By the CHC Remodel team in Kirkland, WA · Last updated: October 25, 2026
Most problems homeowners have with remodelers trace back to something they could have checked in an afternoon. This checklist covers those checks in the order you’ll need them, with the Washington rules and Kirkland permit details that generic checklists leave out. For the wider process, from first call to final walkthrough, see our step-by-step hiring guide.
Quick answer: what to check before you sign with a Kirkland remodeler
- Look them up on Washington L&I’s Verify tool.
- Confirm their liability insurance with the insurer.
- Compare written bids that price the same scope.
- Settle who will pull the City of Kirkland permits.
- Check that the contract ties payments to finished work, requires written change orders and includes lien releases.
On residential work of $1,000 or more, Washington law also requires the contractor to give you a signed disclosure statement before work starts.
The checklist at a glance
| Check | Where to verify | What a pass looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Contractor registration | L&I Verify | Active registration under the same business name that appears on the bid |
| Bond | L&I Verify | Bond on file; any lawsuits against it explained |
| Liability insurance | Certificate of insurance, confirmed with the insurer | Current policy at or above the state minimums |
| Workers’ comp | L&I Verify | Active, paid-up account if the firm has employees |
| Electrical and plumbing licenses | L&I Verify | Certified electricians and plumbers doing that work |
| Kirkland business license | Ask the contractor; confirm with the city | Kirkland city endorsement for a business working in the city |
| Lead-safe certification | WA Department of Commerce | Certified firm and renovator if the house was built before 1978 |
| Bids | Your own side-by-side comparison | Same scope, itemized, allowances and sales tax shown |
| Permits | City of Kirkland, MyBuildingPermit.com | Contract names who applies; permit issued before work starts |
| Contract | The document itself | Scope, payment schedule, change orders, lien releases, cancellation terms |
| Disclosure statement | Handed to you before work starts | Signed form showing the registration number and bond amount |
1. Registration and licenses
Look up the contractor on L&I Verify
Washington doesn’t issue a general contractor’s license the way some states do. Contractors register with the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), and that registration is what you check.
Search L&I’s Verify tool by business name or registration number. According to L&I, it shows:
- whether the registration is active
- whether the workers’ comp account is paid up
- any lawsuits against the contractor’s bond
- any safety or construction citations
When the result comes up, check that:
- the registered name matches the name on the bid and contract
- the owners listed are the people you’re dealing with
- the status is active, not suspended or expired
- any bond lawsuits are explained. One old case is a question to ask; several recent ones are a reason to keep looking.
Unregistered contracting is a gross misdemeanor in Washington (WashingtonLawHelp). Registration also matters later: the state’s new Homeowner Recovery Fund only helps if the contractor was registered.
Check who does the electrical and plumbing work
A general contractor’s registration doesn’t make its crew licensed electricians or plumbers. In Washington those trades need their own certification, which Verify also shows. L&I suggests asking who the electrical subcontractor will be and looking them up too (L&I: Protect my home).
Confirm the Kirkland business license
Kirkland requires a business license for businesses located in the city. Non-resident businesses that do business in the city need one too (Washington Department of Revenue). Ask the contractor whether they hold a Kirkland city endorsement on their state business license.
Built before 1978? Ask for lead-safe certification
Renovation, repair and painting in pre-1978 homes falls under lead-safe work rules. In Washington, the Department of Commerce certifies both firms and individual renovators. A certified renovator must perform or supervise the work (Washington Department of Commerce). If your house is that old, ask for the firm’s certificate before demolition starts.
2. Bond and insurance: what they cover and what they don’t
The contractor bond
Every registered Washington contractor must post a bond: $30,000 for a general contractor and $15,000 for a specialty contractor. These amounts took effect July 1, 2024. Contractors registered before then moved to them at their next renewal (RCW 18.27.040).
The bond is not insurance for your project. Three limits matter:
- It’s shared. Employees, customers, subcontractors, suppliers and the state can all claim against the same bond. When claims add up to more than the bond, unpaid employee wages are paid first. Breach-of-contract claims by a party to the contract, such as you, come second.
- It’s capped. The surety never pays more than the bond amount, however large the combined claims are.
- It has a deadline. A homeowner has two years from substantial completion or abandonment of the work to sue on the bond.
Example: On a $150,000 kitchen and main-floor remodel, a $30,000 bond would cover only a fifth of the contract price, even if no one else had claimed against it. That is why the other checks on this list matter more than the bond.
Liability insurance
Contractors must show L&I proof of liability insurance, or an approved alternative, when they register and when they renew. The minimums in RCW 18.27.050 are:
| Coverage | State minimum |
|---|---|
| Damage to property | $50,000 |
| Injury or death, one person | $100,000 |
| Injury or death, more than one person | $200,000 |
Those are floors. Ask what limits the contractor actually carries and compare them with the value of your home and the project.
The same law allows an assigned account in place of insurance. A contractor who uses one must tell you, and recovering from that account requires a court judgment.
