The Complete Guide to Hiring a Garage Door Contractor for Homeowners
At 97.5 percent, guess which home improvement project has the best return on investment.
Drum rolls please, you guessed it right, the garage door.
When you need to hire a garage door contractor, there are many things to consider before you make your final decision. While you want someone to come out and fix the issue with your door, getting the right repair person can make all the difference in the world.
From appearance to professionalism, there are many factors you should keep in mind while hiring a garage door contractor. This complete guide will take you through everything you need to know when hiring a garage door contractor.
Read on to find out.
Identify and Understand Your Needs
This brings to mind that famous quote, “if you don’t know where you’re going, any road can take you there.”
The first step before you hit the market in search of a garage door contractor should be to identify your needs. Do you need a complete overhaul of your garage door or just repairs?
Start by conducting a thorough inspection of your garage door. This will give you a clear indication of what you need. You may want to replace or repair your garage door, but either way, you should understand what’s wrong with it.
Cracks and rust spots on your garage door mean you need repairs. On the other hand, sluggishness in opening and closing or garage door not opening indicates that replacement is necessary.
Understanding your needs will serve as a blueprint to guide you through your garage door contractor options. You want to find the right fit contactor for your specific garage door problem. You don’t want to end up with a knife-wielding contractor when it’s actually a gunshot contest!
Licensed, Bonded, and Insured
Most states will require all contractors to be licensed. Not everyone who calls themselves an expert in repairing garage doors is fit to be working on your property.
For a contractor to be licensed, they must satisfy several requirements. This ensures that only the best and most qualified get the license to operate in the given city or state. Make sure the contractor you choose is licensed.
While qualifications and licenses are essential, a contractor that’s also bonded and insured gives you more confidence.
No matter how hard they try, no contractor can guarantee that no accident will occur. Therefore, it’s convenient if the contractor is insured and bonded. You don’t want to be left with huge losses due to an accident that happened, and the contractor wasn’t insured.
Err on the side of caution and hire a garage door contractor that ticks this crucial trifecta.
References and Reviews
Truly, and without a doubt, there’s no better time to be alive. The internet has made our lives easier and more worthwhile. As a homeowner, you no longer have to take chances on contractors when you need their services.
A simple online search will give you as much information about them as possible. This has taken away the need to guess and ride on luck when looking for contractors.
Chances are, the contractor you’re considering has a website and you can get reviews about their services and professionalism from previous clients.
The best contractors will have countless glowing reviews. Should most of the reviews be anything but stellar, proceed with caution. The odds are that you, too, might come back complaining.
If possible, contact the former clients and inquire more about the contractor. You’ll get a better read and more info than the generic reviews.
Experience
Ideally, the best contractor is the one that has been offering their services for a couple of years. Considering how crucial your garage door is to the security and appeal of your home, don’t take chances with newbies.
Nothing will come close to matching the quality brought about by combining hands-on experience and qualifications. This is not the time to give a break to your cousin’s friend who’s just fresh out of trade school a break. Look for the most qualified and experienced contractor out there.
Affordability
The amount that hiring a garage door contractor will set you back should be at the forefront when shopping for them.
Don’t fall prey to those contractors that dangle cheap fees in front of you. The chances are that their services and professionalism match their cost. However, don’t go for those contractors that charge exorbitant prices, and their services offer no value for the money spent.
Ensure that you do your research beforehand and seek to understand the average cost of the services you’re looking for. This way, you’ll have an idea of how much you’re going to pay, and you can then make a budget for it.
Visit several contractors and get quotes from them. Take your time comparing contractor costs and settle on the one that perfectly aligns with your needs and budget.
Warranty and Guarantee
Warranties and guarantees are the hallmarks of the best contractors.
For most contractors, being able to take pride in their work is a must. Therefore, the best contractors will not want to associate their names with shoddy work. As a sign of confidence and trust in their services, the best contractors will provide warranties and guarantees.
Words of assurance are not enough. Look for contractors willing to stand behind their work and back up their words with warranties and guarantees.
Get Value When You Hire a Garage Door Contractor
Don’t gamble with your hard-earned money. Follow the advice given above and hire a garage door contractor to make your vision a reality.
You’ll feel at ease knowing that you’ve gotten the total value for your greens.
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