Everyone’s heard at least one horror story about hiring a contractor. You may have heard about contractors who show up and charge enormous amounts of money without finishing the work or contractors who do such a shoddy job that the project winds up costing three times as much as it should.
Some people let these types of stories stop them from hiring a contractor at all. However, you shouldn’t avoid contractors if your home, or your fence, needs work.
You just need to know what to look for so that you have the best possible experience with the fence contractor you do hire. Here are some guidelines you can use.
Make Sure the Contractor is Licensed in Wisconsin
Every contractor you might work with should be licensed in our state. For starters, obtaining a license is required by law for contractors wanting to do business in our state. It also means that the contractor is carrying sufficient insurance to handle problems if they arise.
You can check our credentials here at the Wisconsin Department of Commerce. Enter license numbers 16405 and 16406.
Check the Warranty
Sometimes contractors offer a materials-only warranty, or a very short, almost useless, 1 year labor warranty.
Most of the expense of anything that goes wrong with any kind of contractor is going to be in labor, not in materials. In addition, problems usually appear 2 or 3 years down the road, not one year down the road.
At a bare minimum, your fence contractor should offer a 3 year workmanship warranty. A truly good workmanship warranty will last as long as 5 years.
Our company stands behind both our materials and our labor. That’s why we offer a 5 year workmanship and materials warranty.
Check Reviews and Ratings
Make sure the contractor has positive reviews and ratings at places like Angie’s List and the Better Business Bureau. Angie’s List works hard to keep the quality of reviews high, and of course the BBB has rigorous standards that people have trusted for a long time.
We are proud of our A rating at Angie’s List and A+ rating with the BBB. We work hard to maintain both, but of course the only way to do so is by keeping you, our customers, as satisfied as possible.
Listen to What the Contractor Has to Say
How does the contractor attempt to sell his services to you? Does he listen to your needs and look for ways to help you? Does he take pains to show you the positive benefits of his own service?
Be wary of contractors who use a “hard sell,” or who spend all of their time badmouthing other contractors. A great fence contracting service doesn’t need these kinds of tactics.
At the very least, such behavior speaks to a lack of confidence in the contractor about his own products and services. At worst, it’s a fast-talk method meant to conceal something that could be truly wrong.
Pay Attention to the Down Payment
When your contractor gives you an estimate you should pay close attention to the down payment. You haven’t gotten anything for your money when you give a down payment, so it shouldn’t be terribly large.
We follow the BBB guidelines. When you get a free estimate with us we’ll show you how our own down payments are no more than 30%.
Follow Your Gut
No guideline can tell you nearly as much as your own gut feelings can. If something feels wrong, listen to your instincts. After all, there are plenty of fencing contractors out there to choose from. Why should you work with anyone you’re uncomfortable with?
We hope to earn your trust by giving us a chance to provide you with a free estimate and to tell you what our company is all about. Call us anytime at (262) 251-6766.
I do like that your article reminds readers that they need to check on the reviews before they choose a fencing contractor. After all, if you’re planning to add a fence to your home, you’ll want it to look nice and be very sturdy as well. In order to ensure that you can get this you’ll definitely want to talk to the contractor about any references or reviews that they have.