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Questions to ask before you hire

Printable checklists for each trade. Ask every pro the same questions so the answers are easy to compare.

Land Clearing & Forestry Mulching

Do you price by the acre, by the hour, or by the job? Is there a fee to bring the machine out?
What size trees can your machine handle? What happens to bigger trees?
Will stumps be ground down, pulled out, or left?
Where does the debris go: mulched in place, hauled off, or burned?
Are you insured, and can I see your certificate?
Do you call 811 to mark buried lines before you start?
Will the work need a permit or erosion-control plan where I live?
Can I get the price, what's included, and the start date in writing?

Pro name: ____________________ Date: __________ Quote: $__________

Is the price by the hour, by the cubic yard, or a fixed bid?
For the driveway: how deep is the stone base, what stone sizes, and will you use fabric under it?
Where will water go? Do I need culverts, and are they included?
Do I need a permit to connect the driveway to the road? Who gets it?
Will you call 811 before digging?
Is hauling dirt off-site included, or is that extra?
Are you insured?
Can I get the price, what's included, and the start date in writing?

Pro name: ____________________ Date: __________ Quote: $__________

Pro name: ____________________ Date: __________ Quote: $__________

Pro name: ____________________ Date: __________ Quote: $__________

Are you licensed in my state?
What does your per-foot price include: casing, grout, pump, pressure tank, water line?
How deep do wells near me usually go?
What happens, and what do I pay, if you hit a dry hole?
Will you do a yield (flow) test and a water test?
Who pulls the permit?
Can you also install the pump, or do you work with a pump company?
Can I get the price, what's included, and the start date in writing?

Pro name: ____________________ Date: __________ Quote: $__________

Do you offer emergency or same-day service?
Can you tell whether it is the pump, the pressure tank, or the switch before replacing anything?
What warranty comes with the pump and the labor?
For treatment: will you test the water first, at a certified lab?
What upkeep does the treatment system need, and what does it cost each year?
Are you licensed for pump work in my state, where required?
Can I get the price, what's included, and the start date in writing?

Pro name: ____________________ Date: __________ Quote: $__________

Have you done long service runs on rural land before? How long was the longest?
Will you coordinate with my electric utility or co-op, or do I need to? Who pays for their part?
Underground or overhead for my run, and why? Who digs the trench?
What size service and wire do I need for the distance, so I don't lose voltage at the far end?
Is the well pump circuit, barn feeder, and panel included in the price?
For a generator: what size do I need to run the well pump, and is the transfer switch included?
Are you licensed where my land is, and who pulls the permit and schedules inspection?
Can I get the price, what's included, and the start date in writing?

Pro name: ____________________ Date: __________ Quote: $__________

How deep will you bury the line for our frost depth?
What pipe will you use from the well to the house and barn, and what size?
Who digs the trench: you or an excavation crew? Is backfill included?
For hydrants and waterers: where does the drain water go, and how do you keep it away from the well?
Will the pressure tank be sized for the pump and the house? Can you check the pressure switch too?
Who connects the house drain to the septic tank, you or the septic installer?
Are you licensed where my land is, and is a permit or inspection needed?
Can I get the price, what's included, and the start date in writing?

Pro name: ____________________ Date: __________ Quote: $__________

Do you work for me (the landowner) or for a timber buyer?
How are you paid: a percentage of the sale, by the hour, or a flat fee?
Will you sell by sealed bid to several buyers?
Will there be a written timber sale contract? What does it say about roads, streams, and cleanup?
Will you check on the logging while it happens?
Can you write a forest management plan? Does it help with cost-share or tax programs?
Can I get the price, what's included, and the start date in writing?

Pro name: ____________________ Date: __________ Quote: $__________

Is the building designed for local snow and wind loads, with engineered drawings?
Who gets the permit?
What is included: site work, concrete floor, doors, windows, insulation, electric?
Are the posts treated for ground contact, or set on concrete piers?
How will you control condensation under the metal roof?
What warranty comes with the building and the labor?
Can I get the price, what's included, and the start date in writing?

Pro name: ____________________ Date: __________ Quote: $__________

Is this shelter tested to ICC 500? Which lab tested it, and can I see the report?
How is it anchored? Will you check for water-table or flooding problems for in-ground units?
How many people does it hold? (FEMA: at least 3 sq ft of usable floor per person for a tornado safe room at a one- or two-family home, 7 sq ft for a hurricane safe room.)
Is the door easy to open from inside, and can it be opened if debris lands on it?
Is a permit needed? Who gets it?
Do you know of any rebate programs open in my area?
Can I get the price, what's included, and the start date in writing?

Pro name: ____________________ Date: __________ Quote: $__________