Hiring a contractor or small business to do your work can be nerve racking. We've heard stories about bad experiences with other businesses. We are writing this blog to help anyone looking to hire a contractor avoid this problem, and we are providing you with advice on how to avoid such a situation.
The first thing that comes to mind when talking about such a topic is professionalism. How professional does the owner of the business and/or his/her team sound when speaking over the phone? For us personally, we value every conversation with our customers and as owners we want to be the ones speaking with you. The next thing you want to take into account is how they dress, treat you, and how they act while coming out to complete an on-site review. A contractor or business should always come to your house before you agree to a contract with them. You want to make sure they not only act professionally while on your property, but that they also appear professional in attire and are trying to represent their business to a high standard.
While the business is out for the on-site review, it's not only important to pay attention to their appearance and actions... it is also important to notice if they care enough to get adequate measurements. Bocan Residential Improvements (BRI) always comes out with our two owners so that we can take accurate measurements for our quotes. This may not seem like a big deal to you now, but it is very important and it's part of how BRI builds quotes.
Reviews and pictures of previous work are valuable when choosing a business to provide work for your home. It's always nice to see work done at a previous residence so that you can see a business's work standard. Reviews are an integral part to this process, and while some people give nasty reviews all the time and others give kind ones no matter the situation... BRI believes you should always look at reviews, and Bocan Residential Improvements personally has 15 Five Star Reviews on Google. Not only should you do the above, but you will also want to compare reviews with other businesses.
Business experience can be of value in different ways, and is important for the customer to know. Of course it's comforting to the customer to know you are not someone's first job, because that means the person may run into a hiccup or two. Business experience can be acquired in a few ways. This can mean how many years they've been doing the work personally, how much written knowledge someone has on the topic, how much hands-on knowledge someone has, and how well they know the construction codes for the work. These are really the things you need to know, rather than how long the business itself has been in business.
A contract should always be apart of any significant home improvement project. While our contract covers many aspects, we are highlighting a few within this blog. However, we will supply a couple things to look for when signing off on a contract. You will want to check to see that the contract involves a 3 day cancellation policy page, if you are located in PA. The 3 day cancellation policy simply gives you 3 days after signing the contract to cancel your agreement without proceeding further, and it is mandatory in Pennsylvania. The contract should cover a scope of work that details what the business is going to be completing for your home, and also schedule for the work and payment. You'll want to be sure that the contract covers the process if someone runs into a situation such as accidentally hitting a pipe, or an unforeseen circumstance. Our last piece of advice is that the contract should include the business's state registration number, as required by state.
Here are the last couple things you'll want to know when hiring a business to do work on your home. A business should always submit a permit when mandatory, and for most large projects a permit is required. You can simply call your local permit office to check if a project requires a permit. Also, you will want to make sure the business you are doing work with is insured. You can ask them what is covered and what kind of general liability they hold.
Thank you for reading, if you would like to schedule a project with BRI please feel free to contact us through email or phone.
412-378-3536
bocanslawnandhome@gmail.com
#construction #westmorelandcounty #harrisoncity #contractors #smallbusiness #homeimprovement #contracts #professional #bocanresidentialimprovements
Comments