Home improvement efforts can be powerful projects that transform your lifestyle. The success or failure of home improvement projects is disproportionately dependent on the quality of the contractor you choose. Before you hire someone, you’ll want to ask the best questions for contractors.
What exactly are those questions? If you’re thinking of hiring a contractor, here’s a checklist of items to ask before making a hire:
- What experience do you have? In the modern world, it doesn’t take much time or effort to create a website and “sell” yourself as a contractor with experience. Make sure that your contractor really does have relevant experience by probing about how many years they’ve been in the business. You can even ask for references. The right contractor with a depth of experience should be able to provide past clients for you to chat with.
- Do you have a license and insurance? Be sure that your contractor has two things. First, he or she should have needed licenses to operate in the city, county, and state where you are located. Second, he or she should also have both liability and workers’ compensation insurance. Ask to see the relevant certificates of insurance before making a hire.
- How do you communicate? Communication is of the utmost importance. Too many times, contractors promise the world and provide an aggressive timeline for project completion — and then they disappear for days at a time. Make sure you have a firm understanding of what the communication will be like before you hire a contractor and before the project begins. Don’t hesitate to set expectations.
- What does your typical day look like? Get a sense of your contractor’s day by asking what they do during working hours. Are they bouncing around multiple job sites? How much time will they spend overseeing work at your home? This is a good way to get a glimpse into how a contractor works and how attentive he or she will be as it relates to your project.
- What are the job and payment schedules? Get firm timelines in place for the work to be completed and the payment for that work. It’s not unusual for home improvement projects to require an upfront deposit with the rest of the payment due at completion. Just make sure all parties know what to expect before the work begins.
- How do you handle cost overruns? Bids for home improvement projects are just estimates. Be sure you understand how cost overruns are handled ahead of time. You won’t want to be surprised when overruns are added to your final bill.
- How do you clean up and stay organized during a job? Home improvement projects turn your space into a work zone. That doesn’t mean workers can leave your home messy and disorganized overnight during projects. Make sure your contractor describes how the site will stay organized during the project, including where tools and materials will be stored.
- How do you protect clients’ properties? This is really important. If you’re installing a new sunroom or new windows, you don’t want workers to scuff up your floors and leave inadvertent scrapes along walls. Get a sense of how sunroom contractors seek to protect the homes of their clients to ensure this doesn’t happen to you.
- Do you provide any warranty? How does a contractor stand behind the work once it is complete? Make sure you know what sort of warranty the contractor offers afterward.
- How do you handle conflict and disagreements? Any contractor with years of experience has had a conflict or dispute with a client. Ask them how they handle those conflicts and disagreements, and come up with a plan for the possibility of disagreement on your project.
If you’re looking for quality sunroom builders to install sunrooms, windows, or other glass-related products in and around York, PA, trust the experienced team you’ll find at Garrety Glass. Contact us today with your questions — and learn more about how we serve our clients and approach individual projects.