Are you looking to build a deck or expand your existing deck to increase the functionality and appeal of your home? Well, one of the biggest keys to ensuring this process goes smoothly is selecting the right Minneapolis deck contractor.
Do you know what to look for?
1. Licensed and Insured
Some people will tell you to start with pricing, referrals, or project portfolios, but there’s no doubt that the single most important thing to look for when considering any Minneapolis deck contractor is licensure and insurance.
Why do you need to hire a licensed and insured contractor, you may ask? Unfortunately, this is a necessary question that most homeowners don’t fully understand or ask.
Here’s why it matters: When a contractor takes on a job, they either hand off parts of the job to subcontractors or employees. Either way, the contractor is responsible for things like legal compliance, quality of work, safety, and anything else that happens on the site.
Whether there’s an injury, a water line breaks and floods your basement, or shoddy construction causes the deck to fall apart, the contactor is on the hook. But do you know what happens if the contractor isn’t licensed or insured? The liability actually shifts to you! All of the sudden, you become the general contractor and must accept responsibility.
“If your unlicensed contractor breaks a sewer line, you’re responsible,” says Jason Van Steenwyk of All Property Management. “If a worker gets hurt and can’t work for two years, and there’s no workers compensation coverage in place, you are on the hook for that workers’ medical bills and lost wages.”
Think your homeowner’s insurance will cover these events? Think again. Most policies don’t cover damage caused by the use of illegal or unlicensed contractors. The moral of the story is to always ask for proof of licensure and insurance before considering any deck contractor.
2. Local Experience
Everyone knows that you should look for experience when hiring a contractor, but not everyone is savvy enough to consider local experience. Anyone can claim that they have 10, 15, or 20 years of industry experience in different cities and states, but you should be wary about a deck contractor that’s moved around a lot. Why are they moving around? Can they not build a solid business in a single area?
When a deck contractor has years of local experience, you can rest assured that they have a strong reputation. A contractor can’t stay in business in the same area for very long if customers aren’t impressed with their work.
Aside from directly asking any prospective contractor about their local experience, request references and seek out testimonials from previous clients. These references will prove that the contractor is who they say they are, and will also give you an idea of how they’re perceived in the industry.
Michael Franco of Angie’s List suggests asking the following questions: “What was the quality of the work they did? How professional was the crew? How closely did the final price match the estimate? Was the project completed in the time they specified? How would you rank the follow-up service, if provided?”
3. Responsive and Trustworthy
If you’ve ever worked with a contractor in the past – whether you were renovating a room in your home or building an entire house – you know just how important it is to have a contractor who is responsive and trustworthy. There’s nothing more frustrating than hiring a contractor, getting 75 percent of the way through the job, and then not being able to get in touch with them. Don’t let this happen while building your deck.
Aside from speaking with referrals and reviewing a contractor’s reputation, you can learn a lot during your initial meeting with them. Do they look you in the eye? Are their answers to your questions straightforward and confident? Do they make guarantees or provide vague promises?
The responsiveness and trustworthiness of a contractor is often something you have to take a gamble on, but let your intuition guide you. If something seems off, think twice before proceeding.
4. Unique and Creative
You should always review a deck contractor’s portfolio. Their past work will tell you a lot about their style and creativity. Whether you already have a design drawn up or want your contractor to handle the entire process, their creative input will prove invaluable.
Creativity is not only good for the original design phase, but it also plays out in minor details throughout the process. For example, should the contractor encounter a problem with materials at some point during the building process, their creativity will allow them to find a solution that works.
5. Willing to Stand Behind Past Work
The final thing to consider is whether or not prospective deck contractors stand behind their past work with guarantees or warranties. This tells you a lot about their work and relationships with past clients.
In addition to asking about work quality guarantees, you should also find out how often clients require the contractor to come back and fix issues. Having a guarantee is great, but the contractor’s work should be good enough that they very rarely have to follow up.
Get a Free In-Home Consultation and Quote
At Iron River Construction, we absolutely love designing and building beautiful decks and porches for our clients. A three or four season porch is one of the easiest and most effective ways to add useable square footage to your home without compromising your existing interior layout. Whether you want a traditional deck or a porch with screens and windows, we can bring your dream to reality.
There’s no better way to enjoy Minnesota’s beautiful outdoors than by building your very own deck. And while we certainly recommend vetting your options, we’re confident that you – like so many other homeowners in and around Minneapolis – will ultimately choose to work with us.
Contact Iron River Construction today and we’ll provide you with a free in-home consultation and quote!
