How to Know if You are Choosing the Right Window Contractor
Replacing windows is a task that most homeowners dread doing. The problem is, how can you tell in advance who you are dealing with and that the contractor you choose is going to be honest, reliable, and do a good job for you. The quick and simple answer is, you can’t.
Regardless of how much research that you do, there is no way to 100% determine that everything that has to do with your replacement window project is going to go smoothly and without problems.
For example, there is a Chicago area homeowner who just recently had all of the windows in their home replaced by a local contractor. The contractor looked great… at first. When they called him, he actually answered his phone. At the initial sales meeting, he was knowledgable, professional, and really confident about his ability to get the job done.
After finally decided to go with this gentleman’s company, the man showed up on time, explained how things were going to go in great detail, and presented a professional and well put together contract and propropal of work to be done. The folks signed the contract and put half down as a deposit.
And that was the last time that they ever saw the man. Dozens of phone calls went unanswered. Several letters where sent, also unanswered. The folks filed a report with the police, their State’s Attorney General, and contacted an attorney but the contractor seemed to have disappeared into thin air without a trace. Worst of all, he disappeared with their deposit money!
The recent recession has taught us one thing, that no company is completely safe, no matter how large and no matter how established. So if the biggest companies in America can fail, is their any hope for your little local contractor? There is always a risk when doing business with a company or an individual, but there are several things that you can do to protect yourself.
One thing you can do is make sure that the contractor is established in the community. Make sure he is involved in local organizations like the chamber of commerce, lives in your area and has been there for a
while, and if at all possible has a physical brick and mortor place of business.
Another thing that you can do is talk to professional references. Who is the contractor’s banker, attorney, and/or accountant? Contact these people and gather information about the individual and his/her business. When a bank gives a loan they check professional references, you should too. Essentially, when you give a deposit, you are lending the contractor your money until he completes the work he is contracted to do.
One final thing you can do is talk to customers who have hired this contractor in the past. Interview them about their experience with the company. Find out how the work was done, if the customers are satisfied, and most importantly, if they had an issue, how was it handled. Testimonials from existing customers can be a powerful means to find out how reliable the contractor is and how good his work is.
Replacement Windows seem like a simple thing, but the process can be confusing because you never know who you can trust. There is no fool proof way of determining if a company or individual contactor is going to be honest and get your job done right. But if you deal with a local, established company, check professional references, and talk to some existing customers, you can significantly reduce the risk of being ripped off by a shady window replacement contractor.
