You’ve probably heard how important it is to choose the right contractor for your Connecticut home remodeling project. But how do you actually do that? Do you simply go to a builder’s website to see if you can get a feel for his or her qualifications and trustworthiness? To be honest, anybody can put up a great looking website. So where does that leave you?

Of course, reputable builders and remodelers will provide you with a list of referendces—clients for whom they’ve remodeled homes in the past. But just having a list of “satisfied customers” isn’t enough. If you really want to feel comfortable with the remodeler you choose (and you should expect that) you’re going to need to dig a little deeper.

For one thing, you don’t have to rely exclusively on the references your remodeler hands you. Check out a site such as GuildQuality to get an unvarnished, independent opinion.

Another thing you can do is to look beyond the obvious when you’re checking remodeler references. Look for remarks that go deeper than “We’re happy with our newly remodeled home” or “Acme Remodeling exceeded our expectations.” What you really want to know is what kind of experience the homeowner had with the remodeler. Was the remodeler helpful? Was he or she creative and innovative when it was required? How did the remodeler handle problems? (Every job has some.) Did the homeowners feel that the remodeler listened and took their concerns to heart?

And here’s something far too few homeowners do when checking references: Call a couple of the references provided and ask them a few of the questions listed above. Most homeowners are happy to acknowledge a great working relationship and good results—and not afraid to tell you where the experience could have been better.

Having a list of happy customers may be a good start, but you need more information than that if you want to feel confident in the remodeling professional you choose. It’s a small investment of time that can pay big dividends.