A fence, deck or landscaping is a major investment and there are a few things to look for before hiring a contractor. We believe these are the top 4 things, which are in no specific order.
- Do they have liability insurance and WCB coverage? You need to know you are covered should any problems arise. Accidents can happen and if they do not have insurance or WCB you potentially could have a claim made against you. Ask them for their Certificate of Liability Insurance as well as their account number.
- What are people saying about them? Lethbridge is a growing community and you may not know anyone that can recommend a contractor. Luckily with today's technology we have sites like Facebook and search engines like Google to help us out, this is today's word of mouth! Or you can always ask them for references of previous customers
- Did they supply you with a DETAILED estimate? When you are about to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars you want to make sure you are supplied with a detailed estimate, this way there will never be any disputes in the materials to be used and what work is to be done. It is also hard to compare estimates with two contractors if you have nothing to compare with except price, are they even estimating on the same materials and work?
- Do they require a deposit? Some contractors are busy and this is a good sign however, we feel that nobody should give deposits until the day the job starts and only give the cost of the materials. The cost of materials should be broken down for you in their detailed estimate.