7 questions to ask before hiring a general contractor in New Hampshire

Before you hire a general contractor in New Hampshire, ask for proof of insurance, the licensed trades who will do your electrical and plumbing, three real project addresses, and a written contract that spells out price, schedule, and scope. The seven questions below catch almost every common problem in this corridor, on homes and on commercial jobs alike.

Print this list. Take it to the walkthrough. A contractor who will not answer all seven questions in writing is a contractor you do not want building your kitchen or fitting out your storefront.

Question 1: Are you licensed for the trades on this job, and who does them?

New Hampshire does not license general contractors at the state level. It does license the trades. Electricians and plumbers are licensed through the New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC). Any electrical or plumbing work on your job has to be done or supervised by a licensed tradesperson.

So the real question is not 'what is your contractor number,' because there is not one. It is 'who is doing the electrical and the plumbing, and are they NH-licensed?' A good contractor names the electrician and the plumber, and you can verify those licenses yourself on the OPLC lookup.

Question 2: Can I see proof of liability and workers comp insurance?

Ask for a current Certificate of Insurance (COI) showing general liability of at least $1,000,000 and workers compensation coverage. Have the contractor's insurance carrier email it to you directly. Do not accept a photocopy from the contractor's truck.

If the contractor has employees on your job and no workers comp, and a worker gets hurt on your property, that becomes your problem fast. In New Hampshire, where there is no state contractor license backing you up, the COI is the single most important document you will collect. Workers comp is not optional. It is the cheapest insurance on the job site.

Question 3: Can you give me three recent project addresses?

Photos are easy to fake. Addresses are not. Ask for three recent project addresses inside a 30 mile radius, finished in the last 12 months. Drive past two of them on a Saturday. Knock on a door if you feel like it. Most homeowners are happy to talk for two minutes about their contractor.

We run jobs across Salem, Windham, Derry, Nashua, Hudson, Pelham, Londonderry, and Manchester, plus jobs across the line in Massachusetts. We will give you addresses on the walkthrough. The good ones, and the ones where we ran into surprises and how we handled them. Both teach you what to expect.

Question 4: What is your written estimate and what is the line-item breakdown?

A real estimate has line items. Demo, framing, drywall, paint, plumbing, electrical, cabinets, counters, tile, fixtures, permits, dumpster. You should be able to see exactly where the cost goes.

If a contractor gives you a single number with no line items, you cannot compare the line that does not match. You also cannot tell what they are skipping. The line-item estimate is the homeowner's only protection against scope creep on a fixed-price job.

Question 5: What is your payment schedule?

New Hampshire does not cap deposits by statute the way Massachusetts does, so this one is about what you should insist on, not what the law forces. A reasonable deposit is no more than a third of the total, or the actual cost of special-order materials if those run higher. A contractor asking for 50 percent up front on a standard kitchen remodel is asking you to carry all the risk.

A reasonable schedule on a kitchen remodel looks like this:

• About a third at signing (deposit, or the cost of special-order materials if higher)
• About a third at cabinet delivery and installation start
• A quarter at counter installation
• The balance at final walkthrough and punch list complete

The final payment NEVER goes out before the punch list is signed. That is your only leverage. Use it.

Question 6: Who pulls the permits?

The contractor pulls the permits. Always. If a contractor asks you to pull the permits as the homeowner so they do not have to, walk away. They are dodging accountability. When the homeowner pulls the permit, the homeowner is on the hook with the building department, not the contractor.

Permit fees vary by town and scope and appear as a line item in your written estimate. In New Hampshire the permit is pulled locally through your town or city building department, Salem, Windham, Nashua, and the rest each run their own. We pull every permit your job requires and we coordinate the inspector. You sign the homeowner authorization, we handle the rest.

Question 7: What does the contract include?

New Hampshire does not mandate specific contract clauses the way some states do, so a strong contract is on you to insist on. A good New Hampshire home improvement contract includes all of the following. If yours is missing any of them, ask for it in writing before you sign.

1. Contractor's legal business name, address, and telephone
2. Total contract price (or a clear formula for time-and-materials work)
3. A payment schedule that does not front-load the deposit
4. A start date and an estimated completion date
5. A clear, written description of the work and the materials
6. A statement that the contractor will obtain all required permits
7. Proof of general liability and workers compensation insurance attached
8. The names of the NH-licensed electrician and plumber doing the trade work

Remember the federal three-day right to cancel too. Any contract you sign in your home for more than $25 comes with a three-business-day window to back out for any reason, under the FTC Cooling-Off Rule. That is federal, and it applies in New Hampshire. Read the contract before you sign. A real contractor will fix anything missing inside an hour.

What we hand homeowners on day one

On the first day of every Anjo project, the homeowner gets a folder with the contract, the COI, the permit, the line-item estimate, the payment schedule, and Tony's cell phone. Same folder. Every job. Whether it is a small accent wall, a full kitchen, or a storefront fit-up for a commercial tenant.

Print and use

Take this list to your next walkthrough. The contractor who answers all seven questions cleanly, in writing, before you sign anything, is the one you hire. The one who hedges or refuses to answer in writing is the one you do not.

What to do next

If you have already been quoted by another contractor and you want a second opinion in plain English, send their estimate to (978) 216-6455 and we will tell you straight what is missing or off-market. Read our guide on how to verify a contractor is licensed and insured in New Hampshire and what should be in a New Hampshire home improvement contract. When you are ready, book a free consultation.