Choosing the Best Contractor
Details, Details, Details
The list should be more manageable at this point. The contractors have given you their respective estimates and design options. Now, it may just be a matter of deciding which of the plans laid out is reasonably priced and who of the contractors exuded the most credibility. Remember the questions you can post during a contractor’s site visit? Here are the reasons why you should ask them:
· Who will be supervising the job?Most likely, while the job is in progress, you will have questions that would need tobe addressed. You will have suggestions and changes during the process and you will need to be advised by other than the workers to get the job done right.
· Do you have references we can check with? Surely they will give you the contact numbers of their happiest customers, but then again, it wouldn’t hurt to check. Ask if there were any add-ons or change- orders that weren’t part of the contract.
· Besides a well- built pool and deck, what other considerations should I check?Details may vary but the best contractor should generally have things thought ahead:
o Excess water from the yard should never puddle up anywhere near the pool area.
o Pool equipment such as pumps should never be too noisy.
o Steps, planters and other elevation changes should be in the right places.
o All the necessary pipes underground are set before the deck is done.
o Security and safety measures should be placed.
Whoever wins your trust and confidence in giving you as much detail as possible, that, and whatever your gut tells you, is your best bet.
The Cheaper the Better?
We may have heard this more than we would care to count, but how many times have we actually heeded this advice? The best value is not always the cheapest. Pick the lowest price and you may, if you are lucky, end up with a pool with the barest minimums required, if not, even much less.
If there are occasions when not cutting corners is the only way to get a better deal, this one is it. A contractor who knows all the corners to cut is definitely not your guy.