You often hear contractors tell you what you should know when hiring a contractor to perform work on your home. Most of this information is valid and sincerely designed to help you make an informed decision. Our website
www.Burr123.com for instance has a very educational section called the Questions You Should Ask Before Hiring a Contractor. I recommend you read
this section. This content came from the
Certified Contractors NetWork, which we belong to, and is really excellent information to help you identify which contractor is trying to help you make your best deal for price and value and which ones might be trying to rip you off.
Because if you actually take the time to ask the questions it suggests, you can almost assure yourself of having a very positive contractor experience. And after all, isn’t that what every homeowner wants out of their home improvement project? As a matter of fact, our entire website is dedicated to informing homeowners about what we do and things you should know before you make such a big investment. We try to cover all of the details because we want you, the homeowner to understand that paying attention to all of those details makes for a good project because the product you pick only contributes 20% of your ultimate satisfaction, the contractor you choose contributes 80%.
But then it occurred to us…
…rarely do you hear a contractor share with a homeowner some things that he, the contractor, must know when giving an estimate and installing a roof.
With this said…We would like to offer…
The 5 Things Your Contractor Must Know BEFORE Giving You an Estimate.
1) The contractor should know that for a proper roofing estimate, it is critical to go into the attic. While this makes sense, you won’t believe the number of contractors who never go up into the attic to see what condition the roof is in from the inside. Maybe it is too much of a hassle for them. So reputable roofing contractors will gladly get into your attic to do a thorough roof inspection. In the attic they will determine the condition of the underside of the roof deck and underlayment, if there’s any water penetration, and if there’s proper ventilation. At Burr Roofing we believe that the only way to learn the condition of a roof system, and to properly identify all the problems, is to inspect from underneath as well as on top. You cannot do this without going inside the house and into your attic.
2) The contractor should know how important it is to protect the property of the homeowner and properly clean up after each day and especially after the job is done. The contractor should know that this is extremely important to a homeowner. Do they make sure that the landscaping doesn’t get damaged or destroyed? Is he picking up every nail and piece of debris at the end of each day? Do you get a clean up card at the end of the project that says your project’s not finished until you say it’s finished? A contractor should know that if they take care of your property and clean up so that it is almost impossible for you to know they were there…you will almost surely recommend that contractor if all else goes well.
3) A contractor should know that you are going to ask for references. A reputable contractor should have a book of references and many happy customers in hand when he gives you an estimate. A contractor should know that it is very important for a homeowner to check these references so you should be able to pick and choose any ones you wish. It is not enough to just ask for references. Pick at least 5 and then you need to actually call them. Every time we don’t check references on people we hire, we always regret it! It takes a little time but if you really want to make sure you’re covering all the bases, then make the phone calls and make sure the contactor you are considering is the real deal. Ask the referred homeowner if they would hire the contractor again. That is the #1 thing you need to know. If the homeowner says yes than you have got yourself a potential winner.
4) Your contractor must know the importance of proper communications between them and you. Ask about what “proper communication” means to any contractor you might want to hire. How will you find out about your warranty, what’s covered and how to maintain it? Does the contractor inform you at the end of each day what was accomplished, what’s happening next and when? Delays in your project can happen. How will you learn about such delays and when to expect them to return? Will they tell you as soon as they find something outside the original scope of work or will they just do it and tell you about it when they present a higher final bill?
5,) Your contractor must know that you’ll appreciate “Good – Better – Best” solution options, along with the benefits and any drawbacks of each, so that you can easily determine your best deal for price AND value. And once an option is selected, your contractor should know that you would like several options on how to pay. If your credit is good you may want a no interest payment plan. At least you’ll want the option to pay by credit card and want your deposit amount to be no more than 33%. If your contractor needs more than 33% than that tells you he may be having financial problems. And if the contractor is having financial troubles, that could spell big potential trouble for you at some point. What if he can’t finish your job because he can’t pay his crew or buy the materials called for in your contract? What if he isn’t around to make repairs on items covered by your warranty? What if there is a leak? Who do you call if the contractor goes out of business? Sometimes you can tell a lot by a little information.
CONCLUSION:
The above covers the things we believe a contractor should know when giving you an estimate. Some of these seem obvious but you would be surprised how many contractors will show up to perform a project, or even conduct an estimate, and not take the time to make sure that you are protected and informed. We hope this Blog helps you to make sure that you have a very successful contracting experience, soon or in the future.
If you have any questions of comments please feel free to
Contact me:
Robert G. Priest, President
Burr Roofing - Siding - Windows...your Smart Choice
11 Corinthian Avenue
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 345-1333
www.Burr123.comBurr Roofing – Siding – Windows - your Smart Choice!
