If you’re like most people, you may have the perception that a contractor may be expensive. You may be thinking that it would be nice to not have to do something yourself, but is it actually worth the money to pay the contractor? Thankfully, there are proven ways to determine whether it’s financially smart to use a concrete contractor and how to choose the best one for your needs.
For illustrative purposes, let’s assume you’re looking for a concrete contractor. Here are a three simple things you should do to get started:
Ask for referrals. Do you have friends or family in the area that have had someone assist them with their concrete needs? If so, ask them how their experience was. If it was a good one, give them a call.
Check out reviews online. Go to sites like Google, Yelp; or check out the Facebook page of a few contractors in the area and find out what people are saying about them. Remember, a couple negative reviews is not the end of the world. However, you don’t want to see a lot of them.
Get multiple estimates. Remember, don’t automatically go with the lowest price; in some cases it can mean that they’re cutting corners or — even worse — an unprofessional outfit that won’t follow through on their promises. There may also be hidden costs that they’re not sharing up front. Of course, the most expensive option may also not be the best idea, as it doesn’t always mean you’re getting the best and most experienced contractor.
So why choose a concrete contractor rather than do the job yourself? Here’s a couple reasons:
You transfer liability to them. Whenever you do a major do-it-yourself project on your own, there is more room for error — especially . If you make a mistake, then the time and financial liability is on you. Yes, hiring a contractor can be expensive — but you may regret it if you don’t.
Pouring concrete is not a single person task. That’s right; even moderately-sized jobs usually require multiple people; as a result, you may need to end up hiring a few friends to help the process go smoothly. By the time you hire your friends — who hopefully know what they’re doing — it could end up costing almost as much as a contractor.
They’ve got great ideas. How often have you been decorating a room and wished you could have some input from a professional? Contractors have seen hundreds of homes. They know what looks good, what will last and what you’ll be happy with long-term. When you meet with a contractor you can always ask them questions. Many are happy to share photos of past homes they’ve worked on in order to help you decide what you’d like for your home. Communication is key when hiring a contractor. You may have a dream look already set up; but they’ll be able to tell you if that look is actually attainable.
At the end of the day, a lot of things could go wrong with a concrete project. Yes, a concrete company will cost more than if you do it yourself, but after everything that could go wrong, it’s important to remember that hiring a concrete contractor may actually save you money in the long run. Because of that, unless you’re very experienced, hiring a concrete contractor is usually a financially smart thing to do.
Photo Credit: Pongaroa Fuel Stop
I recently moved into a home with a concrete driveway in desperate need of repair. Your article had some great tips for choosing a contractor that could help fix my cracked and crumbling concrete, and I liked how you said to check out reviews online to find out what people are saying about a potential hire. A few bad reviews isn’t a big deal!
Thanks for the great tips. My driveway is kind of old and lumpy, so I’ve been thinking it may be nice to replace it. Another great tip I’ve heard is to make sure that they have liability and worker’s comp insurance, as that will help protect both of you if something goes wrong.
It’s no secret that each concrete contractor will charge you a little differently. Ideally, you’ll want the service that offers high-quality work for an understandable price.
I’m needing some pavement redone and need to find a concrete contractor. I’ll have to do some research and find the best contractor in my area.
My wife and I have been thinking of getting a concrete contractor to help us out by getting a new longer driveway in our yard so all of our kids can park their cars in our driveway.
Good post! I agree that it’s beneficial to have a contractor who has seen hundreds of homes because they know what looks good and can recommend ideas for your job. My father in-law hired a newbie who didn’t have enough experience to make any worthwhile recommendations and he is regretting it.
I want to pave our driveway and your article had some great tips for choosing a contractor. Thanks; we’ll keep this in mind when choosing the be contractor for our driveway.
The services of concrete contractors will be useful to build my garden patio if they’ve got great ideas on how to do it. I also believe that pouring concrete is not a single person task and making it into a patio is even more complicated so I really need professionals to do it for me.
Great post! Very informative.
Ooh! It’s me again. I almost forgot … I’m getting a concrete floor in my basement and was looking for guidance on how to find the right contractor.
My boyfriend has been talking about getting a contractor to pour our back porch, and it would be important for us to know that we can find one who doesn’t discriminate against alternative lifestyle people. I think online reviews are a critical component for ensuring we get the right person!
I think getting several estimates from the contractors is a very important tip, since there could be hidden costs. This also seems useful if it can give you an idea of what service the contractor is offering and what else is included.
I appreciate the tips, as I plan on making my driveway longer so it can hold more of our cars.
You rock, Len!
I see what you did there, Mrs. Wilson!
This was helpful because my store’s parking lot is very old and has a lot of potholes, and I’m thinking about getting the concrete re-paved. Thanks!
Your advice to get estimates from several contractors is a good idea. This would be a great way to determine which ones fit your budget and could also give you the opportunity to meet with the concreter. If you meet with them, it would give you the opportunity to ask questions and discuss your project so you can make sure you find one that can do the work and that you’re comfortable working with.
My driveway is very old and worn and has several cracks that need to be fixed. This article was really helpful!
I’ll be honest … judging from the comments here, I had no idea there are so many people out there with crappy driveways!
Great, thorough advice here. Checking out reviews is a must these day and I prefer Google reviews over ones on HomeAdvisor. Most companies you’ll find on home advisor are smaller, so you may get a good rate, but they may also lack experience as well.
I’ve been thinking about starting a remodeling project at my mother’s house, and I’ve been looking for advice. Your guidance is much appreciated!
You sure like to pour a lot of concrete, Ellie. This is your fourth comment on this thread! You may want to consider marrying a concrete contractor; you’d save a lot of money.
Thanks for these tips. I definitely agree that you want to consider sites like Google and Yelp before choosing one!
And, Ellie, you’re hot! (Yea, I’m a switch hitter.) 😉
Great tips! We want to replace the concrete floors of our swimming pool, and we want to pick the right contractor.
My neighbor is looking to pave the walking path in the facility where he works. He asked me to help him find a paving company, so thanks for the useful tips on what to look for.
I need to find someone willing to do a little concrete work for me. I’d really love a nice strong powerful man for the work. If, uh, you know what I mean!
I think I do, Kate. Perhaps you should check out a different website.
You mention that pouring concrete isn’t a one person job. I never thought about that, but it makes sense! These types of jobs need to be completed fairly quickly, so that the concrete doesn’t dry before you are ready.
It sounds like a good way to get the best prices to follow your suggestions to get multiple cost estimates.
I’m so grateful for your advice about hiring a reputable contractor. Just let me share a simple tip that searching online is your best source if you need a well-experienced professional general contractor near you. However, when browsing online, review all the reviews; don’t just jump and stop at the nearest construction services you can find.
Thank you for mentioning that pouring concrete is not a one-man job and you need the proper tools to ensure it is mixed and poured safely. I just wish I had known that before I started my new driveway as a DYI project.
This was quite helpful. My husband inherited his grandfather’s old home after he passed away last month, and he is thinking about fixing it up and selling it next year. One of the first things that my husband wants to do to get the home ready to sell is to fix up the driveway because it has some huge cracks in it and he is thinking about hiring a concrete contractor to help.
Thank you for this article! Being a concrete contractor myself it was very interesting to see the view from the customer’s eyes a little better. Keep up the great work!
This is awesome content for anyone wants to have concrete done, I’ve thinking about replacing my driveway concrete, and this information would help me a lot to think from
Thank you for explaining this stuff! I’m going to get a few quotes to help find the perfect candidate.