Home exterior services in Framingham, MA, have become very popular due to the concentration of company owners in the area. Siding contractors, exterior painting, roofing, patio installation, gutter repair, and more.
These services can be quickly found online, but the question is… who can I safely choose to do my work? Well, if you are a homeowner and live in Framingham, Massachusetts, this article will help you to understand what to look for in a contractor for your home’s exterior services.
Why is the number of business owners/contractors increasing?
The quick answer is… employees realize they have the experience they believe it takes to start up a business. Not only do they not see potential growth in their previous companies, but also, they get paid better by getting the job directly with the client. It is almost the perfect world! Becoming the project manager, conducting everything on their own.
The problem behind this
After that, these contractors will realize that it takes a little more than just getting high-paying projects, and because they’re not structured, they won’t have what it takes for complete customer care, which you should be aware of. These are the first things to get hit:
No customer service
Long waiting times for replies
No interest in solving small problems (although it is their responsibility, there is no profit from them)
Not able to keep up with insurance expenses (meaning… NOT insured)
Short-term commitment, since some of them will quit and search for other jobs later
Well, if those are not enough reasons for your to re-think and carefully evaluate who’s your next contractor, what would be?
Signs of a suspicious contractor
Finding good contractors can seem to be a difficult task, but it’s NOT! Since we’re trying to prevent problems with bad contractors, we can begin here talking about the signs you can catch in the first impressions with a home’s exterior services company.
Online evaluation
The first place to start if you don’t have a direct recommendation is online. That’s also the first place you can get tricked if you are not looking for these signs.
– Do they have an online presence?
This one helps even direct recommended workers. Checking if they have an online presence is a must! Just think for a second… who’s easier to find, an online or offline company? It seems obvious, but many people won’t think this before.
– Can you see previous work(s) done?
It’s very clever for individuals pretending to be a company to use internet pictures, not their real work, since they haven’t done many. No uniform, no vehicles… This is another sign to consider.
– Do they have LEGIT reviews?
Believe it or not, nowadays, we can buy online reviews in bulk and drop them slowly every month. So how to know if the reviews are legit? Just read a couple of them. Sometimes, they will show it in the content itself.
Suppose they’re too many (exaggerated). In that case, that should also be a red flag… the process of acquiring reviews is not easy, and not every company is dedicating time and attention to it.
Asking for a name and number to call will also be a great test.
– Do they have social media? What do they post?
Active social media are a great sign that someone is working in the background, ensuring everything is good. That also means you can talk to someone in case you message them.
Other Types of Evaluation
If the online presence matches the signs above, but you still want to give the contractor a chance, you can also use these other types of evaluation on how to choose safely.
– Make sure they offer free visits, not just free estimate
Who wouldn’t want contractors that will go by your property to evaluate project details and have a nice in-person presentation? Remember, we are talking about exterior home services, which could cost thousands of dollars.
– A descriptive proposal
Another thing that is very common for suspicious contractors is they don’t always… rarely provide a descriptive proposal. This leaves imaginable gaps in case you need to exercise your rights.
Be Specific and Clear
It’s common for siding contractors to work with fiber cement siding or vinyl siding. But can they work with other siding materials, such as aluminum? Asking exactly what you will need from them will help you to discard inexperienced contractors.
Not only mentioning it, make sure to get it written in your home improvement proposal.
About Gutter Contractors
Also, part of your home’s exterior list of services and our favorite topic, let’s talk gutters now!
Because gutters don’t seem complex, it’s often given as an extra service to a painting company, handyman, or even landscapers. The job will not be extremely professional, but at least they can save some money, right?! Negative, because of the lack of understanding, clients can end up being charged twice or even more since they will find gutters complex to work with.
Let’s say a cleaning, for example. If you’re looking for a gutter cleaning service in Framingham, MA, you might see home services websites. Still, our question is, would it be easier for less experienced professionals to be on those platforms or to have their online presence? The answer is to be listed where many people are already searching for similar services.
No need to go wrong here… check our website for pictures, reviews, and the kind of problems we can solve!
