean in the home remodeling process?
Transparency in home remodeling means no surprises. Homeowners should receive upfront, detailed pricing, regular progress updates, and clear explanations before any changes are made. A transparent process keeps you informed at every step—from design decisions to installation—so you always know what’s happening in your home.
Why do low renovation bids sometimes lead to higher costs later?
An unusually low bid can be a red flag. These offers often leave out necessary labor, materials, or project management—resulting in expensive change orders later. In many cases, homeowners end up paying significantly more than expected. Investing in quality and accountability upfront helps protect your budget and your peace of mind.
What questions should homeowners ask before choosing a renovation partner?
Homeowners should ask who will manage the project day-to-day, what work is handled in-house versus outsourced, and how change orders are managed. Clear, confident answers signal a company that values transparency and respect. If responses feel vague or evasive, it may be time to keep looking.
