What should I check before buying a kitchen and bathroom renovation company?

A kitchen and bathroom specialist differs from a general renovator. Ask how a lead becomes a signed project. Your job is to find out how much of that process belongs to the business and how much to the owner. The broader renovation contractor guide covers the general case.

Showroom and design staff

Ask who designs the projects and who clients actually meet. If the designer is the owner, you are buying their eye. If there are employed designers, ask about their pay, tenure and any agreement they have signed. Check whether the showroom is leased, and what the lease allows when ownership changes.

Leads and reviews

Ask where enquiries come from: search, referrals, home shows, designers or builders. Read the online reviews yourself, including the poor ones and how the company answered them. Ask who controls the website, the review profiles and the advertising accounts, and make sure they pass to you.

Suppliers, deposits and trades

Cabinet and countertop suppliers may extend credit or special terms to this owner. Ask which accounts exist and whether a new owner would keep them. Clients usually pay deposits on materials that are ordered months before install, so find out what has been ordered, who has paid and where that money sits. Also ask which trades are employees and which are subcontractors, and how loyal they are.

Callbacks

Request the log of callbacks and complaints, and how each was resolved. A pattern in one trade or one product is more useful to you than a single bad job. Ask your accountant to read the financials with you and your lawyer to review the agreement.