Contractor Interview Questions for VA Adaptive Housing Projects

1. Credentials

• What is your state contractor license number, and in which classifications?
• Can you send me your current Certificate of Insurance for general liability and workers' comp?
• What bond do you carry, and who is the surety?
• Are you CAPS-certified? If not, do you have other accessibility credentials?
• Are you a member of NAHB, NARI, or a local builder's association?
• How long has your business been operating under its current name and license?

Good answer: specific numbers, offered without hesitation, with a current COI emailed the same day. Bad answer: vague, defensive, or "I'll have to check."

2. Experience

• How many VA SAH, SHA, or HISA projects have you completed? Over what time period?
• Are you comfortable handling the VA scope-approval paperwork, or will that fall on me?
• Can you provide three references from veterans you've worked with on VA grants?
• What's the most complex accessibility project you've done? Walk me through it.
• Do you use in-house crews or subcontract out? If subs, how long have you worked with them?
• Have you worked in this city/county before? Do you know the permit office?

Good answer: concrete project examples, references you can actually call, clear ownership of the VA paperwork.

3. Scope and Pricing

• Will this be a fixed-price contract, or time-and-materials (T&M)?
• What's included in the price? What's explicitly excluded?
• Are permits, inspection fees, and dumpster/disposal included?
• Are fixtures and finishes in the price, or allowances? If allowances, what amount?
• How do you handle change orders? Do they require a signed agreement before work proceeds?
• If we discover a hidden condition (rot, bad wiring), how is that priced?
• What happens to unused allowance money — is it credited back or retained?

Good answer: fixed price with a clearly-itemized scope, named fixtures/finishes, written change-order process, transparent allowances.

4. Timeline

• When could you start, and what's needed from me to hold that date?
• How many calendar weeks from start to substantial completion?
• What's your policy on working continuously versus pulling off to other jobs?
• What are the most likely causes of delay on this project?
• Is the timeline in the contract, with a definite substantial-completion date?
• How do you handle supply-chain delays on long-lead items like elevators or custom cabinets?

Good answer: specific dates, honest discussion of risk factors, written completion date. Beware of contractors who say "we'll get it done when we get it done."

5. Warranty

• What workmanship warranty do you offer, and for how long?
• What's the process for warranty callbacks — who do I contact, and what's your response time?
• What manufacturer warranties apply to fixtures (shower, toilet, elevator, lift, cabinets)?
• Do you transfer those manufacturer warranties to me in writing?
• Are there common issues in your past projects you proactively follow up on?

Good answer: one-year workmanship warranty is the industry minimum, two years is better. Manufacturer warranties passed through cleanly. A documented callback process.

6. Communication

• Who is my primary point of contact during the project?
• How quickly do you typically respond to a text or email?
• How often will I get project updates? What form (email, phone, in-person walk)?
• Is there a site supervisor on-premises during active work days?
• What's the escalation path if I have a concern that isn't being addressed?

Good answer: named point of contact, predictable response window (24-48 hours on non-urgent items, same-day on urgent), a regular update cadence.

7. Payment

• What deposit do you require, and how does it comply with state limits?
• What is the milestone payment schedule? How is each milestone verified?
• Are lien waivers provided at each payment?
• When is final payment due, and what must be complete (punch list, final inspection) first?
• For VA-grant projects: will the VA reimburse me, pay you directly, or both — and is the payment schedule set up to accommodate that?
• What forms of payment do you accept? (Personal check is the norm; cash-only is a red flag.)

Good answer: deposit within state legal limits, 4-6 milestone payments tied to observable progress, final 10% held until punch list and inspection clear, lien waivers at each step.

After the Interview

Thank the contractor and let them know your decision timeline. Then, while the conversation is fresh:

• Write down specific answers to the category questions above.
• Note any hedges, hesitations, or answers that didn't quite match earlier claims.
• Verify the license number on the state board website.
• Call all three references, asking specific questions (on time? on budget? responsive to issues?).
• Compare their pricing and scope line-by-line against your other bids.

The right contractor usually stands out clearly by the time you finish this exercise with three candidates.