Hello Pros,

I have a remodel starting soon. As of the start of the project, the contractor's portion is $85k; total cost will be about $140k. Plus of course whatever will be incurred due to surprises. I have checked the contractor's references and am using a designer who works with him a lot and highly recommends him. He has been in business under the same name for 30 years. All good things. And yet, as the start of the construction draws near, I am increasingly anxious about the possibility of ending up with a mechanic's lien. I have remodeled one home and built two. Of the three, I ended up dealing with mechanic's lien's on two, despite the fact that they were allegedly reputable businesses. Not to mention all the nightmares I read about on Houzz. I'm wondering if I should consider asking for a performance bond. Although this is an expensive project for me, I'm guessing it's small potatoes by performance bond standards. So I don't know if an insurer would even be willing to write the bond, and I also feel uncomfortable asking for this a week and a half before the start of construction. Another option would be to get a credit report from Dun & Bradstreet (for a couple hundred dollars).

Advice and experiences are appreciated. Thanks!