Step 1: Verify the MHIC license — yourself, online
Home improvement work in Maryland requires a Maryland Home Improvement Commission license; ours is MHIC #117311, held by Eagle Remodeling Services LLC. Verify any contractor's license status on the Maryland Department of Labor's public lookup before money moves — a printed card or a logo on a truck is not verification. An unlicensed contractor's work carries no MHIC Guaranty Fund protection, which is the fund that can compensate you if a licensed contractor's work goes wrong.
Step 2: Read the quote for what is missing
The cheapest quote is usually the one with the most silence in it. Compare line by line: permits included? Dumpsters and demo? Which cabinet line, which counter material, how many electrical fixtures? Are allowances (placeholder budgets) realistic or bait? A fixed-price, line-item quote like ours costs the contractor more effort up front — that effort is the product you are actually buying. Our process page shows how a quote is built, and the pricing guide publishes our ranges before you ever call.
Step 3: Warranty, insurance and the contract itself
Ask for the warranty in the contract, not in conversation: we write a 5-year workmanship warranty and carry $2M in general liability insurance, and the certificates should be available on request. Maryland law limits deposits on home improvement contracts — a demand for most of the money up front is a legal red flag, full stop. The contract should name the scope, the price, the payment schedule tied to progress, and the start and completion framework.
Step 4: Who actually builds it?
Ask who will be in your house: employees or a chain of unknown subcontractors? How are change orders priced — in writing before the work, or discovered after? Who files the permits (it should never be you)? The answers separate a design-build firm from a sales organization with a toolbox. Then check the reviews and call us out on ours — we would rather earn the project at your table than win it in an ad: call (240) 266-8317.
Frequently asked questions
How much deposit can a Maryland contractor legally require?
Maryland law caps home-improvement deposits at one-third of the contract price. Anything beyond that before work begins violates the Maryland Home Improvement Law — treat it as a disqualifier.
What is the MHIC Guaranty Fund?
A state fund that can compensate homeowners for losses from a licensed contractor's incomplete or incorrect work, up to statutory limits. It only covers work done by MHIC-licensed contractors — one more reason the license check comes first.
Should I get three quotes for a remodel?
Two or three serious, line-item quotes is the sweet spot. More than that usually means comparing sales presentations instead of scopes. Compare what is included, not just the totals.