Hiring the wrong contractor is one of the most stressful — and expensive — mistakes a homeowner can make. We’ve heard the horror stories: projects that dragged on for months past the promised date, bids that ballooned far beyond the estimate, or work that had to be torn out and redone entirely. The good news is that most of these situations are avoidable if you know what to look for before you sign anything.
This guide is built specifically for Portland-area homeowners navigating the local contractor market. Here’s how to hire well.
Step 1: Verify their Oregon CCB license
In Oregon, contractors who perform residential construction must be licensed through the Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB). Licensing isn’t just a formality — it means the contractor carries the required insurance, has passed a business law exam, and can be held accountable through the state if something goes wrong.
Verifying a license takes about 60 seconds on the Oregon CCB website. Any contractor unwilling to provide their license number should be an immediate disqualifier. At Rank’s Construction, we’re fully licensed and happy to share our credentials upfront.
Step 2: Get at least three bids — but don’t just compare numbers
Three bids is the industry-standard minimum for any significant project, and for good reason: the spread in pricing will tell you a lot about the market and about each contractor’s assumptions. But a low bid isn’t necessarily a good bid.
Compare what’s actually included in each bid. Are materials specified by brand and grade? Is demolition and disposal included? What about permits? Two bids at similar dollar amounts can represent very different projects.
Step 3: Ask about communication — specifically
More remodels go sideways because of poor communication than because of bad craftsmanship. Before you hire anyone, ask these questions directly:
A contractor who can answer these clearly and confidently has thought through the process. One who gets vague or dismissive is showing you exactly what the project will feel like.
Step 4: Read the contract carefully — all of it
A solid contract protects both parties. Before signing anything, make sure the following are clearly spelled out: the full scope of work, payment schedule tied to project milestones (not arbitrary dates), materials to be used, the process for handling change orders, a realistic project timeline with a completion date, and warranty terms for both labor and materials.
Never pay more than 10–15% upfront as a deposit. Any contractor demanding 50% or more before work begins is a red flag in Oregon’s market.
Step 5: Check references — and actually call them
Online reviews are useful, but nothing beats a direct conversation with a past client. Ask if you can speak to someone whose project was similar to yours in scope. When you call, ask how the project compared to the original timeline and budget, whether they’d hire the contractor again, and whether there were any issues — and how they were handled.
The best contractors have clients who enthusiastically refer them. Our work across the Portland metro speaks for itself, and we’re always glad to connect prospective clients with past homeowners.
A note on the Portland permit process
Many remodeling projects in Portland require permits through the Bureau of Development Services. A reputable contractor will pull the required permits before work begins — not after, and certainly not skip them to save time. Unpermitted work can complicate insurance claims, create issues at resale, and in some cases require full demolition to pass inspection later.
If a contractor suggests skipping permits to “keep costs down,” walk away. The risk falls entirely on you as the homeowner.
Hiring the right general contractor takes a little more time upfront — but it’s the single biggest factor in whether your remodel is a great experience or a painful one. We built Rank’s Construction around the belief that the process should be as good as the result. Reach out for a free estimate and see what that looks like in practice.