Contractor Vetting Scorecard (50 Q)

Ideal: Active TN license with a monetary limit exceeding the total project cost. Verify number online.

Red flag: Unwillingness to provide license number or operating under someone else's entity.

Ideal: Carries general liability and workers' compensation with certificates issued directly from agent.

Red flag: Claims sub-contractors carry their own policies without providing master policy proof.

Ideal: Supplies multiple recent Smoky Mountain references and allows site visits to completed cabins.

Red flag: Only offers old references (>3 years) or refuses site visits to finished projects.

Ideal: Proven track record with solid log, timber frame, and steep mountain site dynamics.

Red flag: General stick-frame residential experience with no solid log or timber expertise.

Ideal: Provides supplier contacts proving materials are paid on time, preventing mechanic's liens.

Red flag: Hesitation to share material supplier references or history of distributor disputes.

Ideal: Contractor pulls all permits under their business name and handles all inspector walkthroughs.

Red flag: Asks the homeowner to pull permits as an 'owner-builder' to avoid liability.

Ideal: Fully itemized bid breaking down excavation, log package, labor, roofing, and mechanicals ($15k–$35k+ range).

Red flag: Single-page quote with one total dollar amount and vague scope descriptions.

Ideal: Payments tied to verifiable milestones (foundation, log stack, dry-in); initial deposit 10–15%.

Red flag: Demanding 30–50% cash upfront before materials or equipment arrive on site.

Ideal: Written change orders detailing labor, materials, schedule impact, and prior homeowner sign-off.

Red flag: Verbal agreements or unexpected price increases billed at final project closing.

Ideal: Explicitly details earthmoving, retaining walls, driveway cut-ins, and septic/utility hookups.

Red flag: Excludes site prep from main contract and treats excavation as an open-ended billable extra.

Ideal: Realistic allowances matching regional Smoky Mountain market prices.

Red flag: Unreasonably low allowances designed to undercut competitors and force immediate overruns.

Ideal: Transparent formula capping price adjustments with documented mill invoice proof.

Red flag: Open-ended clauses allowing unlimited contract price hikes without documentation.

Ideal: Demonstrates specialized craftsmanship and portfolio examples in your selected architectural style.

Red flag: Claims equal mastery in all styles without distinct, verifiable portfolio examples.

Ideal: Kiln-dried timber (<19% moisture content) with grade certificates to prevent warping/checking.

Red flag: Using green, unseasoned timber without settling calculations or drying controls.

Ideal: Incorporates adjustable screw jacks under posts, slip-joints at openings, and flexible utility runs.

Red flag: Rigid framing attached directly to log walls without settling gaps or expansion joints.

Ideal: Precision dovetail, saddle-notch, or butt-and-pass joinery with heavy structural log screws.

Red flag: Relying solely on basic toe-nailing or non-rated fasteners between log courses.

Ideal: Double memory-foam gasket tape, expanded foam, and continuous butyl sealant between courses.

Red flag: Stacking logs dry without internal gaskets or weather seals.

Ideal: Engineered shop drawings for heavy timber roof loads and hand-cut precision fitting.

Red flag: Lack of engineered shop drawings for heavy timber load-bearing roof systems.

Ideal: Soil engineering, step-footings, engineered retaining walls, and surface water diversion swales.

Red flag: Skipping soil evaluation or placing foundations on uncompacted mountain fill dirt.

Ideal: Pre-inspected delivery routes, wide road access clearance, and level crane staging pads.

Red flag: No pre-construction logistics inspection for crane and heavy log delivery clearance.

Ideal: Logs elevated on dunnage off the ground and covered with breathable, UV-resistant tarps.

Red flag: Leaving raw, untreated timber packages uncovered directly on bare dirt.

Ideal: Poured concrete or ICF basements extending 8–12+ inches above grade to avoid water splash-back.

Red flag: Placing bottom log courses closer than 8 inches to surrounding mountain soil.

Ideal: Pre-drilling vertical/horizontal electrical chases during log stacking in coordination with trades.

Red flag: Planning to surface-mount electrical conduit over interior log faces after stacking.

Ideal: Regular trash removal, job site dumpsters, and environmental protection of mountain vegetation.

Red flag: Leaving scrap wood, packaging, and construction debris scattered across site.

Ideal: Core sampling, sound testing, and moisture meters to map rot and wood-boring pest damage.

