The moment you become a homeowner, you know that it’s a huge undertaking that never ends. From window replacements to plumbing repairs, those are just a few of the necessary repairs needed to maintain a long-lasting home.

Unless you’re going to obtain your license as an electrician, plumber, roofer, and foundation specialist, there’s no way you’re going to be able to maintain your home on your own without the help of a professional contractor. True enough, there are indeed small things that can go wrong in your home that you can easily fix, like changing light bulbs, unclogging toilets, and painting over scratches. But when it comes to big jobs like plumbing or electrical work, you’re going to have to enlist the services of a contractor.

But you can’t just hire any contractor or the first one you see online… you want to hire the right contractor. This will require a bit of research on your end. You’ll want to ask friends and family for recommendations, search online and check company websites, and pay these companies a visit and talk to them.

After doing this, you should be able to narrow down your options to a select few companies that you feel are best-suited to meet your home’s needs… But it’s not until you actually meet with the company and the contractors to know if you’re going to be working with a good contractor.

Luckily, there are some tell-tale signs that let you know whether to hire the contractor or not. Take a look at some of the top traits of a good contractor.

Good Contractor Qualities

Knowledgeable

There are contractors out there that are jacks of all trades, and while it’s good to have general contractors handy, it’s also good to know that the contractor you’re working with is knowledgeable in the specific area you need services in. Ultimately, you want to be able to tell a contractor the problem in your home and that contractor be able to immediately know what the problem is, the solution, and the timeframe of how long it will take to fix your issue.

Licensed

All too often homeowners will try to take the cheap way out by hiring an unlicensed contractor. That might be a good temporary solution that fits your budget, but it’s illegal and you’re more likely to not get as good of quality of work done as you had hoped, which, in turn, can end up costing you more money in the long run. Always check to make sure the contractor is licensed… You can even ask about continuing education, like if the contractor or anyone in the crew is taking a licensing course or what the company’s safety measures are.

Remember, you’re the customer looking for contractor services, so if you don’t like something about a company or particular contractor, you can take your business elsewhere.

Has a Good Personality

So personality isn’t at the top of the list of important qualities to look for but it sure does make a difference. When hiring a contractor, you want to work with someone whose personality is compatible with yours. The fact that you’ll be communicating with your contractor quite often means that you’ll be engaging with them till the completion of the job, and you don’t want the timeframe to completion to be miserable for you. Hire a contractor that has is licensed and knowledgeable but has a great personality to match.

Reasonable Price With Skills to Match

You’ve heard the phrase “you get what you pay for,” and that statement couldn’t be any truer than when it comes to hiring a contractor. When a contractor’s price is too low, it’s likely due to poor service and poor quality work. But when the price is high, that doesn’t always mean the quality of work and service is always high, either.

Typically, contractors of good quality service have prices that fall in the mid-range of the pricing scale. That’s why you have to call around to get price quotes from multiple contractors to see which ones have the best price that meets your budget but also is reflected in their skill. A great way to tell if the skill matches their pricing is to ask for references and to see pictures of their previous work.

It’s not always easy to tell if a contractor is good or not, but by being cognizant of these specific traits, in addition to you doing your own research on a company, you’re more likely to run into a good contractor that can provide the services you need at a price that works for you.