Here are some good places to start your search:

• Seek referrals from friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, and others who have had remodeling work done.
• Talk to independent trade contractors, building materials suppliers, architects, engineers, home inspectors, and local lenders.
• Look for professional certifications like Certified Graduate Remodelor (CGR) and Certified Aging in Place Specialist.
• Check out the HBA membership directory.

Once you have identified some strong candidates, do even more checking to ensure that these are the kinds of remodelers with whom you would like to do business.

Contact Local Consumer Protection Agencies
Call your local or state consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau to find out if there are any unresolved complaints filed against the remodeler. You should also contact your state's contractor licensing agency and state and local building inspectors to verify that the remodeler has the appropriate license(s) and a clean record.

Interview Previous or Present Customers
An essential step in your decision-making process is to check a remodeler's references. Ask for the names and phone numbers of current and former customers; then take the time to interview them (preferably in their homes so that you can take a look at the remodeler's work).

Some of the questions to ask include:

• Would you hire this company again?
• Did the remodeler maintain a neat work site?
• Did the crew show up on time? Were you pleased with their work style?
• Was your project completed on time and within the budget?
• Was the remodeler easy to talk to and did he or she keep you informed as the job progressed?

The Right Fit
Remodeling is a very personal process. The remodeler you hire will be part of your home life for several weeks or months, so it's important to make sure that your personalities work well together. If, for example, you want to know every detail as the project progresses, you probably won't be happy with a remodeler given to one-word answers.

The bottom line is: Do you feel comfortable with this individual? A strong rapport and close communication with your remodeler will help make any job go well.