Introduction
Floods can be incredibly annoying to all homeowners, and it is important to know how to prevent them from causing destruction in your home. Without doubt, there are few better means through which to protect your home from damage by water than to hire the services of a professional contractor specializing in waterproofing services. These experts know how to evaluate and correct any problem related to water leakage and penetration in your house. However, not all of the contractors who perform such services are equal to the task. In this article I will delineate how to hire the right waterproofing contractor for your house.
1. Collect and specify your requirements
When planning to look for waterproofing contractors, you will have to decide the exact services you want to be provided. There are contractors who deal in the waterproofing of basement, while others maybe dealing in roofing waterproofing or even structural reinforcement. Some make provisions for general water damage repair services. Knowing all these things will guide you to limit the available choices to the contractor that will suit your home most appropriately.
2. Verify Their Qualifications and Certification
It is thus very essential to consider a waterproofing contractor’s portfolio as well as their experience level before you hire an expert at your home. Ensure that the contractor has the permit and insurance to work within your state. Demand the contractor to present insurance and confirm the license status of the contractor. Also ask how many years has the contractor been practicing and how many similar projects has he or she done before?.
3. Get More Info and Check Testimonials
Of course, any professional waterproofing contractor should be able to give you contact information of any other of their customers that they have conducted business with in the past. Contact such former clients of the contractor and enquire on their encounter while working with the contractor. Ask them about the kind of work they have done, how friendly and competent the contractor is and whether the job was done to the agreed time and budget. One can also search for word of mouth from other clients that hired them through websites such as Angie’s list, Home advisor or Google reviews.
4. Assess Their Capacity to Communicate
When consulting a waterproofing contractor, the contractor ought to be able to describe their work and address all your concerns. They should also update you on what is currently happening with the project, and respond to any issue that you might have appropriately. Never make a decision when the contractor doesn’t respond or is difficult to get along with before choosing him/her.
5. Get Detailed Estimates
When hiring a waterproofing contractor, ensure you are given quantitative estimates of the work that needs to be done. This should present details of the amount charged for both labor and materials as well as any forms of charges for other services or charges. The estimate should include all the details which you should use in comparing with other bids from different contractors in a bid to determine who is offering you the best deal for your money. Make sure not to hire contractors who give lowest bids or give a simple estimate of the costs to be incurred.
6. Inspect Their Workmanship
Most contractors will allow you to inspect a sample of their work or to go to a project site that is still in progress or has just been completed. This way, you will get an idea of how they work and whether or not their services are within your home’s standard. Concentrate on the type of material used and the effort they put in their work or jobs. If possible, you should ask them for references form the previous project that share similar working condition as you.
7. Look at Their Warranty and Guarantees
Any good waterproofing contractor should be able to provide warranties or guarantees on the services they will provide. This shows they trust in their services and believe in what they do to customers. Inquire on how long the warranty you are being offered will last and whether other contractors or sellers are offering the same warranty. Selecting properly also means that the contractor you hire should offer you warranties covering the contract for many years.
8. Evaluate Their Timeline
Get to know how long it will to for the waterproofing contractor to fully accomplish the project and if they will meet the set timeframe. It is expected of a professional contractor to give a realistic time line to the project with some understanding of additional constraints that one may have like time schedules.
9. Check Their Payment Terms
In the course of completing the project, talk with the contractor about the settlement. Most professional waterproofing contractors will ask for a deposit to guarantee their service but should not wish for full payment at first. Do not hire contractors that request the total amount before they start working for you since they are likely to disappear or disappear after delivering substandard projects.
10. Review Their Contract
Last but not the least, when you have read the contract and terms and conditions, don’t sign it without scrutinizing it completely. Make sure that its provisions spell out type of services to be performed, estimated completion time and terms of payment together with existing warranties or guarantees. If anything is not clear or you have a question about something or you want to change the terms in the agreement make sure to talk to the contractor about it.
Conclusion
Selecting the right waterproofing contractor for your home can be a real challenge, yet here are some guidelines to help you get the right professional. Don’t forget that with the help of professional waterproofing services you will not only prevent your house from being damaged by water but also raise its value in the future. Therefore spend your time and efforts to find the right contractor who would be able to offer you excellent waterproofing services in the future.
