When the time comes to remodel your home, install additions to your property, hiring the best contractor for the job becomes top priority. We have all heard horror stories from homeowners who went with the first, or lowest estimate they got only to discover why the price was so low. Quality materials and skilled labor costs money. Hiring a reputable company who offers a fair and reasonable price, does good work and stands behind their service is the goal. Below you will find some tips on how to find such a contractor.
Kitchen and bath
Remodeling most rooms in your home require someone who is good with building, painting, and finishing. But the kitchen and bath areas take more skill. When remodeling the kitchen and bathrooms the contractor must have experience in working with water, plumbing, cabinetry, and electricity.
Tip 1
Before you contact a contractor, have a general idea of the work you will want them to do. You will need them to be skilled in installing modern sinks and vessels, as this is the focal point of each of these important rooms. However, if you want to relocate the sinks, that is a totally different job. Make two plans. Plan one will be what you want if you can afford to do everything you would like to do, and have a secondary plan of what you absolutely must have done.
Tip 2
Referrals are important. If you have chosen your new sinks, consider asking the vendor who they recommend for the job. Quality vendors know who buys the good stuff. Ask friends, family, and neighbors who they have used. Once you have narrowed down your choices, ask the contractor for references as well.
Tip 3
Check their licenses, insurance, standing with the Better Business Bureau, and inquire about their guarantees. Remember, a guarantee is only as good as the company who stands behind it. Find out how long they have been in business, if they bond their employees, and what kind of background checks they do on the people they are sending to your home.
Outdoor structures
When adding a garage, storage building, shed, or barn to your property, consider the value of a prefabricated steel building. Steel buildings are by far the most economical structures you can add to your property. They are virtually maintenance free and last for decades. Steel buildings come with a 40-year limited warranty. They stand up to any weather condition and with cool roofs, you save money by going green, The cool roof reflects the sun away from the steel building ensuring the integrity of the building and the contents.
Tip 1
Inquire is the contractor has ever erected a prefabricated steel building before. You may be better off to allow the vendor of the steel building to arrange the installation for you. These buildings go up quickly and a professional should not require a huge crew to assemble them.
Tip 2
Ask the contractor for a labor rate before you ask for an estimate. In erecting a prefabricated steel building, the materials come with the building and no special tools are required.
Tip 3
Ask if they will ensure all the proper permits and town requirements are met before they begin the job.
Do not base your decision on price alone. If a contractor is giving you an extremely low price, he is probably using low-quality materials or he is desperate for work which can mean he cannot afford to do the job unless you pay in advance. While some states will only allow a contractor to ask for a ⅓ deposit on a job, most states and companies ask for 50% of the costs upfront.