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It's very important when hiring a service professional you "qualify the contractor" prior to engaging in the work. These are a few basic steps to follow when hiring a contractor in San Antonio. This does require some time but may save you from headaches and frustration later.
1.) Ask for current project references. It's easy for a contractor to pick his references and only guide you to the client's they know will offer good feedback. Ask for all current clients' contact information and speak to them personally about their experience with the builder.
2.) Verify the contractor is licensed and insured; this simple step is often missed. When you ask for the insurance certificate also request a point of contact so you can verify the insurance coverage has not lapsed and is up to date. Also, call the city and verify the license number is active and also up to date.
3.) Ask for trade references. This is rarely done from a consumer's stand point. Why would you ask a contractor for trade references? "The trades will always offer great feedback for the company that contracts work to them". This statement is false; you will actually receive very honest feedback. This will also tell you if the contractor hires just anybody out of a phone book.
Ask the trades how long they have worked with the contractor? Does he pay you on time? And, are they licensed the appropriate field?
4.) Visit current projects and review the quality of work. Again, this simple step would eliminate a lot of frustration later in regards to quality concerns. If the contractor's completed projects don't meet your expectations then you need to find a company that can. Quality work is not always the most expensive work.
