When you’re excited to try a new eatery or find a good place to shop, the word of a stranger online could be an excellent way to get tips. But when it comes to finding an asphalt contractor, you need more than a random suggestion.
Working with a project involving asphalt is a complex, heavy-duty undertaking. If the team you hire does the work poorly, a lot of expensive complications could happen.
You could get multiple quotes from the commercial paving contractors in your area and go with the cheapest one. However, the saying “you get what you pay for” is valid for a reason.
Price is, of course, a crucial factor in deciding which asphalt contractor you choose for your project. But as long as the company is giving you a reasonable quote, it should only be part of your final choice.
These tips will guide you as you narrow down the companies in your area to find the best asphalt contractor for your project.
Check Their Experience Level
There are some jobs where experience doesn’t matter too much. Laying asphalt is not one of them.
The more experienced the person or company has, the better job they will likely do. They’ll know what to watch for, how to avoid problems in the future, and how to get the job done fast and thoroughly.
A key initial question you should ask a potential contractor is how long they’ve been in business. Anything over six months is acceptable, but again, the longer, the better.
Also, find out precisely who will be working on your project.
With some companies, the experienced contractor will talk to the customer and land the job. But they’ll send a newbie out to do the work. Make sure you know who to expect on your property and how experienced that person is.
Shop for Local Contractors
Just because you see an ad for an asphalt contractor (or any company, for that matter) locally doesn’t mean they are nearby. A lot of larger companies extend their advertising to nearby counties to bring in more work.
Calling a contractor from out of town could save you money for a couple of reasons:
- Larger businesses are often able to underbid local workers.
- They have bulk discounts on construction materials and less overhead in general.
But when it comes to customer service, local is always better. If there’s a problem, out-of-county businesses are going to take longer to get to you and fix it. They don’t care as much about a bad review as a small, local business would. And a big company’s focus is usually on its bottom line, not your project.
Local businesses may cost a little extra, but in most cases, the customer service and care you’ll receive is more than worth it.
Verify Licensure and Insurance
For a critical project, you don’t want to take a company’s word for it that they’re licensed and insured.
Ask for a copy of their information and verify it yourself.
There even are a few sites that let you check a contractor’s legitimacy. Some information is on state-run websites. But the Department of Consumer Affairs State License Board covers any contractor.
It’s cheaper to hire an unqualified, unlicensed handyperson to do the job. You can get your asphalt work done at a fraction of the cost if you do.
Going this route leaves you open to scammers, though. And if the person does the job but doesn’t do it well, you will have to pay even more money for a professional repair.
Another caution against hiring an unlicensed, uninsured person to do your asphalt work is that they could get injured. Construction is always a dangerous job.
If the worker sustains an injury or damages your property on the job, you’re responsible since they don’t have insurance.
Get Customer Feedback
Word-of-mouth from previous customers is one of the best ways to get the scoop on how a company operates.
Check the reviews on the website and ask around to see if anyone you know has used the company you’re considering.
One of the top research tools people use to search for asphalt contractors is Google. Their algorithms will pull up the closest companies or those with ads first.
Instead of assuming it’s legitimate because the business landed on the first page, dig a little deeper. Look into their ratings on the Better Business Bureau page. Analyze complaints and positive feedback to see if it’s consistent.
If you use social media, it’s another good tool to ask for referrals. When someone recommends a company, ask them who they worked with specifically and what they had done. What did they like about the company? How experienced were they?
You can learn a lot with a word-of-mouth referral and your online research.
Get Estimates from Multiple Asphalt Contractors
Price is important, even if you’re not on a budget. No one wants a company to overcharge them for work.
However, going for the cheapest rates without considering the rest of the factors is an almost surefire way to end up with many problems.
Most reputable contractors offer free estimates. They might even be able to give you a tentative quote over the phone. Write down the estimate you get and compare their prices to the experience and reviews you found.
Before you start working with any company, make sure you get their estimate in writing. The job probably won’t run exactly as the estimate laid out, but the final bill should be close.
Conclusion
It’s essential to complete any construction job carefully. If it’s not approached with expertise and suitable materials, someone might get hurt, or the result could be full of problems.
These suggestions will help you hire the best asphalt contractor for your project, weeding out the ones that would overcharge you or do subpar work.
Use them to narrow down the companies that work in your area, and then enjoy the finished product when it’s over!
Author bio:
Caitlin Sinclair is the Property Manager at Portside Ventura Harbor with five years of property management experience and many more in customer service. She loves sharing her passion for her community and looks forward to making Portside Ventura Harbor the place to call home.