After a storm event, there will be contractors seeking work, some licensed and reputable and some not. You will have contractors knocking on your door and canvassing your neighborhood. To make a good choice about contractors to enlist, remember:
·Ask for proof of liability insurance and workers’ compensation insurance. A qualified contractor will not have a problem providing these items.
·Get all proposals in writing, and be sure the contractor’s name, phone number, address, and license number are on the proposal. Beware of fly-by-night repair businesses.
·Ask your contractor for references. Check with the Better Business Bureau at www.thefirstbbb.org to read a company’s reliability report
·Be aware that anything you sign is a contract. Read carefully or avoid signing an “estimate” or “authorization” form before you have actually decided to hire a particular contractor. Pay special attention to any details in bold, that are underlined or that you need to initial. Once you ‘sign for it’, in many cases ‘you bought it’.
·Some contractors specialize in storm damage repair. Ask your contractor to explain their process for working with insurance companies and to describe what you can expect to experience during the process. For example, the claim may need to change depending on whether or not additional damage is found during the restoration process.
·Local or national companies may both do a fine job with your storm damage repair needs. If you choose to do business with someone who is not local, be sure to understand who will be taking care of any service needs that may arise after the completion of the project and the contractor has left town.
·Some companies list bids on their on contract to do service work on your home and some do not (basing their pricing on insurance allowance). Both are acceptable methods of conducting business.
·Consumers may or may not be entitled to a re-inspection if their initial storm damage claim is denied. Factors taken into consideration may include the quality of the original report and the photos from the original inspection. You may want to ask a qualified contractor to
assist in asking for a re-inspection.
Understand the differences between warranties and guarantees. The manufacturer warranties their products and contractors have warranties on service. Contractors may also offer customer service guarantees. Get copies of any/all warranties and guarantees.