Jump to:
As a homeowner, you will inevitably hire someone to fix things that need repair or replacement. Knowledge, questions, and great communication are the best ways to start yourself off on the right foot with finding the right person for the job.
When it comes time to hire someone, Gutter Supply experts recommend considering the following things when hiring a home repair expert.
1. Understand What Your Repair Needs Are
Before you start calling around for help, take stock of what your repair, as you see it, really is. Make notes of what you have observed, take photos of the progress of disrepair you might have seen over time, and think about what extras you want to add.
Knowing your home’s history is helpful, from when something was first purchased or installed to the last time it was repaired.
Knowing all of this upfront will help with your initial conversations with experts and help with decision-making as to the best way to remedy issues.
2. Get Estimates
To fully understand costs and the work needed for your repair, it’s good to get a few different estimates from repair companies. Through multiple estimates, you will understand what is required to get the job done right, interview people with a range of expertise and years of experience, and see a range of costs.
When you get estimates, ask about any additional costs that could come up or anything to consider that might be outside the scope of work.
It’s important to know that the lowest price is only sometimes the best option; you will want to factor in who will do the job right so the repair is long-lasting.
3. Referrals
When hiring someone, seek out the experience other people have had. This can come from home repair review websites, or the contracting company should have referrals from past and present clients that you can speak to for reference.
This is where you can see how responsive they are with communication, how timely they are with appointments, and the care they give to their relationship with clients.
4. Understand the Scope of Work
Once you have narrowed down your list of repair experts, you’ll want to know the full scope of work covered in your contract. This expands upon what you set as your initial understanding of your repair needs and speaks directly to what your home repair expert will take care of to complete the project.
5. Hire Insured Experts
As part of your due diligence, know what level of insurance your home repair expert has and what is covered. You should hire someone who is fully insured in the unfortunate event that something goes wrong and that it is covered appropriately.
Knowing this upfront will give you peace of mind and knowledge that experienced professionals will always have the appropriate insurance.
6. Talk About Timeline
A large part of any home repair is when it is scheduled and how long it will take. The urgency of the repair might dictate how quickly it needs to be taken care of and if there are any additional costs with a quick turnaround.
If your repair is not urgent, you will want to coordinate schedules. You may have events in your life that you will need to work around, or the home repair expert may have other jobs lined up.
It is essential to plan out when the job will be completed to work for everyone.
7. How Will It Impact Your Day-to-Day
The timeline and the type of work needed can determine how this might impact your day-to-day and home life. Discuss with your repair expert what you can expect, and you can coordinate and develop workarounds for yourself where it might be needed.
Some exterior repairs, such as a fence or gutter repair, might have little to no impact on your day-to-day life. You could easily go to work and come home with an update on your home.
Other items inside your home might require you to meet your contractor for the repair, or a part of your home might be off limits for a time while work is being done.
Overall, by doing your research, asking questions about the parts of the process that you want to understand better, and communicating effectively with potential home repair experts will be the key to your success with home repair projects.
