Having to hire a restoration company isn’t something people do every day. It can feel daunting to find a company you trust to come into your home after a traumatic event like a flood or fire. Do you trust them to put your home (and to some degree your life) back together again? Do you trust them with the contents of your home? Do you trust that they will respect your property? There are so many questions running through the minds of everyone in who has ever had to hire a restoration company. So while the team at GS Jones hopes you choose us to restore your Swissvale property, we also want to be a resource to help you find the best fit for you and your family – even if that isn’t us.
Here are five factors to consider when looking for a restoration company:
- Read customer testimonials.
Today, you can find reviews and feedback on companies all over the internet. Look on the contractor’s website, Facebook, Google, Yelp, and so on to see what people have to say about the company’s services – AND how the company responds to the feedback! Of course, you sometimes need to take social media feedback with a grain of salt, but if you see a trend of negative or positive feedback, that should give you a pretty solid idea about how the company works.
- Get referrals.
Word of mouth is a big way many contractors are able to grow into big businesses in local communities. It is a tried and true marketing technique. So ask around at work, church, yoga class, etc. to see if anyone you know has experience with a local contractor – and what they have to say about them, good or bad.
- Ask Hard Questions.
The very best way weed out the bad apples is to know how to interview and choose the right company for the job. You cannot be afraid to ask hard questions or walk away from a company that you just do not feel right about.
- Be sure they’re by the book, not by “what everyone else does.”
Permits are not optional. Doing a home improvement or restoration project without the right permits can violate local ordinances and open you up to fines and a heap of trouble! Legitimate contractors are easily able to get the right permits from the right entities because they work with the organizations every single day. Also, ask for proof of liability insurance – and be sure any subcontractors hired by the restoration company are also insured. While you may not be liable for damages the contractor’s cause, it will certainly increase a headache and prolong the work if they aren’t insured.
- Trust your instincts and gut reaction/feeling about the contractor and company.
You should be innately comfortable with the crew working in your home from the person doing estimates of the damage to the tech sucking water out of the carpet or tearing out drywall – and everyone in between. It is stressful enough when disaster strikes your home or business without also worrying about the company doing the restoration work. Keep your gut feeling in mind, too, when you’re looking at quotes from different companies. If one is extremely low or exorbitantly high, you might want to take a closer look at the companies – or start asking hard questions, like we talked about above.