Online referral services like Thumbtack, Angie’s List, and HomeAdvisor are all great places to start. Generally, these services perform background checks and allow user reviews, and some even double-check licensing and insurance of the registered pros. Read the fine print to find out how thorough each service is, and what, if any, recourse is offered for problems that arise. Referrals from friends and family are also a great starting point, but make sure to check in with services like the Better Business Bureau to look for consumer complaints or past litigation. If you work with a designer or architect, they’ll often have pros they recommend, but make sure to do your own digging, too. In addition to looking for infractions, ask any pro for several references. When you contact them, ask not just the obvious—like whether the pro actually finished the job—but also inquire about how close the pro came to their initial estimates for time and expense, whether the work has held up well, how involved the owner or boss was with the day-to-day work, and whether there were any issues with the crew or subcontractors, since those are the people who will actually be spending the most time in your home.