Hiring a historic contractor to restore a home can be a daunting task that requires thorough vetting to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Restoring your historic home is a major project that requires a lot of skill and care. Therefore, finding the right contractor to work with is crucial. While the vetting process can be tedious, following this recruiting guide will simplify it.

Historic home restoration or renovation?

Essentially, restoring a house means bringing it back to its original condition, while renovating means adding something new.

If you want to preserve the features of your historic homes, such as classic cornices and stained glass windows, restoring is the way to go. Landmark home restoration allows you to preserve all the old home features while refurbishing them to look nearly brand new again.

Renovation usually means starting over, and it’s a great option if you prefer a more modern space. During a renovation, you (or your contractor) take out old cabinets, floors, appliances, etc., to replace them with brand new versions. This usually takes more time, labor, and materials, making renovation more expensive than restoration.

Some contractors are experts at restoring historic home features, while others are better at renovations: research, the professional who is right for your project before doing groundbreaking work.

The historic charm of older homes can come with hidden plumbing issues that you need to fix.

Before Hiring a Historic Home Restoration Specialist

First of all, call your local heritage office, historical society, or house museum. The folks there may have suggestions for reputable contractors to work with. You can also ask them about historic home restorations you’ve seen and liked in your area to determine who worked on them. “

Renovating historic homes is more than a job for a general contractor; it’s a passion, “said Bob Tschudil, an Angi Expert Review Board member and general contractor in Raleigh, NC. If your contractor is not enthusiastic about the historical part, you should find another contractor. Historic renovation often requires extra work to make it historically “correct.”

Do your research before hiring a contractor to restore your historic home. Break out that yellow notepad and list potential contractors or companies you want to work with. Check out everyone’s past work and read as many customer reviews as possible to understand their skill level.

Check Your Historic Home Restoration Contractor’s Qualifications and References

When deciding which contractor to hire to restore your historic home, make sure it is fully qualified, licensed, and insured. Licensing requirements vary from state to state, so check your state’s requirements online.

Check the contractor’s or company’s license and see how long they’ve been in business. The longer they’ve worked on historic homes, the more experienced (and skilled) they’ll be.

After you’ve vetted the contractor thoroughly, talk to people they’ve worked within the past. It’s best to target past clients with projects similar to yours, and they can let you know how their overall experience was. And, if possible, you can request a visit to …