Your ability to compare businesses and what they offer is crucial to hire the best siding contractor in all of Vancouver. Setting strict rules and standards can also help you walk through the different options and pick the best contractor for your needs.
When evaluating siding contractors, you should focus on these key aspects of their business and practices;
These factors can help you determine the right siding contractor for your project. But how?
Estimates or quotes are detailed documents stating the cost expected to be incurred on your next siding project. This can be an inflated figure if the contractor isn’t honest. By evaluating the contractor’s estimate or quotes and comparing it with others from different companies, you’ll get an idea of who’s trying to cheat you and where.
It is always important to have at least three potential siding contractors to hire at any time. This ensures that you have different quotes and estimates to compare from. While you shouldn’t necessarily choose the least costly estimate, you should focus more on the value and material to be used.
Some estimates may be expensive because of the quality of materials to be used on the project. Ensure that you’ve factored in the material quality and price during this comparison. You’re better off paying a little extra for quality materials that guarantee peace of mind and satisfaction.
The fees charged by siding contractors differ based on many factors, including location, years of experience, service quality, and the size of the company. Most established siding contractors or companies also charge higher than the market average.
Ensure you’ve researched the market average that siding contractors or companies charge. You can then use the information when comparing quotes from three or more contractors.
When comparing the fees or charges, it is important to consider the company’s work quality, past projects, size, and other factors. Larger companies may promise to complete the installation in a shorter time compared to smaller contractors.
Carefully weigh your options and the trade-offs before making a decision.
Customer service is perhaps the most critical consideration to keep in mind when choosing a siding contractor. You want a detailed, responsive professional with good communication skills. You should look for siding contractors with great reviews mentioning their communication skills. More than that, the contractor should also have a team handling requests or, better still, assign you to an account or project manager who will be your direct contact throughout the project.
You should evaluate how long it takes the company to take their calls, return calls, or reply to messages. These factors can help you determine whether you’ll enjoy seamless communication during the installation process or not.
Experience is a significant part of the siding contractor hiring process. You want a contractor with years of experience and a commitment to maintaining a high reputation. Ask the siding contractor how long they have been in business to get an idea of how experienced they are. The rule of thumb is to look for companies with at least five years of experience in their field.
You can also ask the contractor about the number of projects they handle annually. This question is quite important because it gives more detail on what the company has been doing, especially if they fall below the five years of experience mark. Some companies may be new but have handled a lot of siding installation and replacement projects. Others may be older with fewer projects to show.
If you’re ever in doubt, choose a company that has handled more projects. This shows such a company would have amassed real-life experience working on different projects and solving different challenges on the job.
Your siding contractor’s professionalism is just as essential as their customer service and experience. You want a trained professional who is true to their word, arrives on time and completes the job at the right time.
You can start evaluating and comparing the contractor’s professionalism from when you contact them for a quote or estimate. Most siding contractors decide to see what they’ll be doing to offer a quote. However, some may offer estimates over the phone to avoid coming out. This can be a dealbreaker for most homeowners who want accurate project costs for better financial planning.
You should also consider how detailed the contractor is and their willingness to help by offering information needed to help you make better decisions. Ask about how long the project will take, who does the cleanup and if they’ll be working with subcontractors or employees.
At the end of this comparison, you’d most likely have decided on the best man for the job. If not, expand your search.