Get a certificate of insurance, then call the insurer
L&I Verify shows workers’ comp status but not the details of a liability policy. Ask for a certificate of insurance. Then call the agent listed on it to confirm the policy is current and covers this type of work. Ask whether subcontractors carry their own coverage too.
Workers’ comp
If the contractor has employees, Verify should show an active, paid-up workers’ comp account. L&I warns that if uninsured workers are hurt on your property, you can be left liable for their medical bills (L&I: Protect my home).
3. Bids: compare scopes, not totals
Start every bid from the same scope
L&I suggests getting three written bids. Bids can only be compared if each contractor prices the same work. Give each one the same written brief:
- the rooms involved
- what’s being removed
- any layout changes
- the finish level you want
- who is buying fixtures and appliances
Line items to put side by side
| Line item | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Demolition and disposal | Included, with haul-away |
| Structural work | Beams, framing and engineering if walls move |
| Permits and inspections | Who applies and whether fees are in the price |
| Allowances | A dollar amount per item, and whether it includes installation |
| Electrical, plumbing and mechanical | Specific work listed, done by licensed trades |
| Finishes | A brand, model or grade, not just “standard” |
| Protection and cleanup | Dust control, floor protection, final clean |
| Sales tax | Shown as its own line |
| Exclusions | What the bid does not cover |
| Schedule | Start window and expected duration |
Watch the allowances
An allowance is a placeholder budget for something you’ll choose later, such as tile or a vanity. Low allowances make a bid look cheaper, but you pay the difference later. Ask what each allowance assumes and whether it includes labor.
Make sure sales tax is on the bid
In Washington, a contractor remodeling a home generally collects retail sales tax on the total charge. The taxable amount includes labor, materials, subcontractors, permits and fees, and the rate depends on where the work is done (Washington Department of Revenue). If one bid includes tax and another doesn’t, the totals aren’t comparable.
Question a low bid
L&I puts it plainly: “Often, a low bid is not the least-expensive route.” When one bid is well below the others, go through it line by line. Look for missing work, thin allowances or a vague scope before treating it as a good deal.
4. Permits in Kirkland
Kirkland requires a permit before you build, alter, repair or demolish a building or its electrical, plumbing or mechanical systems. There are limited exemptions (City of Kirkland: Do you need a permit?). Here is how the city’s guidance applies to common remodel work:
| Work | Permit needed for | Usually exempt |
|---|---|---|
| Interior remodel | Adding or removing walls; removing or installing drywall | Painting, tile, carpet, cabinets and similar finish work, if accessibility features aren’t changed |
| Windows, doors, skylights | New openings | Like-for-like window replacement |
| Plumbing and gas | Gas piping changes; new hose bibs | Swapping fixtures in the same place with no plumbing, gas or electrical changes |
| Electrical | Circuit or service changes | Swapping appliances in the same place with no wiring changes |
| Heating | Furnace, heat pump, fireplace, wood stove or gas insert installs | Not listed as exempt |
| Decks | Decks more than 30 inches above grade | Decks 30 inches or lower, not over a basement or story below |
| Walls and fences | Retaining walls or rockeries over 4 feet | Fences 6 feet or lower (zoning rules still apply) |
| Roofing | Re-roofing that involves sheathing, skylights or mechanical equipment | Like-for-like re-roofing that leaves the sheathing in place |
| Siding | Veneer, stucco or EIFS | Non-structural siding replacement |
Three Kirkland details are easy to miss:
- Critical areas. Exemptions don’t apply in flood hazard, wetland, steep slope, shoreline or other critical areas. Lakefront and hillside owners should check their parcel in the city’s Property Search Tool before assuming a project is exempt.
- Electrical permits. Kirkland issues its own electrical permits and inspections; L&I does not (L&I: City electrical permits).
- Driveways. Replacing a driveway needs a separate permit from Public Works.
Applications, inspection scheduling and permit status all run through MyBuildingPermit.com. The contract should say who applies for permits, and work shouldn’t start until they are issued. If you aren’t sure whether you need one, the city asks you to contact Development Services before work begins, at 425-587-3600.
For how permits fit into a full project, see our page on remodeling in Kirkland.
5. The contract
What the contract should spell out
- The contractor’s registered business name, address and L&I registration number
- A detailed scope that matches the bid, with drawings or specifications attached
- The price, allowances and exclusions
- A payment schedule tied to completed stages of work
- A start window and expected duration
- Who obtains permits and schedules inspections
- How changes are priced and approved
- Lien releases from subcontractors and suppliers before final payment
- Site protection, cleanup and working hours
- What happens if something fails after completion, and how you request a repair
- How disputes are handled, and how either side can end the contract
The disclosure statement Washington requires
On residential work of $1,000 or more, Washington contractors must give you a disclosure statement before starting work (RCW 18.27.114). The statement:
- lists the contractor’s registration number and bond amount
- warns that the bond might not be enough to cover a claim
- warns that unpaid suppliers, workers or subcontractors can put a lien on your property
- tells you that you may withhold retainage and ask for lien release documents
You sign it to acknowledge you received it. A contractor who skips it can’t pursue a lien against your property. If no one has mentioned it by the time you’re reviewing the contract, ask for it.
