Hiring interview
15 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Concrete Contractor
Tactical vetting questions for comparing bids, confirming risk controls, and getting the contract details in writing before you hire a concrete contractor.
Question bank
Q1Licensing
What license, registration, permit, or inspection path applies to this concrete flatwork, slab, or repair project, and what legal name or number should I verify before signing?
- What a good answer covers
- A strong answer names the legal business, the person responsible for the work, and any state or local license, registration, permit, or inspection path that applies to this project. They explain what may not require a trade license, who pulls permits, and how you can verify status before money changes hands.
- Red flags
- Hesitation about the license number, a different business name on paperwork, or pressure for you to pull a permit is a red flag.
Q2Insurance
Can your insurance agent send a current certificate of insurance for your legal business, including general liability and workers' compensation or a documented exemption, before I sign?
- What a good answer covers
- The pro should offer a certificate sent by the insurance agent, not just a screenshot. It should match the legal business name, list general liability and workers' compensation or a documented exemption, and avoid exclusions that undercut this concrete flatwork, slab, or repair project. They should explain subcontractor coverage and renewal dates.
- Red flags
- A stale PDF, a certificate for another company, no workers' compensation explanation, or 'we have insurance but cannot share it' is a red flag.
Q3Scope
Will your written estimate itemize dimensions, thickness, base prep, reinforcement, drainage, control joints, finish, sealing, and demolition, and clearly list what is excluded?
- What a good answer covers
- Look for an estimate that breaks the job into locations, quantities, preparation, protection, cleanup, disposal, testing, and exclusions. A good scope also says what is assumed, what is optional, who provides access or materials, and what must be approved in writing before the price changes.
- Red flags
- One-line bids, vague allowances, missing cleanup language, or 'we will figure it out on site' are red flags.
Q4Scope
Who will perform specialized work such as excavation, forming, reinforcement placement, pour management, finishing, curing, or saw-cutting, and what parts of the job will be subcontracted?
- What a good answer covers
- Quality answers identify the crew lead, which employees or subcontractors will do the work, and who supervises specialized tasks such as excavation, forming, reinforcement placement, pour management, finishing, curing, or saw-cutting. They explain when the homeowner will meet the crew, what work happens off site, and how subcontractor insurance, scheduling, and cleanup are controlled.
- Red flags
- No named supervisor, surprise subcontractors, or answers that blur who is responsible for specialized work are red flags.
Q5Materials
Which specific mix design, aggregate, reinforcement, vapor barrier, base stone, sealer, color, and curing compound are included, and what substitutions require my written approval?
- What a good answer covers
- A good answer names brands, model numbers, grades, thicknesses, colors, finishes, warranties, and compatible accessories where those details affect performance. The pro should explain why the selected materials fit your home, what substitutions require approval, and how leftover or owner-purchased materials will be handled.
- Red flags
- Unspecified brands, 'contractor grade' with no detail, or substitution rights that let the pro downgrade materials are red flags.
Q6Materials
How will you handle hidden conditions such as soft base, poor drainage, buried utilities, frost heave, failed subgrade, or old concrete thickness before changing the method, materials, or price?
- What a good answer covers
- Expect a method for pausing, documenting, photographing, and pricing hidden conditions before work continues. The pro should describe likely discoveries such as soft base, poor drainage, buried utilities, frost heave, failed subgrade, or old concrete thickness, the unit prices or decision points tied to them, and when a separate specialist or permit review may be needed.
- Red flags
- Open-ended time-and-material language, no photo requirement, or starting extra work before approval is a red flag.
Q7Timeline
What are the earliest start date, expected duration, crew size, and key dependencies for demolition, base prep, forms, pour date, curing time, saw cuts, sealing, and weather delays?
- What a good answer covers
- Strong answers give a realistic start window, crew size, active work days, inspection dependencies, weather limits, and long-lead items. They distinguish calendar duration from days actually on site and explain how delays in demolition, base prep, forms, pour date, curing time, saw cuts, sealing, and weather delays will be communicated before the schedule slips.
- Red flags
- Guaranteed dates without checking materials, permits, weather, or inspections are red flags.
