How to Hire a Basement Contractor in Illinois

What the state does and does not license

“General contractors are not required to be licensed or certified; however, they may need to obtain a permit from the municipality in which they are to provide contracting services.”

Illinois contractor licensing: general remodeling

The Attorney General's guide adds that roofers are licensed by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, plumbers by the Illinois Department of Public Health, and that a license number should appear on bids and contracts and vehicles (Illinois Attorney General, How to Choose a Contractor). Electricians have no state license; licensing is local. So “licensed contractor” in an advertisement means different things for different trades, and for a general basement finisher it often means a business registration, not a skill test.

The Attorney General's checklist, applied to a basement

• Get recommendations from friends, family, or suppliers such as lumber yards and hardware stores.
• Verify the name and address and visit the business office if possible.
• Check for complaints with the Attorney General, the Better Business Bureau and the local Chamber of Commerce.
• Ask for references and, if you can, inspect those jobs and talk to the customers.
• Compare estimates from at least two other contractors. Use the same drawing for all three.
• Verify public liability and property damage insurance, as the Home Repair and Remodeling Act requires.
• Ask about a guarantee. A one-year general warranty against workmanship defects is common but not required.

Local checks the state does not cover

• Rockford electrical registration. Electrical contractors must register with the city each calendar year ($25, or proof from another Illinois municipality). See the electrical guide.
• Plumbing. Plumbers are licensed by IDPH; Rockford gives plumbing permits to a licensed plumber or the owner-occupant.
• Permit ownership. Ask who pulls the permit and put it in the contract. A contractor who asks you to pull it so they can skip the registration is a flag.
• Radon. Mitigators are licensed by IEMA.
• Lead-safe certification in homes built before 1978; see the lead guide.

Red flags the rules help you spot

• No written contract on a job over $1,000. That is against the Act.
• No consumer rights pamphlet handed over before you sign. The Act requires it on contracts over $1,000.
• A bid that is far below the others with no itemized scope.
• An unwillingness to name insurance or show a certificate.
• Pressure to skip the permit.

What to compare in bids

Compare scope, not total. Does it include the permit, the egress cut, alarms, radon, and moisture work? Price lines against the cost page. The contract terms to require are in the contract checklist.

To search for local help, see the near me guide.

Questions to ask each bidder

• Who will be on site every day, and who supervises?
• Which part of the job do you subcontract, and to whom?
• Show me the last basement permit you pulled in my town.
• What is your plan if we find water or a high radon result?
• What does your written warranty cover, and for how long?
• How do you handle changes, and how do you price them?

Write the answers next to each bid. When two bids differ, the answers tell you which is cheaper because of the price and which is cheaper because of what it leaves out.

Checking the permit record

After the job, ask the municipality for the permit record. It shows who applied, which trades were permitted and which inspections passed. Keep a copy with the contract and the radon reports. If a contractor tells you the permit is not needed, ask the office, not the contractor. That one call prevents most disputes.

Where to go next

This guide sits under Framing and drywall. Every price on this site, with its source and date, is on the basement finishing cost page. If this topic is on your list, these guides cover the neighbouring questions: Illinois Basement Contract Checklist, DIY vs Hiring a Contractor to Finish a Basement, Basement Finishing Near Me in Rockford: How to Choose, and What Is Included in Finishing a Basement?.