Tips on Choosing a Home Contractor
Tips on Choosing a Home Contractor
Perhaps your home has sustained damage due to a natural disaster or leaky plumbing. Or maybe you are looking to do some remodeling. In either case, contacting a reputable contractor to deliver the services you need is the goal. Unfortunately, there are contractors that prey on individuals in need of services. Their malice acts involve swindling your money and leaving you with unfinished repair needs for your home. Home repair contractors that commit fraud against you can wind up costing you much more than the service bill. Choosing a contractor wisely can help to prevent such losses.
Understand Your Needs
Before you can hire a contractor, you must first determine the specific services you need for your home. This allows you to make selections for contractors that specialize in the services you are seeking.
Conducting Thorough Research on a Contractor is Necessary
There are many steps you can take to ensure your home repair contractor has the ability to deliver the results you are seeking. Start by selecting several contractors that offer the services you are seeking for your home in your area. Collect these names through online searches, telephone directories, referrals from people you trust, and websites such as Yelp or Angie’s List.
Local Businesses Hold Benefits All Their Own
Businesses that provide services to your immediate community are more likely to deliver positive results for your home repair needs. Should these businesses commit fraud against the citizens within your area, it is more common to hear about their negative actions. You are also making the decision to financially fund your own community instead of enlisting the help of out-of-area contractors.
References Hold a Lot of Weight
When you consult with a specific home repair contractor for your service needs, always inquire about references. The contractor should have no hesitation providing you with the names, addresses, or telephone numbers for previous clients that they have delivered services for. You can use this information to see and hear first-hand the type of work that the company provides. You will also be able to ask the client their level of satisfaction with the company overall.
Licenses and Insurance Can Make or Break the Deal
Many of the services required for putting the home back in livable condition require the hand of an experienced and licensed contractor. Electrical wiring, plumbing, mold removal, and HVAC are just a few of the many service needs that regulate the contractors within their industry. Licenses that the contractor holds means that they have taken a formal exam and proven their ability to meet or exceed the industry’s standards for safe and healthy service delivery. Insurance coverage that the contractor secures means that you will not be held liable should accidents or injuries occur during the deliverance of services.
Quotes Provide Protection from Undisclosed Conditions
Get the contractor to provide you with written quotes for the products and services you need. This prevents the likelihood that the contractor will make up conditions that were not necessarily agreed upon. It is also important to get any changes that may occur during the project in writing as well. You can use your quotes/change orders that the contractor offers to get compensation through the legal system should your contractor commit fraud or break service agreements.
To protect your home and assets, Breathe Easy Insurance offers affordable insurance coverage for many areas of your life ranging from Home and Renters Insurance policies to cheap California SR22 Insurance coverage. Contact a Customer Care Specialist today at 866.822.7755 for a free quote!