The 5 Things to Ask About Before Hiring a Masonry Contractor
If you are looking for an intriguing way to beautify your home, then look no further than masonry. While many people think this skilled trade only includes brick walls and garden borders, it also covers things like fireplace facades, flooring, wall installations and other landscaping projects. However, while contractors practicing this trade are versatile, you should ask about at least five specific things before hiring a professional to work on your project.
1. License
Brick, tile and stonework are considered a skilled trade, meaning that those contractors offering these services must be licensed to perform work. Therefore, before hiring any company, make sure the workers are licensed and insured.
2. Experience
Experience refers not only to licensure and training. Before hiring someone to work on your patio or reface your fireplace, you need to ensure that they have done similar work before, providing you with a certain level of confidence.
3. Preparations
Masonry projects are messy and often require a significant amount of labor, but all the work is not up to the contractor you hire. Homeowners undoubtedly have some responsibility toward the project. Therefore, ask your contractor what type of preparations they require from you. For example, a contractor may need you to remove all of the furniture from the room they’ll be working in.
4. References
Beyond checking their license and experience, you will want to check with some references of the contractor to ensure they are capable of the work. However, don’t merely rely on a phone call, ask if you can see some of their work.
5. Payment Schedules
Last, discuss payment schedules and never pay in full upfront. Many professionals require at least half of the costs to start the project and then schedule project milestones to receive the rest of the payments. Make sure you are clear on the arrangements before signing contracts and beginning the work.
Masonry is an excellent way to beautify your home, but as with any construction project, you need to cover your bases. Therefore, check a potential contractors license, experience and references before agreeing to any payments.