• Home
  • About Us
  • Services
    • General Contracting
    • Local Roof Repairs
    • Pressure Washing
    • Claims Assistance
    • 3D Model
    • Rebates & Discounts
    • Financing
    • Referral Awards Program
  • Photo Gallery
    • Flip Projects
  • Contact Us
    • Donation Request
    • FAQ's
  • Oklahoma Roofing Contractors Association
  • National Women In Roofing
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
Pitch Perfect Construction
CIB# 80003932

20 Questions to ask when hiring a General Contractor

7/2/2019

62 Comments

 
20 Questions To Ask Before Hiring A General Contractor
 
Question #1: How long have you been working in this industry?
Answer Should Be: Long enough to accumulate at least ten to twenty references you can contact.
Why This Is Important: More experience does not always mean better service; however, a contractor who has been in the industry for several years is more likely to have a proven track record.

Question #2: Are you licensed?
Answer Should Be: Yes.
Why This Is Important: If you hire an unlicensed contractor who does half of the work and then skips out of town (leaving you with an unfinished product), then you are on your own when it comes to resolving the problem. If you hire someone who is licensed by the state, you will have backup when it comes to fighting this battle.

Question #3: Do you carry workman’s comp insurance for your employees?
Answer Should Be: Yes, for all employees and sub-contractors that will be on your property.
Why This Is Important: Joe Roofer falls from a ladder and breaks his neck while completing your project. Guess who could be held responsible for medical bills if he is uninsured? YOU! Since the last thing you need is to pay for someone else’s back surgery, ensure the contractor covers all employees with insurance before they step foot in your home.

Question #4: Do you have insurance in case something in my home gets broken in the renovation and/or construction process?
Answer Should Be: Yes.
Why This Is Important: Accidents happen; and when they do, you don’t want to be held financially responsible for repairing damage you didn’t cause. The company entering your home should ensure if they break something, they will fix it and cover all of the costs to do so.

Question #5: Do you belong to any professional organizations and, if so, which ones?
Answer Should Be: Yes.
Why This Is Important: Joining an association for contractors is not mandatory, but it does show the commitment the contractor has to the job and the industry in general. Professional associations, which may be national, statewide, or even specific to the contractor’s specialty, offer added training, networking and research materials to members in an effort to keep them up to date with practices.

Question #6: Can you provide a list of references I can contact?
Answer Should Be: Yes.
Why This Is Important: Checking references is one of the only methods for assuring the contractor you choose can get the job done. 

Question #7: What is the projected timeline for this project?
Answer Should Be: A specific amount of time.
Why This Is Important: While unexpected problems might arise as walls are removed or structures are built, an experienced contractor should be able to give you a projected time for completion of the project. There are times when a project can’t be properly estimated due to the suspicion of hidden damage or additional work behind existing walls or floors. In these cases, you should enter into a “time and materials” contract.

Question #8: Are you willing to sign a “time and materials” contract?
Answer Should Be: Yes.
Why This Is Important: Imagine this renovation project nightmare: an unexpected find that results in extra time, materials and labor fees to fix; a contractor who wants to charge twice your monthly mortgage per hour to repair the damage; and you, stuck with a project half-finished and paying twice as much as you should to get it completed. This does happen, so it is imperative homeowners understand prior to the start of the project what the fees will be if a contractor runs into unexpected fixes. A “times and materials” document states the labor rate and material markup of anything that might arise unexpectedly.

Question #9: How often do you finish a project in the anticipated time?
Answer Should Be: Most of the time.
Why This Is Important: Knowing how often projects get completed on time will tell you certain things about the potential contractor. Is the contractor overextended? If so, the project could be delayed. But a contractor might say “Most of the time!” , which is more accurate. What can you do? Ask your references if the contractor finished on time and, if not, why.

Question #10: Will you be on site at all times to oversee progress of the job?
Answer Should Be: No
Why This Is Important: The contractor you hire is the project manager and should be on site each day to oversee progress and ensure the work is being done according to the plan you agreed to in the beginning of the project. If a contractor does answer “No” to this question, you need to ask . . .

Question #11: How often will you stop by to check on the progress?
Answer Should Be: Daily.
Why This Is Important: Part of the general contractor’s quoted price is for project management .  If the contractor is not on site daily, you need to ask . . .

