First time hiring contractor

[Monica Davies]

I'm working finishing my rental's basement- adding 2 beds and a bath. I'm anxious because I called 4 companies to give me a bid, and they all came out but none of them got back to me with a price. One gave my info to a handyman they work with, and he came and gave me an estimate, so I hired him since I had zero options. Nice guy, but he's not licensed. I'm wondering if anyone has a specific payment plan based on work completed, or used some type to generic contract so that I can ensure my remodel gets done.