Late spring, summer and early fall are the most popular times of year for people to get home improvement jobs done. It’s not hard to understand why—the weather is nice, so the days are longer for workers to come in and put in plenty of hours on the job, if outdoor work is required. And for interior jobs, you can open up windows and get some ventilation with fresh air flowing through area where there might otherwise be some unpleasant fumes.
If you’re interested in getting a home improvement job completed this year, you might be wondering how to pick a good general contractor in Seattle, WA for the job. There are going to be plenty of choices available to you, and it’s important that you do your due diligence in your research.
Here are just a few of the factors you’re going to want to consider as you go through your search for a general contractor:
- Reviews: What do other people say about the kind of work this contractor does? You should get some recommendations and reviews from your friends about the contractors they’ve worked with for jobs around their home. They’re going to be honest and upfront with you about the kind of experience they had with those contractors. In addition, spend some time looking at reviews from real customers on sites like Angie’s List, Google Reviews, Yelp, Facebook and anywhere else customer reviews are made publicly available. Negative reviews here and there aren’t necessarily a red flag, but a pattern of negative reviews should probably send you looking elsewhere.
- Licenses and insurance: You should only work with contractors that are fully licensed and insured for the kind of work they do. Ask to see their licenses and insurance policies, and they should be more than happy to comply—it should be a major red flag if a company refuses to cooperate in this regard. These insurance policies in particular protect you as the homeowner in the event something goes wrong and there’s damage done to your property or someone is injured on the job.
- Experience: As you research contractors in your area, see if you can figure out how long they’ve been in business and have been doing the specific type of work you need them for. It’s always helpful to work with a team of contractors that has been doing your kind of work for years with a high level of quality and customer satisfaction.
- Expertise: Just because a contractor is capable of doing your job doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the right choice for it. There are some contractors who specialize in certain types of work, and offer other types of work as more of a courtesy.
- Budget: Make sure you get written quotes from any potential contractor you’re interested in working with. After all, you have a budget you need to stick to!
For more information about how to pick a good general contractor in Seattle, WA, contact Stewart Lumber & Hardware Co. today.