When you need a masonry contractor for stucco repair, how do you go about finding the right one? According to IBISWorld, the masonry market was worth over $33 billion in 2022. With such a large industry, you have plenty of contractors to choose from, making the search difficult. You’ll want to make sure you’re asking the right questions and looking for the right details. Here are six tips that will make it easier to come to the right decision.
1. Ask About Service Areas and Scheduling
Any time you’re hiring contractors for a specific service, your first step should be to check the area they service. While some contractors service large areas, others service smaller areas. It’s important to find out which one you’re working with and confirm your property falls within their service area. The last thing you want is to get further along in the process only to find out they can’t help you, meaning you’ll have to start your search all over. Scheduling is another key detail to learn more about before moving forward with a contractor. You need to know how their scheduling process works so you can know when the company is available and whether you’ll need to be home during the project.
2. Confirm Their Services
Masonry is a wide field, and there are various types of services masonry contractors offer. You’ll be much better off discussing available services early on to help decide whether you need to look elsewhere. Some common masonry services include historic building restoration, concrete repairs, and stucco repair. Some contractors may only offer stucco repair, while others may only offer historical masonry. In some cases, contractors offer a large array of services, but it’s still important to get this information as early as you can.
3. Check Their Experience
It’s no surprise that experience is a key factor you should look for from any contractor. Experience isn’t always the best indicator of quality, but it’s easy to understand why it’s important to consider. The more experience a contractor has, the more scenarios they’ve encountered, the more refined their skills are, and the more diverse their skills tend to be. When a contractor has three decades of experience or more, you can expect them to provide superior workmanship!
4. Verify Their Certifications
Masonry contracting is challenging work, and it requires professionals to be well-trained to complete it successfully. Experience is beneficial, but it should always be accompanied by certifications. Without certifications, there’s no guarantee that the contractor is properly trained to complete the work effectively and efficiently. Different types of products and services require certifications as well. If you know you need a project completed with a specific service, brand, or type of product, make sure the contractor you hired is certified in that regard.
5. Ask About Their Affiliations
Let’s say you’ve looked into your contractor’s experience, certifications, services, and service area. At this point, you know that they’ve been working in the field for a good amount of time and they can provide the services you need. However, you still don’t have a strong sense of their values and their professionalism. Professional affiliations are a great way to shed some light on these details. When a contractor is officially affiliated with national and regional associations in their industry, you can trust that they hold themselves to a high standard that’s been established for the industry.
6. Look Into Their Past Work
With all of the details above, you can confirm that the contractor looks good on paper, which is a great place to start. However, there’s still more information you should gather. You can check the contractor’s website for reviews from past clients, or you can check their project gallery to get visual confirmation of their past work quality. A reputable contractor will also be able to provide references for past clients, so you can reach out to them for further details.
There are many factors you should consider when you’re looking for a masonry contractor to work on your property. From stucco repair to historic restoration, when you need masonry services, these six tips will certainly help you find the right contractor. If you need masonry services, ESI Waterproofing and Masonry Restoration, Inc can help. Call us today to get started with a free estimate!