Questions to Consider Before you Hire a Contractor
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When it comes to choosing the right contractor for your home, it is hard to know who is the best choice, and why. From painting to flooring contractors, there are many factors that go into the decision of letting someone into your home and trusting that they will get the job done right, the first time.
We have put together a few tips and questions that you should always ask a contractor before you hire them in order to ensure that they are liable and trustworthy.
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Guide to help you identify a good and trustworthy contractor
- BBB: Check the company’s or contractor’s rating and licensing with the Better Business Bureau.
- Certificate of Insurance: With a contractor working on your property, it is wise to request to see their Certificate of Insurance. This helps to alleviate any risk of liability for on-site injuries or accidents that may occur in this line of work.
- Properly Insured Ranges: Along with the certificate of insurance, you should ensure that your contractor is insured for the proper amount. A typical range may be $2M for roofing contractors and $1M for paint contractors.
- Local Operation: It isn’t uncommon to find an individual contractor working by themselves. If you want a local, trustworthy company that has the proper paperwork and experience, you will usually find that they have a local office storefront with a front desk phone number.
- Referral Sites: Along with BBB, be sure to read both the negative and positive reviews of the company on any online review websites (Angie’s List, Yelp!, Houzz, Google+, Next Door, Facebook, Porch). Keep in mind that reviews might be old or may not necessarily apply to your specific circumstance.
- Discounting: Reputable contractors will not offer extreme discounts. Generally, a discount just means that they are either charging extra to take a large percentage off, or they are desperate for customers.
- Established Website: A well refined, easy to use website shows a companies dedication to their customers and their craft. If a company or contractor is hard to find online, they may not have the best track record with past customers.
- Vetted Employees: You can always ask about the relationship that a contractor has with each of their workers and even if they perform background check. A good company will have dedicated teams that have consistently been working for the same company and have proven to be skilled and knowledgeable in their field.
- Eco-friendly / Green Products: You have a right to know what types of materials are being used inside or outside of your home. As some companies still use older products with hazardous levels of VOCs (volatile organic compounds), it is wise to ask or make sure that they are using products that have been rated as “Zero” or “Low VOCs.”
- EPA Lead Safe: You can and should ask to see the certification that the company’s products are EPA Lead Safe. Zenith only uses Eco-CorFlex products which is an EPA Lead Safe Certified firm.
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