This guide comes from 11 years and 5,875 completed DFW projects. Every red flag below has a story behind it. Every one is preventable.

Red Flag N° 01A deposit request over 15%.

The single biggest red flag in Texas remodeling. A contractor who asks for 50% upfront, or any number over about 15%, is funding their next job with your money. When something goes wrong on their other site (and it will), your project loses priority. When they walk off, your deposit is gone.

What is normal in Plano: 10-15% deposit at contract signing, then payment milestones tied to city inspections (rough-in inspection passed, drywall inspection passed, final inspection passed). The contractor who tells you “we need 50% to lock in 2026 pricing” is the same contractor whose other client is wondering why their drywall has been sitting half-finished for 6 weeks.

Red Flag N° 02No written contract or vague scope of work.

A written contract is non-negotiable. Verbal agreements are not enforceable, and “we’ll just add it to the invoice” is how $60K kitchens become $90K kitchens. What a real Plano remodeling contract includes:

• Specific materials, brands, and finishes (not “stone countertops” but “Cambria Brittanicca quartz, 3cm, polished edge”)
• Total fixed price broken down by phase
• Payment milestones tied to city inspections
• Start date, expected completion, late-completion remedy
• Workmanship warranty terms (industry minimum 1 year; UHS gives 3)
• Change-order process requiring your signature
• Dispute-resolution clause (mediation before litigation)

Red Flag N° 03No certificate of insurance.

Required: general liability of $1M+ per occurrence AND workers’ compensation for every worker on site. Without GL insurance: damage to your property is your problem. Without workers’ comp: an injured worker on your property can sue you personally. A real contractor emails the COI within 24 hours of you asking.

Red Flag N° 04No City of Plano contractor registration.

Any project needing a building permit requires a contractor registered with City of Plano Building Inspections. A contractor without registration cannot pull permits in their own name. The “workarounds” they propose are all bad: pull the permit yourself as a homeowner-builder (leaves you personally liable), or they use someone else’s registration (illegal). Verify by calling Plano Building Inspections.

Red Flag N° 05Pressure tactics around “today only” pricing.

Real remodeling pricing is not a flash sale. A contractor who says “this 2026 rate is only good if you sign today” is using high-pressure sales tactics, not honest pricing. Real Plano contractors give you a written quote valid for 30 days. Take the 24 hours.

Every single bad-contractor story I’ve heard from a new client started with one of these 10 red flags. The warning was always there at the meeting. The homeowner saw it. The homeowner ignored it. That’s the pattern. Once you know what to look for, the bad contractors expose themselves in 60 seconds. — Stephanie M. · Office Manager · 11 yrs · 5,875 projects

Red Flag N° 06Cash-only or check-only payment demands.

Reputable Plano remodeling contractors accept business check, wire transfer, ACH, sometimes credit card. Cash-only or personal-check-only demands are a flag for: not reporting income, no business bank account, or wanting the payment trail hard to follow.

Red Flag N° 07Refusal to share past project addresses.

Every reputable Plano remodeling contractor can show you finished work. A drive-by past project takes 30 minutes and tells you everything. UHS Remodeling regularly schedules drive-bys of finished West Plano kitchens, Willow Bend additions, and Legacy primary bath remodels.

Plano home exterior · golden hourPlate 06 / UHS Studio

Red Flag N° 08Zero or scrubbed online reviews.

Search the contractor’s business name. Watch for: 5 perfect 5-star reviews from accounts with no other activity (fake), 1-2 year-old profile with 20+ reviews all dated within the same month (review pump), or A+ BBB rating with multiple unresolved complaints (automated rating, real complaints). A contractor with zero online presence in 2026 is either brand new or hiding from past customers.

Red Flag N° 09“We don’t need permits for this.”

This is the line that ends more remodeling friendships than any other. A contractor who tries to talk you out of pulling permits is doing it because they’re not registered with the city, or using unlicensed sub-trades. What you give up by skipping permits: insurance coverage on your home, resale clarity, recourse if work fails, and refund opportunity from the city if work has to be torn out.

Red Flag N° 10“Trust me” instead of documentation.

Final red flag and the easiest to spot. Every previous flag has a common root: the contractor is asking you to trust them in place of documentation. Real contractors lead with documentation. They send the COI. They send the registration. They send the references. The right answer to “trust me” is “show me.”