Be an Informed Consumer

The old saying is true, the most educated consumers are our best customers.

We understand this job represents a big investment in your home. It pays to educate yourself  to ensure that at the end of the job, you feel very satisfied with the work performed.

Whether you elect to have us do the work you are contemplating, or another firm, these are the types of questions you should be asking during the vendor review process:

General Business Questions

1. Where is your office located and how long have you been in business?
2. What sort of warranties / guarantees does your work and/or product include? If repairs are needed, how is that handled by you?
3. Can you provide a certificate of insurance? Do you have liability and workers compensation insurance?
4. Are you licensed to do siding/roofing in my state?
5. How big is your crew? Do you use sub-contractors?
6. What is your policy for solving customer grievances and complaints?
7. How many jobs similar to mine have you completed in the past 24 months?
8. What materials are you most experienced with? Which ones are you least experienced with? How many years of experience do you have in siding installations? How long has the foreman of the siding crew been working in construction?
9. How many of these jobs did the material manufacturer approve as successful installations?
10. In the case of any unsuccessful instances, what were the issues and how did you resolve them to the satisfaction of the customer and the material manufacturer’s Best Practices?
11. Will you provide me with the names, addresses and phone numbers or email addresses of at least 3 customers (Not family or friends) for which you installed (Hardieboard, Vinyl, etc.)?
12. Do you install James Hardie siding? Is your company credentialed?
13. Will I need to obtain for this job and if so, do you handle that and the inspections?
14. Does my job qualify for a state sales tax exemption and if so, will you provide that documentation?

Questions About Materials

1. What are the pros and cons with the various siding materials?
2. What color options are available? What if I choose to go with a customized color?
3. Do you have any visualizer tools to help me decide before installation on designs?
4. How do I go about cleaning/maintaining the siding? How often do I need to do this?
5. How much insulation will the proposed material provide my house with? Are there options to increase insulation / R-value if sticking with that material? Would you be able to add extra insulation as you install my siding?

Questions About Payment

1. When is payment expected and what is the schedule?
2. Is there any way for me to reduce the cost?
3. In your quote/estimate, will you itemize each cost? Will you separate material costs from labor charges?
4. What forms of payment do you accept?

Questions Specific to The Job

1. How long will the project take from start to finish? How many working days is that?
2. What are the hours the crew will work in a typical day?
3. Will the materials for my job be stored in their original packaging to protect them in transit and while they sit prior to the job starting?
4. Where will you start my job and why (front, back, side, etc.)
5. Describe in detail the installation process/steps from tear off through completion.
6. Whom exactly will be removing and re-securing all electrical-related items/wiring on the side of the house? An electrician?
7. If I have questions or concerns during the project, to whom and how should I bring them to your attention?
8. Will items removed from the house (exterior lights, fan vent covers, garden hose holders) be re-attached by your crew? Can they be new items that I buy?
9. Whom is responsible for any waste leftover from the job?