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Originally Posted On: https://www.usqualityconstruction.com/blog/2021-kansas-city-homeowners-guide-to-choosing-the-best-exterior-contractor/
For any property owner located in Kansas City, it might be a challenging excursion to choose a reputable Kansas City siding contractor for all your siding and exterior remodeling needs.
There are many different factors to take into consideration when doing the required research on this topic. You might have a specific budget in mind and for that budget, you are expecting quality long-lasting products and great customer service.
But just doing research online can be misleading and place you in a precarious position about who you can rely on. For this reason, US Quality Construction has compiled a few contracting stereotypes and some questions that you need to ask prospective contractors.
Installing or replacing new windows and exterior siding is no small feat, and both are tasks that are better left to the professionals.
Three Typical Types of Siding and Window Contractors in Kansas City
Contractor #1 – The small start-up
The one-man shows will be typically categorized as a contractor who has a small company or even does all the work themselves. Normally they arrive in a truck that doubles as an office and then make use of day workers on the days that they have jobs booked.
Many of these owner-run businesses are reliable and competent, but they might not necessarily possess the skill and manpower to run their business effectively. Therefore you might encounter hurdles such as:
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- They might not be able to offer you any form of insurance in case of accidents.
- The company and the owner/employees might not have the required licenses in place to perform the tasks.
- You might be faced with a slow response time, and they might be hard to reach in their attempt to juggle all their clients.
- The chances of a small-scaled business of this sort lasting are very low. You might require maintenance or another installation at a later stage and then this company might’ve ceased to exist by then.
- With them hiring casual day workers, these temps might not have the right skills to do the job properly.
- In an attempt to keep the quotation low, the contractor might make use of generic or cheaper products in the hopes of signing you as a client.
- Even though this company might fit your budget, the standard of work that they deliver might not be to your satisfaction, resulting in much frustration later on.
It is not to say that they are not reliable, but it is advisable to do thorough research and follow the steps listed later in this article to see if they are a fit for your needs.
Contractor #2 – The salespeople
Another Kansas City window and siding contractor stereotype are those that primarily focus on the advertising and marketing aspect of the sector. These businesses are large in size and have a big budget to spend on marketing of all sorts.
After they have secured a sale, they then outsource the work to a cheap contractor and then the large marketing company takes the rest of the money.
Some red flags need to be raised when it comes to this contractor:
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- The sales consultant might have a long, impressive-looking presentation. After this meeting, you might feel obliged to sign a contract with them, due to the emotional pressure from the salesperson.
- It should come as no surprise that the quotations from these companies will be very high in comparison to their competitors. This is to cover the significant advertising costs incurred by them.
- The installers that will then arrive at your property will be an outsourced crew, and if something goes wrong you will be sent from one person to the next, as there is no specification on who needs to take ownership and accountability of the situation.
Again, it is not to say that they don’t have a good reputation, but proper research needs to be done before deciding to use this type of contractor.
Contractor #3 – The answer to your prayers! A.k.a US Quality Construction
The good news is that between the first two options mentioned, enter a company called US Quality Construction at your service. Not only do they make use of top of the range products, their staff are highly skilled and all of this comes at an affordable price.
Reputable companies can be categorized by the following factors:
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- They have been in existence for a considerable period of time.
- They will never pressurize you into buying the most expensive products.
- They will provide expert opinions, listen to your needs and budget, and will then advise on the best-practice methods to follow.
- You will receive all of the details on the job from start to finish, and you will never have to know who is accountable or have to ask for a status update on the project.
- These types of Kansas City siding companies are fully insured for your total peace of mind.
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Ten Questions You Should Ask Your Next Window or Siding Contractor
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- Is your company insured and licensed?
- Can you please share a detailed quotation with all the relevant line items for review?
- Are you able to offer finishing and painting as part of the package?
- Can you provide an estimated time of completion of the project?
- Which brands and materials would you recommend for my project?
- Can you please advise on the type of warranty that is offered?
- Who is the contact person in case of any questions or concerns after the project has been delivered in full?
- Are you able to remove and dispose of the current materials and windows before the project commences?
- Is a permit required to tackle my project? If so, will you be responsible for obtaining that permit?
Conclusion
Taking your time to determine which type of contractor is the best fit for you and ensuring that you ask all the relevant and pertinent questions will ensure that you have a pleasurable experience and enjoy your property improvements for many years to come.
Contact us today at US Quality Construction. We are a phone call away and our experts are ready to serve your unique home improvement requirements.