Ask First, Hire Once
Who’s actually going to be in your house every day for the next few months?
What happens to the budget if something ugly turns up behind a wall?
How do you tell a real remodeler from someone who just bought a truck and a logo?
Around here in Odessa and Midland, most homeowners we sit down with have already had a bad run with a contractor.
In this post, you’ll learn the 9 questions that separate a contractor worth hiring from one worth skipping, covering experience, credentials, references, pricing, communication, permits, and warranty.
By the end, you’ll know exactly what to ask before you sign anything, and what a straight answer sounds like.
9 Questions to Ask a Remodeling Contractor Before You Hire
Before you hire a remodeling contractor, ask these 9 questions:
- How long have you been remodeling?
- Have you done projects like mine?
- Are you licensed and insured?
- Can I see references and finished projects?
- Will I see a design and an itemized quote before work starts?
- Who manages my project?
- How will you keep me updated?
- Who handles the permits and inspections?
- What warranty backs your work?
Our Answers to These Questions
| Question | 360° Construction’s Answer |
|---|---|
| How long have you been remodeling? | We’ve been remodeling since 2018. |
| Have you done projects like mine? | We stick to kitchens, bathrooms, whole-home remodels, and new construction, and we’ve done full whole-home remodels for folks in both Midland and Odessa. |
| Are you licensed and insured? | [FLAG – Brain has no documented licensing, insurance, or bonding details for 360 Construction. Wrote this section as buyer guidance only, with no coverage claims about 360 imported. Confirm 360’s general liability, workers’ comp, and any city or trade licensing with the client, then add 360’s own answer here before publishing.] |
| Can I see references and finished projects? | Yes. Look through our featured project pages, our testimonials page, and our Gold Award win in the 2025 MRT Readers’ Choice awards. |
| Will I see a design and an itemized quote before work starts? | Yes. Our in-house drafting team builds detailed Chief Architect 3D renderings so you see your space before a single wall moves, then you get an itemized quote with clear pricing and the options laid out. |
| Who manages my project? | The owner stays close to the work, and a dedicated project manager runs the day-to-day on-site. |
| How will you keep me updated? | You stay in the loop with daily check-ins, JobTread schedule updates, quick replies, and a client portal that follows your project from the first consultation to the final walkthrough. |
| Who handles the permits and inspections? | We handle all the necessary permits, engineering, and inspections. |
| What warranty backs your work? | All of our workmanship is backed by a 2-year labor warranty. |
1. How Long Have You Been Remodeling?
Time in business is worth something.
It mostly means a company has stuck around and learned how to finish what it starts.
Ask how long they’ve been remodeling, not just how long the doors have been open.
A long stretch of steady work is a good sign.
360° Construction has been remodeling since 2018.
2. Have You Done Projects Like Mine?
Plenty of contractors stay busy without ever doing your kind of job.
Someone who’s done a hundred bathrooms might never have touched a whole-home remodel.
Those are a different animal, with more moving parts and more trades to line up.
Ask to see work like yours, and ask how recently they did it.
We stick to kitchens, bathrooms, whole-home remodels, and new construction in the Midland and Odessa areas.
3. Are You Licensed and Insured?
This one protects your wallet if something goes wrong.
Texas doesn’t require a statewide license for residential general contractors.
Trades like plumbing and electrical do get licensed, and some cities add their own rules.
Two kinds of insurance matter here:
- General liability, which covers damage to your home.
- Workers’ comp, which keeps you off the hook if someone gets hurt on your property.
Ask to see proof, not just a yes, and make sure it’s current.
[FLAG – Brain has no documented licensing, insurance, or bonding details for 360 Construction. Wrote this section as buyer guidance only, with no coverage claims about 360 imported. Confirm 360’s general liability, workers’ comp, and any city or trade licensing with the client, then add 360’s own answer here before publishing.]
4. Can I See References and Finished Projects?
A portfolio shows you the quality of the work.
References tell you what the people behind it are like once the job’s going.
Ask for projects close to yours in size and style.
Then call a past client.
Ask if the work finished on time and how problems got handled.
A contractor who’s proud of the work hands it over without blinking.
You can do that homework on us before you ever pick up the phone:
- Featured project pages that walk through completed remodels from start to finish.
- A testimonials page with feedback from homeowners we’ve worked with.
- A Gold Award win in the 2025 MRT Readers’ Choice awards.
Look through it, then decide for yourself.
5. Will I See a Design and an Itemized Quote Before Work Starts?
A one-line quote hides a lot of guesses.
A real design and an itemized quote let you compare bids fairly. They head off most of the mid-project surprises, too.
Ask whether the contractor designs the space first.
And ask whether the quote breaks out labor and materials instead of one lump number.
If you can’t tell what’s included, you can’t tell what you’re paying for.
Our in-house drafting team builds detailed Chief Architect 3D renderings. You see your space before a single wall moves.
Then you get an itemized quote, with clear pricing and the options laid out.
No shortcuts, no surprises.
[FLAG – Brain has no documented deposit amount or payment schedule for 360 Construction. Described only the 3D design and itemized quote that are documented; no payment percentages or draw stages imported. Confirm deposit and payment-stage details with the client.]
6. Who Manages My Project?
You need one clear point of contact before the work starts.
Ask who’s running the day-to-day on site, and who you call when a question comes up.
On a lot of jobs, that person changes partway through or goes quiet.
That’s how things slip through the cracks.
On our jobs, David, the owner, stays close to the work. A dedicated project manager runs the day-to-day on-site.
7. How Will You Keep Me Updated?
Here’s the biggest gripe after a remodel: not hearing a word from your contractor.
Ask how often you’ll hear from them, and how they’ll reach you.
The way a contractor talks to you before you sign is how they’ll talk to you once the crew shows up.
With us, you stay in the loop with daily check-ins, JobTread schedule updates, quick replies, and a client portal that follows your project from the first consultation to the final walkthrough.
8. Who Handles the Permits and Inspections?
The contractor should pull the permits, not hand that chore to you.
If one asks you to pull permits in your own name, treat it as a red flag.
It usually means they’re not properly licensed or insured and don’t want their name on the paperwork.
Permits also set up the inspections that prove the work was done right.
Ask straight out who’s responsible.
The answer should be them.
We handle all the necessary permits, engineering, and inspections.
Whether you’re in Odessa, Midland, or a nearby West Texas town like Greenwood or Monahans, your project meets local rules without you chasing down the city.
9. What Warranty Backs Your Work?
When a contractor offers a warranty, they’re backing the work with their own money.
Ask what’s covered and for how long.
And ask what happens if a problem turns up after the crew’s gone.
A workmanship warranty covers the labor and the install.
The materials usually carry their own warranties from the manufacturers.
If the answer’s short or fuzzy, that tells you how sure they really are.
We back all of our workmanship with a 2-year labor warranty.
That’s how we work the whole way through: with craftsmanship we’ll put our name behind.
What else do you need to find the right contractor?
You Can Trust 360° Construction From First Question to Final Walkthrough
We built our process around the answers most homeowners wish they got from every contractor: a hands-on owner on the job, a dedicated manager running the daily work, and clear pricing from day one.
We’ve remodeled kitchens, bathrooms, and whole homes this way since 2018.
When you’re ready, fill out our contact form today or give us a call, and we’ll start with precise measurements and a 3D rendering so you can see your space before any work begins.