A payment schedule that follows the work
L&I says a down payment is acceptable, but you should pay as parts of the project are completed, following a signed plan. Its advice is “Don’t pay in full until the job gets done” (L&I: Protect my home). Tie payments to milestones you can see, such as a passed rough-in inspection or installed cabinets, so you have a clear check before each one. Be cautious about any request for a large share of the price before work begins.
Change orders in writing
Every change to scope, price or schedule should be a signed change order before the work happens. It should state what changes, what it costs and how it affects the timeline.
Lien releases and the job-site notice
Unpaid subcontractors and suppliers can file a lien on your home even if you have already paid the general contractor (WashingtonLawHelp). Two protections help:
- Lien releases. Ask for them from subcontractors and suppliers before major payments, and always before final payment.
- Job-site notice. On projects over $5,000, the contractor must post a notice at the site naming the owner and the prime contractor, with its registration number (RCW 60.04.230). When a building permit is required, posting the permit can meet this requirement.
Cancelling a contract signed at home
If you signed after a sales presentation in your home, the FTC’s Cooling-Off Rule may let you cancel for a full refund until midnight of the third business day. Exemptions apply, including emergency work, so check the cancellation notice in your contract (FTC). Cancel in writing, send it by certified mail and keep a copy.
Red flags that should stop the process
- The name on the bid doesn’t match an active L&I registration
- Pressure to sign today, or a discount that expires tonight
- A one-line bid with no itemized scope
- A large payment before any work starts, or cash only
- “You don’t need a permit” for work the city lists as needing one
- No disclosure statement, or reluctance to hand over a certificate of insurance
- Changes agreed verbally, with a promise to sort them out at the end
If something goes wrong
- Keep a job file. Put the contract, change orders, payment records and dated photos in one place. Raise problems with the contractor in writing first.
- Bond claim. A homeowner has two years from substantial completion or abandonment of the work to sue on the contractor’s bond (RCW 18.27.040).
- Homeowner Recovery Fund. This L&I program can pay up to $25,000 on court judgments issued after July 1, 2026, if you own and live in the home (a single-family home or a building of four or fewer units; condos are excluded), hold a final superior court judgment against a contractor who was registered, and apply within 90 days after the court case ends. Payment depends on available funds (L&I: Homeowner Recovery Fund).
How CHC Remodel handles these checks
CHC Remodel (Contemporary Home Construction, LLC) is a Kirkland remodeling company at 11335 NE 122nd Way, Suite 105. You can look up our registration on L&I Verify under that legal name. Our CEO, Siamak Firooz, is a structural engineer, and architect and interior designer Marjan Sabounchi is part of our team. That means layouts and structural changes are reviewed in-house before pricing.
We review which permits apply during planning and coordinate them before construction is scheduled. Scope changes are confirmed in writing, with any cost or schedule impact, before work proceeds. You can read how a project runs on our remodeling process page.
If you’re comparing bids for a Kirkland remodel, we’re glad to walk through a proposal with you line by line, ours included. Call (425) 448-6680 or contact us.
Frequently asked questions
Does Washington license general contractors?
Washington requires contractors to register with L&I rather than hold a general contractor’s license. Electricians and plumbers need separate trade certification. You can check both on L&I Verify.
How much is a contractor’s bond in Washington?
It is $30,000 for general contractors and $15,000 for specialty contractors, the amounts in effect since July 1, 2024. The bond is shared among everyone with a claim against the contractor, so it may not cover a homeowner’s full loss.
How many bids should I get for a remodel?
L&I suggests three written bids. Bids are only useful if all three price the same written scope.
Who pulls the permit, me or the contractor?
The contract should say. When the contractor applies, ask for the permit number so you can follow inspections on MyBuildingPermit.com.
How much should I pay upfront?
L&I says a down payment is acceptable, but later payments should follow completed work under a signed plan. Avoid paying in full before the job is done.
What is a lien release?
A lien release is a signed document from a subcontractor or supplier confirming they’ve been paid for work or materials. It gives up their right to file a lien on your home for that amount. Washington’s disclosure statement confirms you can ask for these documents.
Do I need a permit to replace kitchen cabinets in Kirkland?
Cabinets on their own are listed as exempt finish work, as long as accessibility features aren’t changed. Moving plumbing, gas lines or wiring as part of the kitchen work does need permits. If cabinets are part of a larger kitchen remodel, plan the permits from the start.
Planning a remodel in Kirkland?
Use the checklist above with every contractor you interview, including us. When you are ready, tell us about your project and we will walk through scope, structure and next steps with you.
CHC Remodel · Contemporary Home Construction, LLC · 11335 NE 122nd Way Suite 105, Kirkland, WA 98034 · WA registration CONTEHC837KA
Related guides
Verified Credentials
WA L&I registration
CONTEHC837KA
★★★★★ 80+ five-star Google reviews
250+ reviews across other directories
Contemporary Home Construction, LLC (CHC Remodel). Look us up with the same free state tool this checklist recommends.
Planning a Remodel?
Tell us about your project and we will walk through scope, structure and next steps.
