5 Questions to Ask Your Asphalt Contractor

Planning to have your asphalt driveway paved this summer but you don’t know where to start? No need to worry, because that’s completely understandable. Most people who are looking to refurbish or replace their homes’ driveway, actually, have no idea what paving is all about. But they do understand that hiring a credible paving contractor should be their top priority.

However, the problem is, it’s really difficult to qualify contractors if you don’t even know what to look for, right? Moreover, asphalt paving is no small project; in fact, it’s a home investment. You would be spending a good sum of money for this, so it has to be worth the price. That said, it is imperative that you get it right the first time with the right contractor.

So, to help all fellow homeowners out there understand how to vet bids from their chosen paving companies, here are the top five most important questions that you should ask any paving company that you’re considering for the job.

1. How long have you been in the industry?

You know what they say, “wisdom comes with age.” This old adage also rings true for most businesses. If they’ve been around for a while means that people trust them because they’ve been doing a good job, right? Otherwise, they would have closed the business years ago.

This is especially true for companies who have been in the industry for decades, not only because people trust them, but also because they’ve learned to master their trade so you’re rest assured that they know what they’re doing and they can handle the job fairly well.

2. What projects have you handled in the past?

Like what we’ve said earlier, this is going to cost you real money so you want to make sure that your contractor isn’t doing its trial run on your driveway. Don’t shy away from asking their portfolio or what projects they have handled before. It would also help if you can ask them for references.

Aside from asking them for references, it wouldn’t hurt to do a bit of digging. Check out their reviews on the Internet. Are customers satisfied with their work? Are there any people or credible home sites vouching for them? This way, you can get a good grasp of who they are and how they work.

3. Can you walk me through your process?

Professional paving experts would be able to walk you through their process with ease. At the same time, they’d be able to give an accurate diagnosis of your pavement–whether you need a simple resurfacing or a full replacement.

This one is crucial because every project is different; besides, you wouldn’t want to shell out a full replacement fee for a driveway that only needs to be resurfaced. On the contrary, resurfacing an already badly damaged driveway is a temporary solution. A wrong assessment can set you back with even more expenses plus, the difference between a replacement and a resurfacing job can be quite huge so it’s imperative that they are able to make a correct evaluation of your property.

Moreover, it is important that they always keep you in the loop so that you understand what’s going to happen next through every step of the process.

4. Are you licensed and insured?

If you don’t want any trouble, then never work with a contractor that isn’t licensed and has no insurance. People will be working on your property so if you don’t want to shoulder any mishaps that might happen while they’re on the job, make sure to ask for proof of insurance.

At the very least, your paving contractor should be able to cover their workers’ insurance and any accidents or liabilities. Now, the minimum limit for insurance should at least be at $500,000.

5. What warranties can you offer?

Different things can happen once your project begins, so it’s critical that you clear this out with your contractor beforehand. Ask them what warranties they can offer, what type of coverage does their estimate include? Would there be any additional charges for any other kind of service that you would possibly need from them in the future?

You know, sometimes, there could be unforeseen problems that might surface during the span of the project, so it would be great if you can ask them to detail their estimates including what sort of extra fees you might need to expect for potential issues that might arise.

This will not only help you gauge your expenses, but it will also help both sides to know and understand what they can expect from each party. This way, you can both avoid future misunderstandings and arguments.

Depending on the severity of the damage, driveway repairs and installations can be a little daunting especially if you have no idea where to even start. While it pays to learn the basics, it’s still far better if you can hire a trusted paving professional to do the work for you like this driveway paving contractor in Norfolk VA. Nonetheless, these five questions should get you up to speed with choosing the best paving contractor for your property.