More often than not, the best way to get a job done is to hire a professional.
Sunroom projects are no different.
But sometimes, it's hard to find one who won't take you for a ride.
Here are useful reminders to avoid getting conned by a sunroom contractor.
When investigating the sunroom contractor, seek out specifics: • Make certain they are in the yellow pages.
If you can't look them up, you probably shouldn't.
• Visit their office.
Get to know the people who will actually be building your sunroom.
Take a gander at their credentials: licenses, certifications, association memberships, and endorsements from reputable organizations.
You might even get to view sunroom showrooms to boot.
• Verify their information online.
Browse the websites of the Better Business Bureau, the Contractor's State License Board, and the associations and endorsers they are supposedly connected with.
• To get a better idea of how the company works, contact previous clients.
Be extremely courteous when talking to them, not everyone wants their lives made public because of a sunroom.
• If subcontractors will come into the picture, probe their facts as well.
Ensure that your contract has the following protection measures set up for the duration of the sunroom project: • Read the sunroom contract carefully before signing it.
For that matter, read anything carefully before putting your name on it.
Warning bells should go off if you're being rushed into signing something.
• Get protection from on-site mishaps and property damages.
The sunroom project's policy must encompass your family, their employees, and any subcontractors they might hire.
Confirm the contractor's insurance coverage with their insurance provider.
• See if you can get a warranty on sunroom work done at your house.
Quality can only be determined over time so try to end the project right before harsher weather conditions start.
That way, any needed repairs can be attended to within the warranty's timeframe free of charge.
• Don't sign on if there won't be a performance bond.
This is a surety bond issued by a bank to vouch that all the terms stipulated in the contract will be completed.
This is so you can be compensated accordingly if they don't meet the sunroom project's requirements.
• Keep your own record of everything.
Make sure the contract, job order receipts, and payments are duly signed by both parties.
As consumers get smarter, con artists also come up with more clever ways of cheating us out of our hard-earned money.
Trust your instincts and don't get lured into flashy offers and unrealistic promises just to achieve your dream sunroom.
Remember that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.