Things to Look for in a Home Reconstruction Company
A home reconstruction project can be a tremendous undertaking and requires the right business. Without proper planning in place, the project can go off the rails, leaving you with a mess to clean up afterwards.
There are several reconstruction companies out there, and not all of them are equal. For best results, working with a single company is recommended to organize planning, signing, management, and labor. This way, you’re giving 100% ownership of the work, so they have no excuses for mistakes made on the job.
There are several things to look for when choosing a home reconstruction company. Let’s take a deep dive into the nine most important ones.
Expertise
The most important quality of a good home reconstruction company is its level of expertise. A team of home reconstruction professionals should be experts in their craft. This requires years of experience and projects under their belt to claim the title of ‘expert’. You can gauge the contractor’s expertise level by the number of years they’ve been in operation and their client base.
Alternatively, you can get a few recommendations from people who claim to have used their services. You can list the best contenders for the job and use them to select your home reconstruction company.
Ask the contractor a few questions about their process, how many projects they do in a month, and if they have references for their work.
Licenses
When looking for a home reconstruction company, find one that has all the necessary licenses. This means that the contractor has met the state’s mandated qualifications for a home reconstruction company. It’s worth pointing out that any work done by unlicensed contractors is usually not recognized as a home real estate transaction, so it’s important to find a licensed contractor.
The company should also possess the required insurance to cover their workers if someone gets injured while working on your property. It should have the necessary permits from your local government before starting the job.
Reviews
Online reviews are a good indication that the business has enough work experience and their clients are happy. Beware, however, of a 100% satisfaction rating. This is because it is statistically impossible for any business to satisfy clients each time.
So if a business has too many stellar reviews and no negative feedback, this could indicate that they are faking them.
Turnaround Time
Before commissioning a home reconstruction company, ask them about the project timeline. If the timeline is too short, it probably means that the contractor is compromising quality for speed – this is obviously not safe for a home construction project.
Get estimates about the turnaround time from other contractors and see if there is a pattern. As a rule, the turnaround time can be up to 3 to 4 weeks for a typical roof replacement project, or even longer in the case of severe water damage in Las Vegas.
Pricing
Pricing is an important aspect to consider. When looking for a home reconstruction company in Las Vegas, try not to go for the contractor with the highest or lowest pricing. The price level should be competitive, but if the pricing system looks too good to be true, then it usually is. Note that the price levels may depend on the type of material and manufacturer, which could raise or lower costs.
Contact Their Vendors and Suppliers for Reviews
Vendors and suppliers are companies that your contractor works closely with to procure supplies. For obvious reasons, if the vendor doesn’t have nice things to say about the contractor, it’s probably an indication that it’s not a good contractor to work with. In some cases, vendors may be more informed about a contractor’s business habits than their clients.
Check with Trade Organizations
Check to see if the home reconstruction company in Las Vegas is accredited with trade organizations and review platforms such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Review their ratings online, as well as their reputation. You can also check out their response rate to negative reviews and how they handle bad feedback. This could be your yardstick for what to expect if you decide to go forward with them.
Communication Process
You want to make sure that the home reconstruction company in Las Vegas is easy to reach over the phone. They must keep the lines of communication open, whether it’s through the phone, email, social media, live chat, or in-person visits.
Did their team get back to you on time? Did they answer all your questions? Did they provide you with a schedule? If the answer is “no” to some of these questions, it may indicate that the business won’t maintain communication with you during the job.
The last thing you want is radio silence from a contractor after leaving a home reconstruction project halfway complete.
Look at their Contract
The contract is one of the most important aspects of your project and should be properly drafted. Without a proper contract, it’s your word against the contractors in the event of a dispute about the materials, labor, timeline, and quality of work. For obvious reasons, never hire someone without signing a contract first.
A reputable home reconstruction company will include all necessary items in their contract, including their license number, insurance, timelines, details about materials, and more. If the contract is hard to understand, it may indicate a hidden agenda (such as hidden fees).
When it comes to home reconstruction projects in Las Vegas, no two projects are the same. Trust is an important factor when hiring the right contractor. So don’t be afraid to the contractor about their work. At 911 Restoration, our friendly staff can answer any questions you have about fire and water damage restoration in Las Vegas.
