To choose a general contractor, write down your scope first, then interview three firms against that same scope. Ask who pulls the permits, who carries insurance, who runs the site daily, what the estimate excludes, how change orders are priced, how payments track progress, and what the warranty covers in writing.

Question to ask	Why it matters	A good answer sounds like
Who pulls the permits?	Illinois has no statewide general contractor license, so your village is the check	“We do, in our name, and you get copies”
Can I see your insurance certificates?	An uninsured injury on your property can land on you	Certificates sent by the agent, naming you
Who is on site every day?	The salesperson is rarely the person running the job	A named lead you can meet before signing
Which trades are subcontracted?	Plumbing and roofing carry their own state licenses	A list of trades, with each sub’s credentials
What is excluded?	Exclusions are where the surprise bills live	A written exclusions list and clear allowances
How are change orders priced?	Most budget overruns start here	Written, signed and priced before the work starts
How do payments line up with the work?	Paying ahead of progress removes your leverage	Payments tied to finished stages, small deposit
How will you keep liens off my house?	Unpaid subs can lien your home even if you paid in full	A sworn statement up front and lien waivers with each draw
What does the warranty cover?	Workmanship promises vary more than people expect	Length, scope and exclusions in the contract

What actually makes a general contractor the “best” one near you?

When people type “best general contractor near me,” they are usually hoping for a ranked list. The honest answer is that the best contractor is the one whose way of working fits your project, your house and your tolerance for surprises. A builder who is excellent at new homes on open lots can be the wrong pick for a 1960s split-level in Mundelein.

A quick disclosure, since it matters for how you read this: this guide is written by A.M. Woodland Construction, a general contractor in Mundelein that does remodels, additions and custom homes around Lake County. We are not a neutral party, so we are not going to tell you who to hire. What we can do is tell you which questions separate a contractor who has thought the job through from one who is guessing, because we get asked these ourselves. If you want names to start interviewing, our list of home remodeling companies in Lake County lays out several local firms side by side, with the same disclosure.

Why “near me” still matters

Distance is not a quality signal, but it does change things. A contractor based in or near your county knows which villages want a plat of survey with the permit application, how long plan review tends to take in your town,. They also show up when something goes wrong in February.

What should you have ready before you call anyone?

The Illinois Attorney General’s home repair guide makes the same point every experienced builder will: before you contact a single contractor, decide the scope and the specifications. It sounds like homework. It is the single thing that makes the bids comparable later.

Write down the scope

List what you want done, room by room. “Open the kitchen to the family room, move the sink to the island, replace the slider with a wider door.” Skip this and each contractor writes their own version of your project, and you end up comparing three different jobs.

Write down what matters to you

Timing (do you need the kitchen back before the holidays?), materials you already have in mind, whether you are living in the house during the work, and how you plan to pay. None of this has to be final. It just gives every contractor the same starting point and keeps you from being sold work you did not ask for.

What are the 11 questions to ask a general contractor before you hire?

These are in roughly the order they come up in a first meeting. Take notes on how each person answers, not only on what they say. A contractor who gets specific without being pushed is telling you something about how they will run your job.

1. Are you registered with my village, and who pulls the permits?

Illinois does not issue a statewide license to general contractors. The state’s licensing agency, the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, licenses roofing contractors but has no general contractor or home improvement license on its list. That leaves registration to each municipality, and the rules differ village to village. Call your building department and ask two things: whether contractors must register or be licensed locally, and whether there are complaints on file. Then ask the contractor directly who will apply for the permits. The answer you want is that they will, in their own name. A contractor who suggests you pull an owner’s permit “to save time” is handing you the code responsibility you are paying them to carry.

2. Can I see your insurance certificates, sent to me by your agent?

The Attorney General’s guide tells homeowners to confirm liability, property damage and workers’ compensation coverage for the contractor and the subcontractors, and to get copies. Ask for certificates of insurance that come straight from the insurance agent, listing your address and the project. A photocopy pulled from a folder may have lapsed months ago. While you are at it, call your own homeowner’s insurer and ask what your policy covers during construction. Some policies change once a house is opened up.

