When a storm or blizzard is in the offing, the most logical move is to seek shelter indoors. And while a house with good structural integrity can shelter you from the most severe storms, it can still take a good beating. So, what happens when the only protection you have against a storm is damaged?
Naturally, you will immediately embark on repairs. Delaying storm damage repair can lead to accidents, weaken the structure of your home, and worse, leave you unprepared when another storm hits.
Now, unless home restoration is your specialty, you need a storm damage repair contractor to restore damaged areas of your roof, fascia, sidings, window, exterior piping, etc. But like any other market, there are both good and bad contractors.
So, what makes for a good storm damage restoration contractor?
1. Years in Business
A contractor is as good as their experience in repairing storm damage. Given how delicate the job of replacing and repairing damage while maintaining the home’s integrity is, you need someone who has ample experience.
An experienced contractor is better placed to assess the damage on your property and advise you on what needs to be done to restore it.
The contractor should be open and honest about their experience so make sure you include it as a point of discussion among the questions you plan to ask your shortlisted contractors.
2. Specialization in Storm Repair
Some home repair contractors usually offer storm repair as one of their many services. The problem with going for a multi-purpose contractor is that they may not have the necessary skill to deal with specific repairs.
Conversely, a contractor specializing in storm repair will likely have more knowledge and experience in repairing the damage to your home. So, be sure to ask about or review the contractor’s focus areas and confirm that they specialize in the areas you need repairing.
3. Emergency Service
If a storm damages your home or commercial property, you likely do not have much time to wait for repairs to commence. What if another storm hits and finds you unprepared?
So, it is important to check that the contractor you are considering provides an emergency response service. Confirm if they have a crew on standby to start working on your property immediately.
However, not having an emergency service does not always mean you should rule out a contractor. Some are actually flexible to customer needs and can organize to start work at an agreed-upon time.
4. The Qualifications of the Crew
How can you know that a company you contract to do your repairs is actually capable? The best way to be sure is to look at the qualifications of the repair technicians. That is the people who will actually do the job on the ground.
A reputed company should freely give information about their crew’s training and experience. The details could be on the contractor’s web pages or provided during the initial consultation. However, if a company is dodgy about it, you should probably re-think your selection.
5. Experience in Working with Insurance Claims
Another thing to check for when seeking a contractor for storm damage fixing is their experience working with insurance claims. Why? It is important that you hire a repair expert with the necessary knowledge and ability to advocate for you, ensuring that your insurance claim is settled for a reasonable amount.
At the end of the day, you should be able to afford the cost of all the repair work resulting from storm damage.
6. Is the Company Insured?
You also need to find out if the contractor you are considering for a storm damage fixing job is insured. Do that by, first, asking them for copies of their insurance policies to verify coverage. When that is out of the way, verify that the policy is actually in force with your contractor’s insurance company.
That way, you get to give yourself peace of mind because you will not be responsible for a worker injured on your property during the job. You never know, an accident might occur, and if you are liable, you might very well spend a lot of money treating the involved party.
7. Track Record and Reputation
To ensure you get a good repair following storm damage, you need to hire a contractor that has actually delivered excellent results before. You can tell this by checking a contractor’s reputation on the testimonials section on their website.
Another thing you can do is to seek word-of-mouth reviews from the people in your community that the repair expert has served. The majority of storm restoration companies will proudly share details of their history in business, along with the successes they have realized.
8. Quality of Work and Products
Last but not least, check the quality of a contractor’s past works before hiring them.
If possible, physically inspect their past work to tell the standard of their job. It is the best way to assure yourself of their ability to fix the damage your property has suffered.
If physical inspection is not possible, you can always check their website to find photos of their past projects. Many individual and company contractors put up pictures of their past jobs on their sites to give potential clients an idea of what they can deliver.
At the risk of stating the obvious, a great contractor should be able to deliver a high-quality finished job.
Time is of Essence When You Want Storm Damage Repair: Get the Right Contractor
If your property has experienced damage after a storm, you need to act swiftly to fix the roof and keep your family safe. That means hiring a dependable and capable contractor to come over and do the necessary repairs on your roof. Hopefully, the right criteria for hiring a roofing contractor as listed in this article will help you find one who falls within your budget and preference.
