Hiring a contractor out of area

[Mason Snyder]

I'm considering investing in the Upstate of South Carolina while living in Northern California. I have family/friends in the upstate and grew up there so I have a little knowledge of the market. My question is if I want to send a contractor over to look at a place to estimated rehab costs - what's the best approach for finding one? Should I rely on online reviews? Is there anyone in Upstate SC that has a reliable contractor they use for flips? Thanks!