Choices, Choices, Choices – How Do You Choose the Best Contractor?

With the hail, intense rain storms, and blazing sun we have had this summer, we are hearing from clients and non-clients alike that they have lists of repairs and enhancements piling up caused by the crazy weather. Inevitability, where there is severe weather there are contractors that come out of the woodwork to pay businesses and homeowners alike a visit in attempt to secure jobs. But how do you know the person trying to get your business is trustworthy general contractor? We wanted to create a quick list of the things to look out for when the contractor comes knocking at your property. It’s important to verify before and during the process. Before you let any contractor near your property, make sure they have:
- Insurance: Unlicensed contractors are likely to not have Worker’s Compensation or General Liability Insurance. God forbid, if there is an injury or property damage accident on your property, their insurance would normally cover damages and medical expenses. If this insurance isn’t in place, you could be on the hook for any costs, injuries, or property damage. It just isn’t worth it.
- Bondable: You should ask the contractor if they can carry a bond for the work they perform. Bonds protect the property owner against substandard work. Bonds act like a warranty on their work and set aside a sum of money to ensure that any problems down the road can be fixed. On smaller projects with an trusted contractor that has a proven history you may want to save the expense. Consult with the community’s attorney before making that decision
- Permits: Permitting is such an integral part of any construction process. Failure to acquire an appropriate permit for the construction process could cost the property owner a lot of money in fees or fines down the road if it ever comes to light, along with additional costs to bring the property up to code to meet city permit requirements. We repeat – always make sure your contractor is both getting AND posting permits for their work on-site.
Why else go with a quality contractor?
- Quality Work: A licensed contractor will do better work; there is also a better chance that they will still be in business later on down the road if anything needs repair. In some cases, an unlicensed contractor is an employee that is temporarily out of work who decides to work out of their home at a cheaper rate than a licensed contractor. If the work is done poorly, there is no guarantee that that the unlicensed contractor will be around to repair defective work 6 months down the road.
- Insurance Handling: Provided your general contractor is qualified and legal to complete the job, are they just going to do the work and collect a check, or will they handle the insurance company (if your work is covered by insurance?) A good contractor will offer to interface with the insurance company and take payment directly from them. Ideally, they will complete the work and you shouldn’t need to make any payments out of pocket or speak to an insurance company.
If you’re being pestered by persistent contractors who won’t take no for an answer, or a restoration contractor that shows up to your emergency in the middle of the night demanding an excessive down payment in order to set equipment, we might suggest you look into our services. SPCS is a fully licensed, bondable, and insured company that handles all types of work – from single repairs to insurance jobs. If our team isn’t able to accommodate your project, we will arrange all the work for you and ensure that it is done to our exacting standards. Whether your property needs a big project like complete balcony or complete siding or roofing replacement; or a small project like some concrete replacement or unclogging a gutter or cleaning up a fence that was hit by a car, we are there for you 24/7.