Five tips on choosing a home contractor, part of the CBC News and Business in Vancouver series 'Renovation Reality' on the home reno business.

1. Don’t give into sales pressure. If a contractor shows up to your door offering services, ask to take their business card or flyer. Do not let a person pressure you into signing up. Let them know you will contact them after consulting with your spouse or partner.

2. Be picky and have lots of options. Seek at least three bids from prospective contractors based on the same specifications, materials and labour needed to complete the project. Homeowners should discuss bids in detail with each contractor and ask questions about variations in pricing. The lowest-priced contractor may not be the best.

3. Make sure they are insured. Consumers should ask whether the company is insured with WorkSafe BC against claims covering workers' compensation, property damage and personal liability in case of accidents. Consumers should obtain the name of the insurance carrier and call to verify coverage.

4. Know where your responsibilities lie. The homeowner is responsible for ensuring all contracted work conforms to zoning bylaws and ensuring prompt payment according to the requirements of the law. The contractor is responsible for identifying necessary permits and ensuring all legal requirements are satisfied; removal of construction debris when the job is finished; warranties on all contractor-supplied work and materials for a period of at least one year.

5. Get everything in writing. Read and understand the contract before signing. Get all verbal promises in writing. Include start and completion dates in the contract. Homeowners must hold back 10 per cent of the contract price until 55 days after the general contract is substantially completed, abandoned, or otherwise ended to ensure that all subcontracted companies are paid. This way, if there are liens from workers who did not get paid from the original contractor, the holdback may be used to help pay these liens.

Source: Better Business Bureau, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

Here are the 10 home renovations people spend money on.

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  • Bathroom Remodeling

    According to the survey, bathroom remodeling is the most requested job in the United States, accounting for 78 percent of renovations. (Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lavenderstreak/3467886673/sizes/l/in/photostream/" target="_hplink">Lavenderstreak</a>)

  • Kitchen Remodeling

    69 percent of all jobs requested were for kitchen remodeling according to the survey, making this the second most popular job. (Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/davef3138/4716162360/sizes/l/in/photostream/" target="_hplink">davef3138</a>)

  • Window/Door Replacement

    Here's a not-so-surprising result: 44 percent of renovation jobs were for window/door replacement. We included this project in our post on <a href="http://www.stylelist.com/2012/07/16/home-remodeling-projects_n_1672729.html?utm_hp_ref=stylelist-home#slide=1224345" target="_hplink">10 home remodeling projects you shouldn't do yourself</a>. (Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/p_x_g/2938902188/sizes/l/in/photostream/" target="_hplink">p_x_g</a>)

  • Repairing Property Damage

    It may have been Mother Nature who caused property damage repairs to make up 36 percent of remodeling jobs. (Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fabliaux/2858941688/sizes/l/in/photostream/" target="_hplink">Bloomsberrie</a>)

  • Whole House Remodeling

    Coming in at number five is entire house remodeling jobs. This was surprising! It's such a large undertaking, yet a whopping 35 percent of jobs encompassed the whole home.

  • Room Additions

    We imagine that if you can't remodel your whole house, adding space is the next best thing. 33 percent of remodeling jobs in 2011 were dedicated to room additions. (Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/juniorvelo/2894804757/sizes/o/in/photostream/" target="_hplink">Velo Steve</a>)

  • Handyman Services

    Sometimes you just need to call a handyman to tackle the small fixes around your house. Apparently, 31 percent of all jobs were for just that reason. (Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikecogh/5268884234/sizes/l/in/photostream/" target="_hplink">Mikecogh</a>)

  • Finished Basement

    We love the idea of a finished basement and apparently so do many American homeowners. 27 percent of renovation jobs were geared toward remodeling basements. (Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thelanger/4861333699/sizes/l/in/photostream/" target="_hplink">The Langer</a>)

  • Roofing

    Another not-so-surprising job which we also recommended not doing yourself? Roofing, which came in at number nine with 24 percent of jobs dedicated to this task. (Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/joeshlabotnik/2411679425/sizes/l/in/photostream/" target="_hplink">Joe Shlabotnik</a>)

  • Siding

    Lastly, the tenth most popular remodeling job is...installing siding! 23 percent of jobs included this work. (Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiry/4017171250/in/photostream/" target="_hplink">Kirybabe</a>)