3. Who will be on site every day, and who do I call when something is off?

On many remodels, the person who sells you the job is not the person who runs it. Ask for the name of the project lead or site supervisor and ask to meet them before you sign. Ask how often they will be on site, how they communicate (a weekly call, a shared schedule, texts), and who answers if they are on vacation. A good answer is boring and specific.

4. Which trades are your own crew, and which are subcontractors?

Almost every general contractor subcontracts some trades. You want a straight answer about which ones. In Illinois, plumbers and plumbing contractors are licensed by the Department of Public Health, and roofing contractors by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, so if your job touches either, ask for the license numbers and look them up yourself. The Attorney General also suggests asking subs whether this contractor has paid them on time in the past. It is awkward, and revealing.

5. Have you done this kind of project, in a house like mine, recently?

“Have you done kitchens?” will always get a yes. Narrow it. If you are adding a second story to a 1970s ranch in Libertyville, ask whether they have recently done a second-story addition, and what they found when they opened up the existing framing. For an older Lake Forest home with plaster walls, ask how they price work they cannot see until demolition. Then ask to speak to their most recent finished client, not the reference they hand everyone. Recent jobs show how the company runs today, with today’s crew.

6. What is not included in this estimate?

Inclusions are easy to compare. Exclusions are where budgets go sideways. Ask each contractor to write out what is excluded: permit fees, dumpster and haul-away, drywall patching in rooms next to the work, appliance installation, final cleaning, landscaping repair after an addition. Then look at the allowances. An allowance is a placeholder amount for items you have not picked yet, like tile or light fixtures. A low allowance makes a bid look cheaper on paper, and you pay the difference later.

7. How do change orders work, and how are they priced?

Every remodel changes once it starts, whether you change your mind or the house changes it for you. Ask how a change gets written up, who signs it, and how it is priced: a fixed price per change, cost plus a markup, or time and materials. The Attorney General’s contract checklist includes a description of how change orders will be handled, and you should hold every contractor to that. The rule we would give a neighbor: no extra work starts until the change is in writing with a price on it.

8. What does the payment schedule look like?

Be careful with any contractor who wants most of the money before work begins. The Attorney General’s advice is to tie payments to the completion of specific stages and keep the down payment as small as you can negotiate. A reasonable schedule follows the work: a deposit, then draws at points you can see (framing done, rough inspections passed, drywall hung), with the final payment held until the punch list is finished. If the answer is a date on the calendar instead of a stage of the work, push back.

9. How will you make sure I don’t end up with a lien on my house?

Under Illinois law, as the Attorney General explains, a subcontractor or supplier who goes unpaid can put a mechanic’s lien on your home even if you paid your general contractor in full. The protection is paperwork. You are entitled to request a sworn statement listing everyone furnishing labor and materials and the amounts owed to each, and you should collect signed lien waivers as payments go out. Ask the contractor how they handle both. One who does this routinely will have a form ready.

10. What is the realistic schedule, and what usually pushes it?

Ask for a start date, a duration and the things most likely to move them. In Lake County the honest list usually includes permit review times, inspection scheduling, long-lead items like windows and custom cabinets, and weather for anything that involves a foundation, a roof or masonry. A contractor who says nothing could delay your project is either new or not being straight with you.

11. What does your warranty cover, for how long, and where is it written?

Manufacturers warrant their products. The workmanship warranty is the contractor’s own promise, and its length and terms vary widely. Ask what it covers (labor, materials they supplied, both), how long it lasts, what it excludes, and how you make a claim. The Attorney General’s checklist says written guarantees belong in the contract, along with every promise made while selling you the job.

What does Illinois law require before you sign?

The Illinois Home Repair and Remodeling Act sets out a few things that are not optional for contractors, which also makes them a useful test.

A written contract above the threshold

For home repair or remodeling work costing more than one thousand dollars, Illinois requires a written contract signed by both you and the contractor. According to the Attorney General, it has to state the total cost, including parts, materials and any charge for the estimate, and give the contractor’s name and address. If the business uses a post office box or mail service, the contract must show a real address.

