You may think you can fix up your deck by yourself but the process and the materials that are required for it might be beyond what you have access to. Thus, calling a professional Decking contractor would be necessary. Before hiring any decking contractor, here are some things to consider:
The main benefit of hiring an experienced deck expert is the fact that they will save you time and money in the long run. A good contractor will find solutions to problems instead of covering them up or ignoring them as a DIY enthusiast might do. While inexperienced contractors should not necessarily be avoided because they can also provide cheap services, just make sure that they keep their promises. If he fails to abide by his promise, don’t bother contracting him again as this might be an indication of his untrustworthiness.
When choosing a contractor, you must make sure that he is eager to discuss the project and always listens attentively to your specifications instead of just going through the process mechanically. This can tell if he really cares about the quality of his work or not. It also means that he will deliver on his promise and will advise you with regards to different options so that you can pick what suits your best. Make sure that the contractor has a license for his business in order to shut down those who are just capitalizing on their clients’ lack of knowledge in order to have them pay more than they should be paying by using contractors without proper licenses. You must ask how long he has been doing this kind of business so you can gauge how much experience he has.
The contractor should have a large number of satisfied customers to back up his credibility and honesty. You should also check with your local authorities if they are registered or not, the same goes for insurance providers. Make sure that the contractor is insured just in case something happens during construction. If there are previous cases on file involving the wrong materials used, fire damage, faulty workmanship and shoddy building, then find another one as you do not want to be paying money for poor services. Check whether his employees are trained professionals who will stick around during the project to make it run smoothly instead of leaving halfway through. You must also make sure that they have liability insurance for their own protection in case something happens.
The contractor must be able to show you a portfolio of his previous work so that you can see his style and quality. If he has no portfolio, he may not have enough experience or might not have completed any projects before so choose him with caution. You should also check the kind of materials used by the contractor because some are better than others in terms of durability and maintenance. He should also be able to give you an estimate that comes from his own calculations rather than just relying on general averages for your specific area as this will enable him to come up with a more accurate budget for your project.
You need to make sure that there are no obstacles like trees, power lines, gates, fences and mailboxes in the proposed site for the deck because choosing a contractor who already knows all of these may mean that he will be able to come up with a better design.
Make sure that the contractor can provide you with an insurance which covers injuries during construction, fire and accidents related to his work. Review your agreement thoroughly so that you are certain on what they have written in it about any possible additional charges aside from the cost of materials/labor. It might also include additions like lighting, gazebo and other add-ons which need to be signed off by both parties before proceeding with the main project.
The important thing is to choose a professional who has a lot of experience and good reviews on his previous projects instead of one who has undercut prices but will greatly affect the overall quality of the result. If you are still not sure, ask friends or family members for recommendations as they have already been there themselves and have encountered contractors before. Always take a look at the tools that he brings with him because if it is poor quality then he might be using the same materials during the actual construction as well.
