Does this sound familiar? You’re ready to do a home renovation and you’re looking around at products and services, trying to find the best rate out there. There are so many, there’s even water quality smart home products!
But you don’t know how to compare different services and you don’t know if the prices are fair. You look at different vendors and companies, but their services vary so widely that you don’t know where to go.
It can be hard to identify a good and reliable home improvement company, but it can be done. For starters, Golden Windows offers quality craftsmanship in all of its products as well as installation. When you’re looking to replace any windows and doors, a company like that one can ensure high quality as well as reliability.
Finding a Great Contractor
A quick online search is enough to scare you off from ever hiring a contractor. The Web is full of horror stories from families who hired a contractor who:
- Ran off with their money without ever performing the work
- Did the work so poorly they had to hire someone else to fix the job at double or triple the cost
- Took months or even years to complete a project, for tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars over budget
If your area has recently gone through a major storm, such as a hurricane, tornado, hail storm, or flood, you also need to watch out for “storm chasers.” These are contractors who swoop in from out of town to fix homes damaged by a recent natural disaster. While some of these contractors are legitimate, many are just looking to make some quick cash and then hit the road before homeowners discover their shoddy work. Still, there are plenty of honest and trustworthy contractors out there. How do you find one? It takes time, work, and patience, but your efforts will pay off.
Look Around You
Try contacting your local chamber of commerce or building trade association and ask for their recommendations. You can also ask your insurance company, even if they’re not paying for the work. Most insurance companies have agreements with reputable local contractors. Take advantage of the review process your insurance company has performed on these companies. What’s more, you could even get special pricing if there’s a good relationship between the contractor and your insurance company. Once you’ve researched your options, make a list of at least three highly rated contractors you want to get a bid from and contact them directly.
All the Right Questions
When it comes time to meet each contractor, it’s helpful to have a list of questions written out so you don’t forget something important. Consider asking them these good questions as well as any others you think of:
What Trade Associations Do You Belong To?
After the interview, call these organizations up and check that this contractor is indeed a member in good standing.
How Long Have You Been in Business?
Ask for proof for their tenure, since some fly-by-night contractors will claim “20 years’ experience” in the area when they actually only just started.
Can You Give Me 3 Recent References?
The keyword here is “recent.” Good contractors should be ready and willing to share the contact information of at least three homeowners they’ve worked with over the last year. If they recent references that are willing to share their stories, then you’ve probably found someone worth teaming up with for your renovation.
