A Complete Guide To Finding The Right Contractor

By Author: emilyclark
Total Articles: 6
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The internet is filled with websites lined up one after another with contractors claiming they’re the “best” contractors in New York City. All these websites might seem quite similar at a glance and you could easily get confused wondering which one out the “best contractors” really is the best? The question you should be asking yourself is: “Who is the Right Contractor for this Job?” instead of the “best” one. As the wise often say, perhaps you’re not finding the answers because you aren’t asking the right questions!
With a Sidewalk Violation Notice hanging on your head and days flying by, it can get troublesome to find the Right Contractor to do the Right Job within the Right Time. A google search for “Sidewalk Contractors in NYC” will give you a dozen options and confuse you even more, making your decision-making process more strenuous and time consuming. So, we decided to make this process easier for you by categorizing the list of characteristics and qualities you should be looking for in a contractor before you lend them your sidewalk for repairs. Here we have compiled a guide for you to ...
... use while you’re finding the most appropriate contractor to help fix or replace your sidewalk.
Follow this checklist, keep ticking what you find, and everything will fall into place!
• Quality Research
Thanks to the internet, we can save ourselves a lot of hassle by doing some research before stepping into an important task. Who doesn’t google the “Whys and How to” before embarking on an important task? After all, we all need some piece of “Goog-sdom” (Google + Wisdom) in our lives. To find the right contractor for your sidewalk repairs, look up companies and their websites. Carefully read through the reviews they have received on their Company Website, Google, Yelp and Facebook. Try to get your hands on the available photos and videos of their previous work experiences. You can also go to websites like Angie’s List which provide authentic reviews and people don’t post anonymously to degrade or upgrade a company’s ratings. But the important thing to keep in mind is that online reviews are limited information and may not fully portray the extent of the work done by a certain contractor. Everyone gets good reviews and bad reviews – so if someone matches the profile you have in mind, give them a chance. In case all they have are bad reviews, then you better stay away for the sake of avoiding a bad judgement call. This step will help you shortlist at least three contractors.
• Real Rave Reviews & Referrals
Once you’ve done your fair share of online research, get off the internet and meet the people who have actually used the services of your shortlisted contractors for repairing their sidewalks. If you can visit and check their work in person, there’s nothing better than that. Otherwise if you can speak with the property owner on call - that should work too. Ask them the right kind of questions and see how satisfied they were with a certain contractor. Ask them about the duration of the project and behavior of the company. You must inquire if they did the job in time and followed the timeline the client had in mind. Check for any red flags, mishaps or unpleasant situations that might have happened. You don’t want to work with people who aren’t friendly and accommodating. The best sources to consult are your friends, family and acquaintances – anyone who has had a personal experience with these contractors would give you the least biased opinion.
• Plan it Out
It is important to inspect your sidewalks and make sure the flags marked in the Preliminary Inspection Report (PIR) are accurate. It is very much possible that there are some other minor fixes required in the repairing job, so don’t just stop there. Look closely and if there is any extra work to be done – get it done. It’s better to completely make repairs now than get another violation a few years down the lane. It is very much possible to consider a replacement than going all out with repairs, for which you should read here. Plan out the specifics of the job, from the tasks to the preferred material, fixes that are needed and any additional changes you might want to make - this will make the bidding process easier for you and the contractor, as you will know exactly what you’re willing to pay for.
• Bids and Insurance
After checking for referrals and making a strategy, contact the shortlisted contractors and properly explain what you require of them. Ask them for a written bid and make sure you have clearly mentioned the same specifics to all three contractors. This will prove helpful in comparing the bids between the contractors and if necessary, aid you in negotiating. At this point, you should openly ask your contractor the conditions they are covering in the insurance and if they match with your requirements. Get a printed copy of their insurance policy for your future reference and to avoid any miscommunication. Be very careful of people who don’t provide clear details and proper documentation.
• Licenses and Permits
Before finalizing and signing the contract, you must make sure that the shortlisted contractors are licensed and don’t have any litigation against them. Check the local court records or the disciplinary board to make sure you aren’t hiring someone who might hinder your Violation Dismissal Process. Clarify this to your contractor that the company is responsible to get the necessary permits from the NYC DOT as working without a permit might save you a few bucks right now, but it will land you in a bigger mess with the DOT later which would mean paying heavy fines and your sidewalk violation not being dismissed.
Once you’ve carefully led yourself through these steps and have had clear communication with your chosen contractor, the whole job will be less stressful for both the parties. You can easily relax now and let the men do what they do best!