If you have hired an architect and are happy with them, ask them for recommendations. Through most of my years as a contractor, I never had to look for work. Once I worked with an architect, and they got to know the quality of my work and the way that I operated, they would send clients my way. An architect is not likely to recommend a contractor that they have found difficult to work with or over-charged for services. Just check to see if there is any financial relationship between the architect and the builder.

"But, I don't know anyone that can recommend a contractor, and I don't have an architect," you say. Well, then you have your work cut out for you. Here's what I would suggest. Take a drive around your neighborhood and look for projects that are under way. Those nearing completion are best, because you want to talk to the homeowners to see how they like working with their builder. If the homeowner isn't around when you stop by, that's ok, just find the lead carpenter, foreman, supervisor or on site builder/contractor. Tell them you are planning a project and would be interested in discussing it with them. Let them know you would like to talk to the owners of the home you are visiting. If their relationship is good, they will be happy to ask the owners if you can contact them.

Now that you have the names of some contractors (yes, you probably want to talk to at least three unless you feel really good about the one you are considering), you need to meet them. A quick chat on the phone should address such things as their availability (Will they be able to do the work in the time period that you require?). Set up a time to sit down and talk, preferably in your home or at the location where the work will take place. This meeting should cover all the basics of how the contractor does business as well as your expectations. You should come away from this meeting with a list of references and your gut feeling about the man or woman that will become a part of the family for the duration of the project. A major remodeling project can take several months, will inevitably introduce stress into your life, and will affect you every day for years to come.

Once you have decided which one (or two or three if you must) you would like to handle your project, it's time to get a bid. I would highly recommend working with a contractor that will provide a fixed price bid. Such a bid will contain "allowances" for anything that has not yet been fully specified, and the price will be adjusted when specifications are available. Producing a quality bid is a time consuming effort, the cost of which is generally not billed to you, but must be included in a contractor's cost of doing business, so don't make multiple contractors bid on a project just so that you can pick the lowest bid. It is far more important to the final outcome to pick a well respected individual that you like working with than trying to squeeze every penny you can out of the cost.