Q8Timeline
At the end of each workday, what will be left usable, protected, secured, or temporarily covered around driveway access, garage access, sidewalks, drainage paths, forms, and wet concrete barriers?
- What a good answer covers
- Good contractors explain what remains usable, what gets shut down, how openings are secured, and how children, pets, vehicles, and neighbors are protected after each workday. They should name the daily cleanup standard for driveway access, garage access, sidewalks, drainage paths, forms, and wet concrete barriers and the person responsible for checking it.
- Red flags
- No plan for overnight openings, utilities, debris, pets, or property access is a red flag.
Q9Payment
What deposit do you require, what milestones trigger progress payments, and what exact condition makes final payment due?
- What a good answer covers
- Deposits should be tied to mobilization, ordered materials, or a clear first milestone, not vague promises. A good answer lists payment dates or milestones, accepted payment methods, lien-release expectations when relevant, and the exact condition that makes final payment due.
- Red flags
- Large cash-only deposits, final payment before walkthrough, or pressure to avoid written invoices are red flags.
Q10Payment
What could change the price of this concrete flatwork, slab, or repair project, and how will change orders be priced and approved?
- What a good answer covers
- A strong answer separates diagnostic fees, trip charges, allowances, taxes, permit fees, disposal, and optional upgrades from the base price. Change orders should be written, priced, approved before work, and specific about how concrete flatwork, slab, or repair project scope, materials, timeline, or warranty changes.
- Red flags
- Blank change-order forms, verbal approvals, or 'we bill whatever it takes' are red flags.
Q11Safety
What safety plan will protect people, pets, neighbors, and property during cement burns, silica dust, heavy equipment, rebar, excavation edges, wet concrete, and truck traffic?
- What a good answer covers
- Listen for a job-specific plan, not a slogan. A good answer covers barriers, ventilation, dust or water control, utility isolation, equipment staging, occupant access, and cleanup for hazards such as cement burns, silica dust, heavy equipment, rebar, excavation edges, wet concrete, and truck traffic. It should also name who has authority to stop work.
- Red flags
- Answers like 'we are always careful' without barriers, shutoffs, containment, or stop-work triggers are red flags.
Q12Safety
How will the crew control utilities, energy, exposure, or access risks such as utility marking, traffic control, dust suppression, washout containment, PPE, fall prevention, and curing barriers?
- What a good answer covers
- Quality answers describe how the crew will shut down, lock out, test, ventilate, or contain the risky part of the job before starting. For this trade, the answer should address utility marking, traffic control, dust suppression, washout containment, PPE, fall prevention, and curing barriers and explain what condition triggers a pause and homeowner approval.
- Red flags
- No named shutoff process, no testing step, or treating occupied-home exposure as routine is a red flag.
Q13Warranty
What labor warranty and material warranty apply, what is excluded, and who handles a callback or manufacturer claim?
- What a good answer covers
- A good warranty answer separates labor warranty, manufacturer material warranty, callbacks, exclusions, transferability, and response time. It should say what documentation you receive, who handles claims, how misuse or pre-existing conditions are treated, and what happens if the same symptom returns.
- Red flags
- Only verbal warranty promises, exclusions revealed after signing, or no callback process are red flags.
Q14Communication
Who is my day-to-day contact, how often will I get status updates, and how quickly do you respond to urgent issues?
- What a good answer covers
- Expect one named contact, a backup contact, and a predictable update rhythm by text, email, portal, or phone. A quality answer says how photos, schedule changes, access needs, and surprises will be shared, and how quickly urgent questions are answered.
- Red flags
- No single point of contact, no written updates, or 'call whoever answers' are red flags.
Q15References
Can you share two recent jobs similar to driveways, patios, garage slabs, sidewalks, stamped concrete, or repair overlays, and what should I ask those homeowners about?
- What a good answer covers
- Good references are recent, local when possible, and similar in size, risk, and materials to your project. The contractor should explain what was comparable, what changed during the job, and invite you to ask about cleanup, communication, schedule accuracy, and callback handling.
- Red flags
- Only anonymous reviews, unrelated reference jobs, or refusal to discuss recent comparable work are red flags.