5 Questions to Ask Your Excavating Contractor

If you are in the market for a new excavating contractor, you should keep a few things in mind. Excavating contractors can provide a lot of value to a construction project. However, you must choose the right one for your needs. It can help you get a better understanding of the contractor and whether or not they are a good fit for your project. Asking the right questions can help you make an informed decision. Here are 5 questions to ask your excavating contractor:

1) Are You Licensed & Insured?

A licensed and insured contractor is one of the most important things when hiring an excavating contractor. This is because they are required by law to have a license from their state’s Department of Labor and insurance to operate legally. If a contractor is not licensed and insured, you may be putting yourself at risk for injury or property damage if anything goes wrong during the excavation process.

2) How Long Have You Been in Business?

If the company is relatively new, it may indicate that they have not yet fully established itself as a reputable contractor. On the other hand, if they have been around for a while and earned a solid reputation in their industry, you can be more confident in hiring them.

When asking this question, ensure that you are also inquiring about how long they’ve worked at their current job and where else they may have worked. This will help you determine whether or not their work history is extensive enough for you to feel comfortable giving them your project.

3) Have You Worked on Similar Projects?

Ask your contractor about the type of work they’ve done. For example, if you are building a new home, find out if they have worked with other homeowners to build their homes or if they specialize in commercial construction. If you are remodeling an old house and want to replace the bathroom flooring with granite tiles, ask if this is something that comes up frequently for them. You may want to look for contractors who specialize in your project to ensure that your contractor has experience working on similar projects and can give you an idea of how long it will take them to complete the work.

4) Does Your Business Do Any Other Services?

It’s a good idea to ask your contractor if they do any other services. Some contractors may only be able to help you with the excavation but have connections with other businesses that can do more specialized work. Others might have an entire team ready to take care of all the aspects of your project in one place. If they don’t, they may be able to refer you to another business that can provide these services.  Make sure it’s reputable and worth using. 

5) Can I Get an Estimate?

A final question to consider is whether you need an estimate in writing. Many contractors will be more than happy to provide one, but it can be inconvenient if they don’t ask for your information first. It’s best to get this out of the way before you start discussing the details of your project. It would help if you also asked them to itemize their estimate so that you know exactly what each part of their service includes, how much that costs, and how long each phase will take.

Conclusion

Before you trust any contractor with your excavation project, do your due diligence and ask the above questions. Hiring an inexperienced person for any project is risky, especially when the task is crucial to your business. Hiring an unlicensed contractor puts both you and those at risk- make sure they are licensed and insured before allowing them to start any work on your property.

Need a professional excavating contractor for your next project? Contact J Bond Construction today to see how we can help!