How to Choose a Bathroom Remodeler in Arvada

Search the company under Search Contractors on the city's Arvada Permits portal. Arvada licenses all contractors involved in the construction, alteration, remodeling and repairing of buildings, and a contractor must hold that licence before it can obtain a building permit. The Class C General Contractor licence covers one- and two-family homes and costs $100; licences must be renewed every year.

Homeowners working on a house they own and live in are not considered contractors and don't need a licence.

State-licensed plumbers and electricians, not the remodeler's city licence. Plumbing and electrical work in Colorado must be done by state-licensed trades and usually needs a city permit, so ask the pro you're connected with who holds those licences.

Look each name up in the Colorado DORA licence lookup. Which Arvada licence classes cover which trades is set out in the Arvada permit guide.

Then the remodeling firm must follow federal lead-safe rules. Firms doing renovation that disturbs lead-based paint in homes built before 1978 must hold EPA or state firm certification and use trained renovators who follow lead-safe work practices. In Arvada this is common: the median home was built in 1979, and 13,331 of the city's 52,169 housing units date from the 1970s. Ask to see the firm's EPA certificate before demolition.

The scope room by room, named allowances, permits, the waterproofing system and a realistic timeline. An Arvada contractor gives homeowners this checklist for reading quotes:

• Detailed scopes, not just totals: what comes out, what goes in, room by room.
• No vague allowance pricing for tile, vanity and fixtures.
• Whether permits are included.
• The waterproofing system behind the shower tile.
• A realistic timeline.

Add two of your own: which licensed companies do the regulated trade work, and how surprises behind the walls are priced. The cost guide shows what a typical line item costs.

A contractor who wants you to pull the permit, no Arvada licence, a price far below the rest or a business that doesn't exist on paper.

• The contractor asks you to pull the permit. Colorado's state permit office tells homeowners that the contractor they hire is responsible for obtaining the required permits.
• No Arvada licence in the city's contractor search.
• A price far below the rest. An Arvada contractor writes that when a quote seems dramatically lower than others, labor is often where corners are being cut.
• A business that doesn't exist on paper. Check the name in the Colorado Secretary of State business database.

The permit guide explains what unpermitted work can cost you later. How we vet our pros covers the checks this site makes before recommending anyone.