When remodeling or adding an addition keep a few things in mind.  A good contractor it likely the key to a good quality, smooth operating experience :).

If a contractor is organized and has a good reputation, things should hopefully go off without a hitch.  On the other hand a 'bad' contractor can lead to headaches/nightmares/earthquakes and other natural disasters :).

Back to the good contractors - a good one will break down the project into a series of categories.  Make sure yours has the following:

Labor. All labor costs, subcontractor labor as well here!Calculate the cost of labor. (Note that subcontractor labor should be included under Expenses.)

Expenses. A list of jobs and bids.  Also should include permits as well for building.

Fixtures. Again, a list of the features that will installed

Materials. This is a no brainer.  The contractor should have a detailed list of what supplies/materials will be needed

Total. Last but not least, is a grand total, perhaps the most important number of all