Questions to Ask a General Contractor in Longview, WA

Ask for the legal business name and Washington contractor registration number, then use L&I Verify. Match the business, owners and current registration to the proposal. Review bond, insurance and any available citation or bond-claim information. Do not rely on a vehicle name, marketplace profile or salesperson’s name when the contracting entity is different.

Ask the contractor to describe dimensions, retained and removed items, products, performance, connections and visible transitions. Require drawings or schedules where words are ambiguous. A scope that says remodel room or repair wall does not establish what is included. Every bidder should price the same completed condition.

Ask for exclusions beside the related scope, not in a generic disclaimer. Common gaps include demolition, disposal, substrate repair, utility relocation, painting, flooring transitions, temporary service and permit fees. An exclusion may be reasonable, but it must remain visible when you compare totals.

Longview Building Division provides building, plumbing, mechanical and inspection services. Ask who contacts the City, prepares documents, answers corrections, pays fees, schedules inspections and secures final approval. Confirm the address and complete scope with the City rather than accepting an unsupported claim that no permit is needed.

Ask for the legal electrical, plumbing or other specialty business before work begins. Verify applicable credentials separately. General contractor registration does not prove specialty authorization. The schedule should show rough work, inspection and closure dependencies for each trade.

Ask the contractor to list assumed quantities, access, retained conditions, work hours, products and owner responsibilities. For concealed conditions, request a bounded investigation or measurable unit rate. A lower total may simply include more unspoken assumptions and less restoration.

Ask for selection, approval and access deadlines and the consequence of missing them. Link cabinet, fixture, equipment and finish decisions to ordering and rough-in. A useful schedule shows dependencies—design, permit, procurement, demolition, inspections and finishes—not only a start date and duration.

Ask to see the change format. It should identify the discovered condition or owner request, supporting photo or measurement, revised work, price, schedule effect and approval. Except immediate safety or weather protection, permanent added work should not proceed first and become an invoice later.

Ask about dust barriers, floor and landscape protection, delivery routes, debris, weather closure, shutdown notices, pets, security and daily cleanup. Define who repairs damage caused by access or staging. Site protection is part of the delivered scope, not an optional courtesy.

Ask what work, inspection, delivery or accepted milestone supports each payment. Clarify deposits, stored materials, allowances, changes and retainage where applicable. Avoid a schedule based only on calendar dates. Final payment should follow approval, punch-list resolution and delivery of closeout records.

Ask for planned photographs, tests, measurements and inspections at framing, flashing, waterproofing and rough utility stages. Identify who reviews the evidence and authorizes closure. A promise to take pictures is weaker than named checkpoints in the schedule.

Ask for an example closeout list: permits, approvals, inspection results, concealed-work photos, product data, warranties, care instructions, colors, model numbers and resolved punch list. Confirm who handles unfinished corrections and how warranty requests are submitted. The answer shows whether completion has been planned from the start.