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Do a little research on your project...
Do a little research on your project...
Hiring a contractor of any kind is never easy. It is difficult to know who you can trust and who is actually going to show up at the end of the day. For us, some of the stories that we hear from customers about their previous experiences are simply unbelievable. Regardless, bad things can happen. However, if you are prepared and know what to look for, then it takes half the guess work out of the entire transaction. So, in our experience here are some of the most important considerations when hiring a Denver concrete contractor.
Take the time to research with your county or municipality about your particular project. This will help you formulate some simple questions for your contractor. If your project includes "city sidewalk" or permitting of any kind, your contractor should know this. If they do not know they should come back to you with an answer. If they simply ignore questions about "off sets" or specific permitting, move on to the next contractor.
Do the research yourself...
Do the research yourself...
With so many resources at your fingertips, it is important to get involved with your own project. Concrete like any other trade is something that you will want to take charge of. Having a concrete contractor design your patio and tell you what they are going to do is great and works well if you have a good contractor. This is exactly why we encourage all property owners to get involved with their own project. What does this mean exactly?
- Know permitting rules and specifications: Make sure you have contacted your city or county and asked them about your project in particular. Know whether or not your project will need to have an inspector involved. This will only help you know how much the permit costs and what other hoops you need to go through to ensure you are properly permitted.
- Take Notes At Each Contractor Meeting: Homeowners rarely take notes during the contractor meeting. Taking notes at each meeting will not only help you remember your impression of each contractor, but during each meeting you will learn a little more about the process. This will help you in developing a better understanding of the process and what actually needs to happen for your project.
- Ask For References and Actually Contact Them: We are asked for references frequently. At Denver Concrete Inc when we are asked for references, we go to the last three jobs that we were hired and request those customer's permission for references. We do circle back with those same customers to thank them for their time and the reference and only about 10% of the time where they actually every contacted. Actual customer references are imperative to hiring your contractor.
- Make sure the reference is recent
- If possible check out the work in person
- Compare Apples to Apples: All to often we are told that our estimate is "high" compared to other contractors that our prospective customers have contacted. More often than not our concrete experts will explain that Denver Concrete Inc pricing is higher than most other concrete contractors in Denver. This is because our estimates are comprehensive and they are "closed"estimates. This means that for the scope of work defined in our original project notes, our final invoice will not EVER come in greater than our original estimate.
Denver Neighborhood Sidewalk Repair Program
Denver Neighborhood Sidewalk Repair Program
Did you know that in Denver County, property owners are responsible for the city sidewalk that is adjacent to their property?
Click above for more information on permitting as well as the Denver City Neighborhood Sidewalk Repair Program.
5. Get A Written Contract Upfront: There is not one estimate that we send out without a copy of our contract. Although that contract may not be final (we may need to make some adjustments to it), it gives our customer an idea of what is included in our warranty as well as other important aspects of the project. Contracts should be written in a simple and easy to understand fashion. If your prospective contractor is not responsive in any of your requests during the interview process or thereafter, MOVE ON and find someone that is willing to communicate. As COREWORX wrote in their blog post "Poor Communication Leads to Project Failure One Third of the Time", communication is key to the success of your project. If you are finding prospective contractors are being unresponsive to your request for an estimate, contract, references or any other request... MOVE ON. There are so many qualified concrete contractors in Denver, there is no need to deal with any sort of unprofessionalism.
It is important to find a contractor that is just as enthusiastic about your project as you are. This is exactly why we have recommended in person estimates from all potential contractors. This process is time consuming of course; however, there is nothing worse than "good money gone after bad". Although we appreciate the work that we get from botched up projects, we always feel badly for the customer who has had to pay for two different installations of the same project.
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