4 Warning Signs When Hiring Restoration Contractors
Whether you are looking for home restoration in the wake of storm damage or you just need to hire someone to help turn your existing home into your dream home, it’s important that you know how to hire the most qualified Billings MT construction contractors. Unfortunately there are a lot of not-so-qualified contractors out there selling services, and when you hire them your dream project can quickly turn into a nightmare. Here are four signs of a bad contractor.
1: Operating Without Proper License and Insurance
The first question you ask any contractor should be about licensing and insurance. Licensing helps prove they have the qualifications and legal ability to perform work in your area, and insurance will protect you as a homeowner in case there is damage to your property, your neighbors’ property, or an injury to one of the workers.
2: They Came from Another City or State
In the wake of big weather events, “storm chasing” contractors often show up and offer to perform restoration work on your home. They take advantage of desperate homeowners who want to quickly get their house back in order. Unfortunately if they provide poor quality work or you need to redeem a warranty or other claim later, these restoration contractors in Billings are nowhere to be found.
3: Demanding Cash or Payment Up Front
Any Billings MT restoration contractor that requires payment up front is probably not the kind of company you want to do business with. Either they are planning to skip town with your money before the work is complete, or they are having cash flow issues and might not be in business much longer. In both cases you don’t want to trust your home to that contractor.
4: Can’t Provide Local References
If your contractor cannot provide you with a list of satisfied customers that can vouch for their work, that’s a red flag on its own, but if the contractor gives you a list and everyone on the list is from a far away city or different state, they probably haven’t done a lot of local work. This can be a sign that they are just in town for a few days to make some repairs and you may have trouble tracking them down again if you ever need them in the future.
Be sure to ask questions whenever you are preparing to hire a contractor in Billings so you get a local, trustworthy company that will provide high quality work.