Question #12: Who is the on-site project manager?
Answer Should Be: The specific name of a person who will be at your home on a daily basis.
Why This Is Important: You need to know who to contact should you discover things are not going as planned, making sure someone is tracking progress, and someone who can answer your questions. If you are not given the name of a person who will be the project manager, don’t hire them. If your contractor names another person to oversee the project, the next question you ask should be . . .

Question #13: Will you provide me with daily updates?
Answer Should Be: Yes.
Why This Is Important: As the homeowner, it is your right to know exactly what is always going on. Without daily updates, you will be out of the loop and may be caught off guard at some point during the project.

Question #14: Who pulls required permits for the job, you or me?
Answer Should Be: The contractor.
Why This Is Important: The contractor should pull the permits as they are the professionals that know what needs to be done.

Question #15: Will you write out a contract specifying what you will do, the anticipated time frame, line items for materials needed to complete the job, cost, time needed, a ‘time and materials’ contract should a project become more involved than first thought, and a termination clause?
Answer Should Be: Yes.
Why This Is Important: A contractor (or any professional) can offer you a diamond but deliver a stone; and there isn’t anything you can do about it if the agreement isn’t in writing. Request a written contract that includes the items listed above. Have the contractor sign and date the contract and keep a copy in your records. Beyond that, make sure you understand everything in the contract.

Question #16: Will you offer a guarantee on your work, and, if so, what is the guarantee?
Answer Should Be: Yes, and with a specific amount of time (six months, one year, lifetime, etc).
Why This Is Important: If you are willing to purchase a warranty on that gadget you probably will never use; you should only hire a contractor who can guarantee their work. Contractors can guarantee against two types of problems:
  • Defective Materials
  • Workmanship Problems
Your written guarantee should include clauses that state what the contractor will cover and for how long. 

Question #17: What is the daily work schedule?
Answer Should Be: Specific hours: Examples include 9-5 with an hour from noon to one for lunch; specific days of the week: Examples include Monday through Friday.
Why This Is Important: If a contractor fails to give you a schedule, this probably means:
1.  They’re not organized enough to create one, which means
2.  They won’t be at your house on a regular basis, which means
3.  You will not have any sense of organization in your daily life until the project has been completed, which could take forever without an organized schedule
A professional contractor will give you a daily schedule and will adhere to that schedule throughout the time it takes to complete the job.

Question #18: Have you been involved with any legal disputes following a previous job?
Answer Should Be: An honest one.
Why This Is Important: In a perfect world, the answer to this question would be no. But we know the world isn’t perfect. If the contractor has been involved in a prior legal dispute you need to know. While the specifics behind the dispute may not be a deal breaker, the fact that a contractor isn’t honest when asked this question should be.

Question #19: What is the payment schedule?
Answer Should Be: Depends on the company, but you should never pay the entire amount up front.
Why This Is Important: Different contractors may offer different options when it comes to payment and different options may work better for your situation. However, never pay for the work in its entirety prior to the job’s completion and inspection. A fair down payment is fine, but consumers should establish a payment plan tied to progress and should hold back the final payment until the job is completed to the consumer’s satisfaction.

Question #20: Will you agree to including a termination clause in the contract that we co-write?
Answer Should Be: Yes.
Why This Is Important: A termination clause is an agreement that allows either party, contractor OR homeowner, to get out of the contract on the terms both parties agreed to. If a homeowner stops paying the contractor, the contractor could terminate the contract and walk away without penalty. On the other hand, if a contractor doesn’t show up for work, the homeowner could terminate the contract without penalty.
Want to take a guess as to what our answers are to these questions? You got it! YES!!! (except for question 18… the answer to that one is NO)
​
Home renovations can be equally as exciting and daunting. Ask these twenty questions to contractors you’re considering for the job, and then hire the contractor who can provide the answers you want to hear.


If you would like a copy of these questions for yourself, visit the general contracting section of our website and download a copy in English or in Spanish
62 Comments

How to Choose the Right Contractor for You

2/2/2019

4 Comments

 
It can be difficult to know who to do business with these days and not just in the roofing, construction, and general contracting world either. Our minds are constantly being flooded with images on television, social media, and not to mention the good ole’ word of mouth. I listened to an audio book that talked about how even one single toothpaste company has 32 different toothpastes to choose from. 32! And that is with one company. Throw in all the other company's and their different products and it becomes a nightmare.

How many of us have found ourselves in the grocery store starring endlessly at the shelves trying to decide between the different brands of jelly? Have you ever shopped for a new recliner or couch? If you ever sit back and just watch people in a furniture store, it can become quite comical watching people play musical chairs trying to find the ‘perfect one’.