Red flag: Suggesting cosmetic caulking or stain over soft, rotting logs without structural evaluation.

Ideal: Hydraulic jacking systems for temporary roof shoring, precise log removal, and scribed fitting.

Red flag: Attempting log replacement without load-bearing temporary structural shoring.

Ideal: Removal of failed mortar, installation of closed-cell backer rod, and elastomeric chinking.

Red flag: Applying rigid concrete mortar over moving, expanding log seams.

Ideal: Low-pressure media blasting that strips old stain down to bare wood without gouging fibers.

Red flag: High-pressure water power-washing that forces deep moisture into log cores.

Ideal: Water-soluble borate treatments or borate rods to eliminate decay fungi and wood pests.

Red flag: Staining over bare wood without applying a protective borate base coat treatment.

Ideal: Custom stain blending and chinking tint selection tested on sample wood prior to application.

Red flag: Applying a single stock stain color without testing on sample logs first.

Ideal: Yearly inspections covering chinking integrity, stain wear, splash-back rot, and gutters.

Red flag: Claiming that a log home structure is 'maintenance-free' after initial construction.

Ideal: Microporous, UV-blocking log finishes that allow wood to breathe while shedding water.

Red flag: Applying film-forming latex or polyurethane paint that traps internal wood moisture.

Ideal: Clear topcoat every 2–4 years; full stain re-application every 5–7 years based on exposure.

Red flag: Promising 15–20 year maintenance-free life cycles for exterior log finishes.

Ideal: Backer rod and flexible, textured check sealer applied to upward checks >1/4 inch.

Red flag: Ignoring upward-facing checks or filling them with non-flexible rigid wood filler.

Ideal: Custom metal flashing, expanding foam, and elastomeric caulking designed for wood movement.

Red flag: Relying solely on standard silicone caulk around exterior log openings.

Ideal: Scheduled annual maintenance visits and priority repair service for remote cabin owners.

Red flag: No post-construction maintenance support or local service presence.

Ideal: Understanding high-occupancy rental demands, heavy guest turnover, and local codes.

Red flag: Treating a high-turnover rental cabin the exact same as a low-impact primary home.

Ideal: Double joists, heavy post-to-footing connections, or concrete pads rated for 100+ psf live loads (4,000-6,000+ lbs).

Red flag: Placing heavy hot tubs on standard 40 psf residential deck framing.

Ideal: Sound-dampening floor underlayments, heavy-duty subflooring, and dedicated 20A electrical circuits.

Red flag: Standard subflooring that flexes or squeaks under heavy arcade or pool table loads.

Ideal: Commercial-grade polyurethanes, luxury vinyl plank (LVP) in wet areas, and impact hardware.

Red flag: Soft pine flooring in wet entryways, kitchens, or hot tub access doors.

Ideal: Multi-level covered decks, tongue-and-groove ceilings, outdoor fireplaces, and view framing.

Red flag: Minimal, unshaded deck platforms with exposed structural lumber.

Ideal: Full compliance with Sevier County / Gatlinburg rental safety regulations and egress codes.

Red flag: Unawareness of local short-term rental building and safety codes.

Ideal: Written milestone schedule for foundation, log delivery, dry-in, rough-ins, and trim.

Red flag: Refusing to commit to a target completion schedule or key milestone dates.

Ideal: Identifies a dedicated supervisor responsible for daily site management and trade coordination.

Red flag: Bidding jobs with no dedicated supervisor assigned to the active job site.

Ideal: Weekly written updates with progress photos/videos (essential for remote owners).

Red flag: Unresponsive communication or going weeks without progress reports.

Ideal: Adequate dedicated manpower to ensure continuous work on your cabin build.

Red flag: Overextending small crews across dozens of simultaneous regional builds.

Ideal: Written warranty: 5–10 yrs structural, 2–5 yrs log settling/joinery, 1–2 yrs finishes.

Red flag: Offering only verbal promises or passing all responsibility to log package suppliers.

Ideal: Mandatory 6-month and 12-month follow-up visits to inspect settling, adjust jacks, and align doors.

Red flag: Demanding 100% final payment before punch list items are finished.

Ideal: Vetted trades with proven experience working with solid timber structures.

Red flag: Hiring general residential trades who cut or notch structural logs incorrectly.

Ideal: Payment released after Certificate of Occupancy and signed lien waivers from all suppliers/subs.

Red flag: Pressuring owner to release final funds before municipal sign-off or lien releases.