When you are experiencing a water damage emergency or have decided to contract with someone to do your mold project, how do you select the right company?
In order to make an educated decision, Wipe Out has put together some specific information you should consider before hiring a contractor. These guidelines are great for our industry or any other home improvement project you decide to begin.
Insurance: Hiring an uninsured contractor to perform water damage or mold work in your property can have dire consequences. This should be one of the most important factors in your decision-making process. You can ask any contractor for a copy of their certificate of insurance. In our industry, a contractor should carry a minimum of $1 million in general liability AND have a pollution policy. If your contractor does not have the proper insurance and a problematic situation occurs you could be paying for someone else’s mistake. Many contractors who offer pricing as low as Wipe Out does by being unethical in regards to being insured. The old saying “You Get What You Pay For” could cost you in the end. Ask for proof of coverage. Wipe Out will be more than willing to provide you with ours!
References: Wipe Out generally works on a referral basis, but every once in a while we receive a customer request from our website. As a contractor, we readily have references available for customers unfamiliar with us. Always ask for and CHECK contractor references, even if they have been referred by your insurance company. Find out about how they performed, billed, addressed problems and if they gave good customer service to their past clients.
Licenses, Registrations and Affiliations: Wipe Out is an IICRC Certified Firm and is registered with the Better Business Bureau. You should always check with the Better Business Bureau and any associations a contractor claims to be affiliated with. Running these checks will help you decide if the contractor is a quality contractor. Come July 2010, mold companies must be licensed in the State of Florida. When this happens, there will be a grace period, but come 2011, we advise you to check for licensing with the State of Florida as well.
Bids and Estimates: There are a few things to remember when getting an estimate for water damage or mold. First, this is not something that can be estimated over the phone. If someone gives you an estimate over the phone, its a sure bet that you will eventually be paying for a few extra surprises at the end. Second, water damage and mold are progressive in nature. This means that you can receive an estimate for water damage or mold, but if you let it sit to long before making a decision, that estimate will go out the window. While you waited, more damage can occur. Getting multiple bids on a project is highly suggested and recommended. In this industry, the bids you will receive may be all over the board. Do your due diligence and compare them line item by line item. This will let you know if any contractor has left anything off. Getting a fairly detailed bids will help you determine this. If the bid is not detailed, be wary! You could end up with a bait and switch! (low estimate to get job, jack price up later)
Billing: Find out at the very beginning of the project what the billing schedule is. If you have an insurance claim, find out the billing process to insurance. Billing will also be determined by the timeline of your project. Find out the estimated number of days for drying or mold removal so you will know when and what is expected of you financially.
Contacting the Contractor: Having the ability to get in touch with your contractor at any hour of the day is paramount. Water damage projects usually require lots of equipment usage. While Wipe Out makes every effort to ensure that the distribution of electrical usage will not throw your breakers, it may happen. If it does, do you have an emergency number to call? Is it a franchise 800# or are you speaking with a real person to get your problem fixed? With Wipe Out you get a real person at any hour and we will respond.
Getting all of the above information will ensure you have little to no surprises during the project. Wipe Out is very eager for your business. We are proud of our customer service, green standards and the ability to supply all of the above information to you! If you have done your homework, you can fill confident allowing Wipe Out the opportunity to meet and exceed your expectations. And as we said before, as with anything else in life, you get what you pay for. If you want high quality and reliable service, Wipe Out is worth every penny, even when you save some!