The consumer rights pamphlet

Before you sign a contract over that same threshold, the contractor must hand you a pamphlet called “Home Repair: Know Your Consumer Rights,” and you both sign an acknowledgment that you received it. If nobody mentions it, ask.

The three-day right to cancel

If the sale is made and signed at your home, the Attorney General notes you have three business days to cancel, and a contractor cannot take that right away by starting work early.

What should be in the contract

• The contractor’s full name, address and phone number
• A description of the work, and a detailed list of materials with brand, model, size and color
• The total cost, including estimate charges and additional labor
• How change orders will be handled
• Start and estimated completion dates
• The payment schedule, from the down payment to the final payment
• Written warranties, and every promise made out loud

Never sign a contract with blank spaces, and keep a copy of everything you sign.

What are the red flags that should end the conversation?

The Attorney General’s guide lists the warning signs behind many home repair complaints:

• They knocked on your door uninvited, often with “leftover materials” from a job down the street.
• They push you to sign today, or say the work is urgent because your safety is at risk.
• Their price is far below the other bids, with no explanation of what is missing.
• They want the whole job paid up front, or offer to drive you to the bank.
• You can only reach them through an answering service, or their address is a mailbox.
• They suggest skipping the permit, or ask you to pull it yourself.

Any one of these is a reason to slow down. Two is a reason to walk.

How do you compare three bids that don’t look alike?

Bids for the same remodel can look wildly different, and the lowest one is not automatically the best deal. The Attorney General’s advice is to get at least three written estimates from contractors who have visited your home, based on the same work. To make them comparable:

1. Send everyone the same scope. If a contractor suggests a change, have it priced separately.
2. Line up the allowances. Tile, fixtures, cabinets, flooring. A bid with thin allowances is not cheaper, it is postponed.
3. Line up the exclusions. One bid includes the dumpster and permit fees, another does not. Adjust for it.
4. Compare who does the work. Own crew or subcontractors: both can be fine, but the risks differ.
5. Compare the paperwork. The contractor whose bid already describes change orders, payment stages and the warranty is showing you how the job will be run.

What drives the price in the first place?

We are not going to put numbers on a page like this, because a remodel price only means something against a specific house and scope. What moves it is consistent: how much structure changes (moving a bearing wall or adding a second story is a different job from replacing finishes), what turns up once walls are opened in an older home, the plumbing, electrical and mechanical work that has to be brought up to current code, the finishes you choose, lead times on windows and cabinets, and whether you are living in the house. Ask each contractor which of these they see in your project; the answer shows whether they really looked.

Frequently asked questions

Does Illinois require general contractors to be licensed?

Not at the state level. Illinois licenses some trades, including roofing and plumbing, but there is no statewide general contractor license. Registration and licensing for general contractors are set by each municipality, so check with your village building department.

Is it a bad sign if a contractor uses subcontractors?

No. Most general contractors subcontract specialty trades such as plumbing, electrical and HVAC. What matters is which trades, whether those subs hold the licenses their trade requires, and whether they get paid on time.

Should I hire the lowest bidder?

Not automatically. A low bid often has thin allowances, more exclusions or a different scope. Line the bids up item by item first, and if the low one still holds up, ask the contractor to explain how.

How much should I pay up front?

As little as you can negotiate. The Illinois Attorney General warns against paying for the whole job in advance and recommends tying payments to completed stages of the work, with the final payment held until the work is done and lien waivers are in hand.

What is a lien waiver and why do I need one?

A lien waiver is a signed statement from a subcontractor or supplier confirming they have been paid and will not file a lien against your home. Without them, an unpaid sub can lien your house even if you paid your general contractor in full.

Book a design consultation with A.M. Woodland Construction

If you are planning a remodel, an addition or a custom home in Lake County, bring your scope and these 11 questions and ask us every one of them. We would rather earn the job with straight answers than a quick signature. Book a design consultation or call A.M. Woodland Construction at (847) 338-5689, and see the kind of work we take on on our construction page.