If you are a resident of New Jersey and in the process of either putting up a new foundation for your home or if you need to fix a foundation that was damaged in one way or the other, you will find that there are literally hundreds of contractors that can help you in New Jersey.
It is our hope that through sharing this information we can assist you in feeling as knowledgeable as possible at every point in the process when choosing the best solution for your home’s foundation.
As NJ foundation repair and installation experts with over 10 years of experience working with homeowners in NJ, we know all the issues that can come as a result of the poor decision when selecting a window contractor.
It is our desire to help you avoid such headaches so that you receive the best value for your money in terms of quality and time for your foundation works.
Here’s your beginner’s guide to evaluating NJ foundation contractors:
Check Licensing & Credentials
This is because home improvement contractors working in New Jersey and performing work that costs over $500 requires one to register with the state and have a valid home improvement contractor license.
This offers some level of confidence in the quality of the products and also shows that they have the necessary insurance cover. License is to be checked for the company and a search is to be made for any complaints to the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs.
You also want to be sure that you are going with proper credentials. Contractors who have excelled in the industry have undergone a master certification from organizations such as the National Association of Homebuilders. We hold the Master Certification to the highest possible level of certification.
Look for Recommendations and Verify Reputation
Even if you cannot find a contractor online, do not underestimate the importance of going around asking neighbors, friends, or colleagues if they know any contractor who has recently worked on foundations. Talking to past customers can be helpful because it provides you with a raw and untainted opinion on what a foundation contractor is like to use.
Always request 3-5 previous customer references from any contractor before you decide to hire them. Further on these referrals, there are questions that could be asked regarding overall satisfaction with the company in question, how the company dealt with some of the issues that emerged, if the job was done well as well as if it was done for the right price. The response will assist in ensuring that the foundation company offers quality work and good customer relations.
Assess Relevant Experience
Perhaps the most common missteps that many homeowners will commit is to depend on their general contractor for assistance on foundation work which they presume he can handle. However, foundation repairing and installation is a process that involves several complex techniques that may take a long time to master. It has taken us several years to work and fine-tune our services to include mudjacking, wall anchoring systems, drain tile installation as well as other related services.
When meeting with a prospective contractor, ask detailed questions about their foundation experience:When meeting with a prospective contractor, ask detailed questions about their foundation experience:
– For how many years has the company been directing its efforts towards foundation projects?
– How many percent of their work is directly spent on foundations?
– How many projects of this kind have they done in the foundation?
One should be careful if there are signs of over-emphasizing any aspect or even hesitance in their answers. The best specialist in foundation works should have a number of well-completed basement and crawlspace foundation projects.
Assess Strategy & Problem Solving Skills
Every structural problem with a foundation is NOT the same. Every home has its own unique set of issues arising from the type of soil, erodibility, shifting tectonic plates, and drainage among other factors.
The right contractor is able to view the issue from a diagnostic lens to determine all root causes and treatment plans. We often take time to assess our homes and look for signs most homeowners do not pay attention to. After analysis of the soil samples, water permeability tests, and structural assessments, we design a repair or installation program of our choice.
Describe your foundation challenge to potential contractors and observe if they enquire about added details about symptoms experienced within and around your residence. It is also worth noting that quality foundation pros will show disproportionate interest and understanding. Assess their ability to solve problems and the plausibility and feasibility of their ideas.
More specifically, we believe that the following information should be checked:
Reliable NJ foundation contractors provide written proof that assures both the services and materials used in construction. We provide a warranty on foundation work that extends for a lifetime this ensures that any problem not getting fixed will be done free of charge to you.
Also learn service policies for this as you need to know who will deal with the repairs in case they arise later. If you know who to call and the average response time of the problem then it gets rectified as soon as possible by the original contractor, before the problem starts leading to more home damage.
Document Cost Estimates
In major foundation work, one should beware of enormously cheap bids. In this industry especially, a lot of times what you get is substandard work of installation or repairs that are relatively cheap but can finish off early.
Do ensure that you obtain written quotes from at least three to five qualified contractors for service after assessing their qualifications, experience and ideas. Review line by line according to materials whether it is steel, concrete or rebar and their respective grades and also charges per task, number of pilings, anchors or drainage tubes, etc.
Providing full disclosure of all services and components of work is critical to our company so that consumers can easily understand where we have incorporated additional costs into our bid. Our prices are based on the efficiency of our work, the quality of the materials used, adherence to and exceeding code compliance and the commitment to safety and cleanliness on the job site.
Select a Contractor Who Appreciates Your Business
For a foundation repair you are making such a significant investment for your home it should be treated with the white-glove process from beginning to end. From the initial quote to the very last inspection, you should be assured of the professionalism of your contractor, and their intention to deliver the best service.
At Any Time Construction LLC, we work tirelessly to become the best foundation company NJ residents can rely on and that includes keeping you informed, being quickly responsive to your questions, and addressing unavoidable problems immediately. We shall also want to validate that we are able to provide the best experience, which is testified to by the hundreds of satisfied customers.