America’s Public Road Network spans more than 2.75 million miles of paved roads. This system connects every major population center and is vital to the country’s economy, defense, and mobility. With fiscal constraints and increasing infrastructure needs, agencies are incorporating life cycle thinking into their planning. It’s just like owning a house. So, search for reputed Asphalt Repair Companies near me and come across trusted services.
If your locality needs repairing or replacement on the roads or even to build entirely new roads, you should know how to select an asphalt contractor. The contractor should be well qualified to handle these major projects of paving jobs. They should stay on budget, on schedule, and, most of all, laying down the absurd, high-quality pavement for you and the drivers. It’s essential to make sure that the roads in your town are good to go in any season of the year. After all, it is a matter of public trust, public safety, and responsibility.
Top 5 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Contractor:
1: Do you have a license, bond, and insurance?
This question might look goofy. But half the people call themselves contractors even when they do not have a license. If your contractor doesn’t have a valid license, you can’t go to the licensing board in your state and access his bond or issue a complaint with the work. Verify with your contractor that they possess insurance and the amount that is entailed by the policy. Some contractors choose a policy of the least amount to comply with the state law. Accidents happen all the time, but god forbid, if it happens on your property, you would want to be protected from lawsuits after that.
Therefore, check that the contractor you chose has the following enlisted features covered by their policy.
- General liability
- Auto liability and workers compensation
- Umbrella policy
- Minimum $500,000 per policy coverage
If the contractor’s insurance policy complies with the features mentioned above, you can go ahead and present him with the contract. And don’t worry; you can easily get in touch with services for Asphalt Paving in Kansas City.
2: Do you have referrals?
Pictures of the contractor’s work are excellent. But what is valuable is the clients behind those pictures think of the overall experience with the contractor. Did they stick to the schedule? Did they behave professionally and honor the price mentioned in the contract?
You need to vet the contractor before presenting the contract. Contact his past clients, verify his work, and then move forward. An informed decision will assist you in the future once you feel the need to avail of the warranty offered by the contractor. Diligent research and a preventive approach will help mitigate risks that might follow as you contact services for parking lot striping in Kansas City, TX.
3: Can I get a detailed and comprehensive scope of work with a bid?
If you get multiple bids, you need to be able to compare apples to apples. Just because one contractor gives you a lower number doesn’t mean he’s cheaper. Carefully examine the scope of the work portion of each proposal. Some contractors will leave out items. They know you’ll need midway through the job to win a bid at a lower price.
Do not settle for the lowest bid and compare the work of the contractor with others. It might be that the lowest bid contractor compromises on quality. You would not want that for your asphalt driveway in Kansas City due to the city weather throughout the year. For a job to be successful, the contractor must be professional with his job. And therefore, for you to gauge the ethics of your contractor, asking these questions is vital.
4: Ask about experience and verify if you can.
Every contractor will tell you I’ve been doing this for 20 years, and maybe they have done, but you need specific. Every contractor has been doing new construction or commercial construction for 20 years. Then you don’t want them learning on the job with your residential project. Whether it is seal coating in Kansas City or some other project, asking the right questions, help you find reliable services.
You can ask for references or contact their past clients to check whether their claims are true. Moreover, check whether the contract you have sought for has the sufficient crew to complete the task. A typical asphalt paving crew comprises 5-7 members. Yes, even for a job as brief as paving an asphalt driveway. Under-staffing can not only impact the outcome but can also cause a breach of the deadline.
5: Who’s doing the work? How’s the quality of material employed? Who should you contact regarding the project?
Contractors rely on competent subcontractors to get jobs done. But that doesn’t mean they should be absent. If the contractor isn’t going to be on site every day, the foreperson or supervisor should. If you end up supervising a Subcontractor, then ask yourself, “Why did you hire a contractor in the first place?”
If you employ a contractor, verify his team and competency. Having your driveway paved is not a petty job. It might be brief, but it requires as much effort and crew as any regular pavement job. You also need to verify the kind of materials they will be using for your project. Having a low quality, recycled material installed will affect its durability and appeal. You can search for asphalt repair companies near me to get a list of registered asphalt pavement contractors in your area.
Keep in mind to ask all these five questions while hiring a contractor for your project. Moreover, do not hire a contractor who does asphalt pavement manually. There are machines which are designed for the purpose and ensure efficiency and precision. Reputed contractors have established a credit mechanism with their material suppliers. They must not require deposits from you to initiate the project.
Be careful out there while contacting “Asphalt Repair Companies near me.” An informed decision will require you to ask these questions from your asphalt pavement contractor.