Hiring home improvement contractors can be tricky. It would be hard to find someone who hasn't heard of a home contractor nightmare. Some skip town without finishing the job. Others don't show up for appointments or do shoddy work. But, there are good contractors everywhere and good reasons to consider hiring them versus doing your own home improvement remodeling. Here are some tips for finding and hiring the right home remodeling contractor:

• Contact your local chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) for information.

• A good contractor will have a state license (if required where you live), offer a free quote, have specialty experience in the type of project you have in mind, be a member of related trade associations, have lots of experience, and offer references. Do not hire a contractor that is not licensed, bonded and insured.

• Ask the contractor to provide you photos of projects like yours. Get in writing the start and completion dates, and all aspects of the work in detail including clean up.

• Make sure the project follows any applicable building codes. You can contact your local city offices for these ordinances.