Just the other day I decided to pull several different roofing companies’ websites up to compare the similarities and the differences. As someone in the industry, I could differentiate between the sites and the content on them. As another consumer however, I felt frustrated and completely overwhelmed with information.  All the sites seemed to be saying the same thing and at the same time not saying anything at all. What I mean by this, is since everyone was claiming to be the best, most trusted, and only roofer or contractor the consumer should hire, this also meant that I left these sites feeling like I didn’t learn anything new. Only that deciding who to hire seemed to be more difficult than ever.

If everyone is claiming to be the best and/or the most trusted, then how on earth do you decide? Do you base your decision on how many years the company has been in business? Maybe so, but perhaps that isn’t always the BEST choice for YOU.

One thing I have come to realize in the line of work I do outside of roofing and general contracting is that, relationships matter. I have been a witness to how powerful a relationship can be whether it causes damage or eases someone’s fears. If someone has been in business for 20 years but has a personality that clashes with yours, perhaps those 20 years of business really won’t matter. Likewise, someone might be new, and it is possible you still won’t see eye to eye.

So, what’s the point of all this? Get to know the people behind the product or service you are needing. If I need my flat tire fixed, I know who to go to because they are personable, easy going, and care about more than making a sale. Same thing goes for anything else I purchase.
​
Don’t let some pushy salesman/woman push you around. Think of hiring a contractor like speed dating. Ask what you want to know, but most importantly, pay attention to how you feel about them.
4 Comments

Top 5 Causes of Roof Damage

5/11/2018

4 Comments

 
Picture
Welcome to the top 5 causes of roof damage. Let's start with the little guy (or girl) in the picture.

1. Squirrels, raccoons, birds, and rodents are looking for ways to stay protected from the Oklahoma elements. Animals most commonly enter through soffits and soffit vents. If they find rotten wood, they can make their way through these areas too. Once inside the attic area, they can take a toll on wiring systems and venting systems. Even when we have a fairly dormant hail season, animals are still looking for  place to call home. 

2. Oklahoma is known for its hail storms, so it's no secret that hail can cause significant damage. Depending on the thickness of your roof, sometimes even the smallest hail stones can break through the surface of the shingles. Damage to your shingles can causes leaks that can cause further damage to your home. 

3. When the "wind" comes sweeping down the plains was not written by accident. Oklahoma's windiest day averages an hourly wind speed of 13.2 mph. That kind of wind can cause some significant damage to your shingles, mainly blowing them off your roof, leaving your roof unprotected. 

4. Rain tends to cause more damage when it is wind driven, as the wind can drive rain in places that it might otherwise be able to reach. If a roof is improperly installed in any way, there can be drainage issues causing rain to puddle, which can lead to major problems. 

5. Debris from trees tends to be a problem as the falling limbs can knock granules off shingles, leaving the shingle more vulnerable to the elements. After some times, the shingles breakdown and no longer serve their function. 

Pitch Perfect Roofing & General Contractors offers Roof Maintenance Packages to help maintain your roof throughout the year. Call today to set up your appointment!
4 Comments

The More You Know

4/11/2018

3 Comments

 
Living in Oklahoma, the first image that may come to mind when you think about roof damage is hail. According to the Insurance Information Institute, Oklahoma was ranked 5th in 2017 for states experiencing major hail events. This means that about 55% of properties in Oklahoma experienced hail damage. What's even more interesting is that 2017 was not necessarily the worst year Oklahoma has had in terms of weather related events. These statistics are based off of hail that measures more than 1 inch in diameter. 

So, food for thought. If just over half of the state was effected by hail last year, just imagine how many Oklahomans are unaware that they might have hail damage on their roof. Yet, homeowners are held responsible for mitigating damages to their roof. If you do not know you have damage, how is this possible? You can find the information above plus more at the following site: https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-hail.

The weather can be unpredictable at times, but its a good thing Oklahoma has a Roofing and General Contracting company they can depend on. 
 
3 Comments

    Pitch Perfect Team

    Archives

    February 2019
    November 2018

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

We Would Love to Visit You Soon!



Hours

Monday - Friday: 8:30- 4:30pm or By Appointment

Telephone

405-261-6666

Email                                                Location                                                                  

[email protected]       8720 SW 66th Place Oklahoma City, OK 73169