Home remodeling is an important decision. Making sure the job is done right means being patient and doing your research. The Ventura County Contractors Association is here to help by educating consumers on how to hire a good contractor. Come see them at the 16th Annual Home Remodeling Show April 21-22 at the Westlake Hyatt Hotel in Westlake Village.

How many bids should you get on your kitchen, spa or bath project? Is the contractor licensed? Do they have references? These are a few of the questions and answers that Ventura County Contractor's Association (VCCA), Ventura County's oldest construction industry association will be giving homeowners as they set up their consumer booth at the upcoming Home Remodeling Show at the Westlake Hyatt in Westlake Village April 21-22.

"People want to know how to find and use a local contractor," says Garry Oswald, president of the Ventura County Contractors Association, "And we can provide a lot of good information on how to hire one." In addition to providing state sponsored information brochures, the nearly 600 member association will be recruiting new members at the show.

It's important to entrust your home to someone you can count on for your remodeling needs. With such high demand there is danger of unlicensed contractors trying to take on your project, despite the financial danger they could place you in. "We know people who tell us stories all the time about their experiences with unlicensed contractors", says Robert Weich, executive director of the VCCA. "Our association is here to thwart those activities by providing a clearing house for licensed, insured, bonded and reputable contractors."

The most important step in your remodeling project is to find a reliable, qualified contractor, so be prepared to do some research.The Ventura County Contractors Association recommends that homeowners use the following guidelines when choosing a contractor:
* Determine whether you need a general contractor or a specialty contractor. General contractors oversee jobs that require more than one type of work on a building, i.e. if your kitchen remodeling job requires plumbing, electrical and carpentry a general contractor should be hired.

* Check the contractor's license. Any contractor performing a job over $500 must be licensed by the Contractors State License Board. Ask for additional ID to make sure the names match.

* Ask for a list of references, including past clients and building materials suppliers, to see if the contractor is reliable and has a good reputation. Contact your local better business bureau (VCCA) to determine financial stability and research any complaints against the contractor.

* Make sure the contractor has workers' compensation and liability coverage. Ask for a copy of the certificate of insurance.

As a reminder, the VCCA reminds consumers to be patient when searching for a contractor since good contractors may be booked for several weeks, but are worth the wait.

Remodeling single-family homes continues upswing
Sales of new single-family homes fell 3.9 percent in February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 848,000, the lowest level since August of 2000, according to figures released today by the U.S. Commerce Department. The February fall-off followed downward revisions to the sales rates for the three previous months.

Remodeling activity however remained steady in the fourth quarter of 2006, according to the National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) Remodeling Market Index (RMI). The current market conditions index edged up slightly from 47.8 to 48.2 on a seasonally adjusted basis and future expectations moved up to 46.0 from 45.4. The RMI measures remodeler perceptions of market demand for current and future residential remodeling projects.

"Remodeling retained strength across most of the country compared to late last year," said NAHB Remodelers Chairman Mike Nagel, CGR, CAPS, a remodeler from Chicago, Ill. "Certainly regional economies and housing markets play an important role, but overall we see maintenance of high levels of remodeling activity and solid future prospects."

The RMI component for the rental market indicated a strong increase in activity for that sector in the forth quarter of 2006. "Though the substantial reductions in home sales and new housing production have impacted the remodeling market to some degree, we feel that remodeling of both owner-occupied and rental housing will remain strong compared to other areas of the industry," said NAHB Chief Economist Dave Seiders. "With record levels of homeowner equity and the constant need to upgrade the older housing stock, the remodeling outlook appears quite good for years to come."

The Ventura County Contractors Association is a non-profit membership association of qualified general contractors, subcontractors, building material suppliers and many other leading construction industry businesses. For a list of certified professionals visit the Ventura County Contractors Association's website at www.vccainc.com

Offices are at 1830 Lockwood Street, Suite 110, Oxnard, CA 93036. For more information, call (805) 981-8088.