The license and insurance questions
Start here — this is the paperwork that protects you. In Maryland, home improvement contractors are supposed to hold a license with the Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC). Ask for the license number. A real contractor gives it without blinking; a dodgy one changes the subject.
Then insurance. Ask for proof of liability insurance — an actual document, not a verbal "oh yeah, we are covered." If a ladder goes through your window or a worker gets hurt on your property, this is the difference between their problem and your problem.
While you are at it: does the estimate visit cost anything? Ours is free, and we think that should be the standard. A contractor who charges to look at your walls is telling you how the rest of the relationship will go.
The quality questions — these tell you everything
Here is where you separate drywall crews from generalists. Ask these four:
How many coats of mud, and do you check with angled light? Three coats is the standard for a paint-ready wall, and the angled-light check is how a crew finds what daylight will find later. If the answer is vague, the finish will be too.
What finish level is included in the price? Most homes want Level 4 — smooth and even under paint. If the contractor does not know what "finish level" means, that is your answer.
Is texture matching included? A bid that treats your orange peel or knockdown as someone else's problem will leave you with a smooth patch in a textured room — visible forever. Matching should be in the written scope.
How long between visits? Mud needs its drying time — roughly a day per coat. A crew that promises a one-visit repair is skipping the step that makes it last.
The money questions
Get the price in writing, with the scope: rooms, board type, finish level, texture, dust protection, cleanup. Compare written scopes line by line, not just totals — nine times out of ten, the low bid is low because it left something out. See what drywall costs so you walk in knowing the shape of the number.
Never pay the full amount before work starts. A deposit for materials on bigger jobs is normal; the rest gets paid as the work gets done, with the final payment after you have walked the finished walls. Anyone demanding everything upfront is a red flag.
Red flags that mean walk away
- A firm price without visiting. Photos do not show soft spots, old repairs hiding under paint, or moisture behind a stain. Guessing is not estimating.
- No license number, no insurance proof. Covered above — non-negotiable.
- "We can do it all in one day." They cannot. The mud decides the schedule, not the crew.
- Full payment upfront. Once they have all the money, you have no leverage.
- No written contract. A handshake deal has exactly one enforceable term: none.
- Badmouthing every other contractor in town. Confidence is quiet. Desperation is loud.
What about insurance claims?
If the damage came from something sudden — a burst pipe, a storm — your homeowners insurance may cover the drywall repair as part of the claim. Slow leaks and wear and tear do not qualify. Photograph everything before the repair starts, and ask the contractor to document the damage too — we photograph and document everything for your claim as a matter of course. The coverage decision is between you and your insurer; our job is to give them a clean, documented scope.
Get your free estimate
Call (240) 213-2890 or send the form. We come look, measure, and give you a written price — free, no pressure.