Common Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Paving Company
Introduction
Both homeowners and business owners need to maintain their property in good condition to keep business operations efficient or to preserve the value of their property. If you want to hire a paving company to do some maintenance on the driveway, walkway, or any part of the building, you can search for “paving companies near me”. Let’s check out a few common questions you need to ask before hiring a paving company.
The Questions
- How many years have you been in the business? – If you’re a business owner you don’t want to hire a newbie to do complicated work. The same holds when you go to a barbershop. You don’t expect the best haircut from someone new in the trade. Similarly, you can’t expect exceptional work from a company that’s new to the business.
While a paving company may have a few new greenhorns working for them, you want them to be supervised by someone who has spent years in the trade and knows how to execute the job perfectly. When a company has more years of experience, they are more prepared to tackle unforeseen situations and adapt accordingly. You can consider bonding pavers to concrete using DriBond fl. Make sure that the paving contractor you hire has at least half a decade of experience so that they can solve surprises and problems as they arrive.
- Do you have insurance and proper licenses? – When you hire a technician to fix your refrigerator or dryer, you want them to work while following strict safety guidelines and they should have proper training. The only way to verify that is by checking their licenses and certifications. The same holds for a paving company. You want the paving contractor to have the proper licenses before you hire them.
In the US around 24 states require paving contractors to be licensed while working on a commercial property. Some of those licensing requirements even require the workers to have a certain number of years of experience under their belt. Depending on the state and the city, you’ll have different licensing authorities. It may take time to figure out if the paving contractor has a license. However, it’s worth all that effort.
When you hire a company with proper licenses it gives you peace of mind about the quality of work and the legitimacy of the company. Insurance is another important piece of documentation you should look out for. If a company doesn’t have insurance, they may be able to offer you cheaper rates compared to the competition.
However, it also means that you have the liability and are responsible for accidents or damage to your property. In severe cases, you may end up having a hefty lawsuit that’s several times more expensive than the cost saved by hiring a company with no insurance.
- Do you have referrals – If a paving company has been in the business for a few years and is good at its job, it should have a portfolio of satisfied clients. A reputable company shouldn’t have any problem showing you a few referrals from those satisfied clients. Make sure to ask for at least 3 recent referrals before you hire a paving company. If the paving company fails to provide that, it’s a giant red flag.
Moreover, you shouldn’t just take those referrals at face value. Make sure to awaken the investigative journalist in you and contact those referrals. Ask them detailed questions about the work of the company and its services. Also, make sure to ask about things you didn’t like. If those referrals are genuine, they would not have a hard time answering detailed questions. You also get to know the kind of work you can expect from the paving company.
- What’s the estimated price of the job? – Irrespective of the type of service you’re hiring for your home or business, the price is always one of the most important factors. Make sure to ask the paving company for an estimate. If it’s a reputable company, they will come out to the site, assess the property, make some calculations and provide you a quote with a price breakup.
If the paving company gives you a quote without physical inspection and without assessing the size and scope of the project, it’s most probably a disingenuous company or new to the market. The quote also helps you compare the prices of different paving companies and choose one that suits you.
- Do you work on residential or commercial projects? – Any industry has its specialization. The same holds for paving companies. Certain companies only work on residential projects while others only work with commercial businesses. Some work only on driveways and walkways while others work on more complex hardscapes.
Ask the company about its field of expertise and proceed accordingly. If you’re a business owner, you should not work with a company that has experience mostly in residential projects. That’s because commercial properties have a heavy traffic flow and more rigorous use. That’s why they require different types of materials and sometimes entirely different construction techniques to achieve that high tolerance.
- Are there any hidden fees? – Depending on the scope and scale, certain projects are more complicated than others. Before you hire the paving company ask them about complex challenges that may occur during the project and hidden fees that may be incurred due to certain situations.
A reputable company doesn’t need to hide such things. They value their reputation more than the money they earn from a single project. That’s why they would be transparent with you about the job, complexities that may occur, and extra fees that may be incurred due to those problems.
Conclusion
Asking the above-mentioned questions allows you to assess a paving company properly before you can sign a contract with them. It helps you to avoid shady contractors and find the right and reputable company for the job. You can search for “paving companies near me” and hire professionals to pave a driveway or walkway or get some maintenance done for your hardscape.
