5 Traits to Look For In a Contractor

Your garage door is probably the last thing on your list of the things you want to repair in your home. After all, your garage door is simple in concept—it opens by moving up, and it closes by moving down. But the importance of its routine maintenance and repair cannot be overstated.

Of course, garage door repair and maintenance are the most obvious reason to ensure that you have a working garage. Having a working garage door provides a certain level of convenience that is often taken for granted. Also, leaving a dysfunctional garage door unfixed poses a lot of security problems and endangers the safety of your family.

Beneath its basic functions actually lie a complicated mechanism and complex components. Thinking that you probably leave it be or even doing some DIY on your garage door can put you at risk of injury and your car and other things in your garage at risk of damage. Most of the time, any problems with your garage door should be tackled only by professional contractors.

Certain characteristics make a garage door contractor exceptional. So if you have difficulties choosing one, look out for these five characteristics of a reliable garage door contractor.

1. Licensed and certified

The government regulates any work performed on a residential property, including garage door installation and repair. In Alberta, garage door contractors need to have the appropriate training, certifications, and license before they can practice the profession in the province. Alberta garage door contractors that possess an Alberta Journeyman Certificate and an Alberta Occupational Certificate are eligible to receive a Blue Seal business credential. This is what you need to look for to ensure that the contractor you are hiring has the necessary knowledge and skills. If the contractor fails to show any of these credentials, it is best to rethink hiring them.

2. Recommended by previous clients

Letting a complete stranger into your home requires a great deal of trust. Your home is your biggest investment, and a garage door contractor botching a job lowers your property’s value and leads to even more expenses than the initial one. So before hiring, look for a reputable garage door contractor that previous clients highly recommend. Ask for recommendations from your family and friends. Go online and look for reviews of them and recommendations to see if their past clients recommend their work.

3. Gives a clear cost breakdown

When hiring a contractor, they would first have to examine your property and then provide a quote. One way to determine if a garage door contractor is reliable is to review the cost estimate they give you. The job quote should have the total costs broken down into individual components such as materials and labor. They should also give clear payment terms to prevent any issue down the line.

4. Fixes any work issues willingly

While contractors strive to get the job right the first time, there are cases where a client is not satisfied with the work done or they may find issues after a few days or weeks. So before you hire any contractor, make sure that they are willing to address issues even after the garage door installation or repair project is done.

5. Respects your time

During your initial inquiry, make a note of how fast the contractor gets back to you. A reliable contractor is punctual. They will give you a precise schedule and stick to it. If they are running late or even arriving early, they will inform you beforehand so you will be able to prepare.

All home improvement and repair projects, including garage door installation, maintenance, and repair, should be handled only by a reliable contractor. Be diligent in choosing the right contractor for the job to eliminate any possible headaches in the future.