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When we buy things, sometimes they don’t work as advertised and we return the product. No harm, no foul. When we contemplate a home renovation project, we don’t want to get caught in a costly do-over when spending thousands on new windows and doors. Finding a contractor with the skills to bring your project to successful completion is paramount to receive value for money.
Building a home from scratch or renovating certain rooms will require money from your pocket. Furthermore, working with individuals who aren’t trained and equipped for the job will also cause more stress and expenses.
The question becomes, how do you hire a contractor for windows and doors, and what do you ask them when you contact them.
What's Inside
Form of Validation
A form of validation is in order when you are entrusting your home and thousands of dollars to a contractor. In the beginning, a competent, qualified windows and doors contractor will hold a municipal business license to operate.
Once you already have the name and contact number of the company, reach out to them and ask copies for their licenses. Regardless of how cheap and promising their services are, if they can’t provide copies of their licenses, start looking for another company. Hiring someone who isn’t trained and experienced for the job will only put money down the drain.
Insurance
The second factor in determining the validity of a contractor is whether they carry insurance for the work they do on-site. Most contractors have their license number printed on the side of their service trucks and it is easily verified through an Internet search. Insurance is a little more difficult, but a request to see the policy number and carrier name will establish the bona fides of the contractor.
Hiring a windows and doors company that’s insured will give you peace of mind as they’ll cover expenses in the event when accidents happen on-site. For example, if one of the company’s contractors got injured as they’re installing your windows and/or doors, you won’t have to worry about paying any medical and hospitalization bills as the company is insured to cover all of these fees.
Experience
Once you have established the professional credentials of the contractor, ask about the duration they have worked in the windows and doors industry. Often, the longer the company has been in the industry, the more efficient they are in their jobs. A windows and doors company won’t be able to operate for years if they haven’t gained any satisfied customers through their high-quality services.
Many inexperienced contractors will get into trouble on the job because they have never been the situation they find themselves in. This could cause improper installation of windows and doors to occur. If that happens, any warranty that is available for the products you purchased will be void due to poor installation.
Business Presence
When selecting a contractor, ask them where their store is. If they don’t have an address, business phone number, and showroom it will reduce the trust factor when assessing a contractor. A location indicates stability, and that is something that can be the tipping point when choosing a contractor.
References
Business expertise will be demonstrated through past performance and be a solid indicator of what to expect when you hire a contractor. References, both on the Internet, and personal references will be solidifying factors when hiring a contractor. This is one of the reasons why you should always ask for a list of references whenever you’re availing the services of a windows and doors company. The information you can get from this list will help manage your expectations and assess if the company is the right fit for your needs.
Make sure to avoid the family and friends’ references and concentrate on people who have had the same type of work done that you are shopping for.
Estimates
Remember, buying replacement windows and doors is a business deal. And the cheapest price doesn’t make it the best deal. Look for value when you purchase products and services and get everything in writing. Your estimate is your insurance policy and without one, you are at the mercy of a contractor who may not have your best interests at heart.
The Crew
The crew that will be employed is as important as the products you purchase. Ask if they have any special training that qualifies them for your project. Do they have safety training, how long have they been on the job are some of the questions to ask. One question for the contractor is the use of labor, does he hire out to subcontractor or does he have a crew operating on the job? A company with a crew will be trustworthy, and it will be easier to get them to come back if something goes wrong.
Before you sign on the dotted line, seek out more than one estimate to get a feel for what the market has to offer. Then, work with the contractor who has built trust through his ability to meet the criteria of a qualified windows and doors contractor.
