How to Find the Best Foundation Repair Company
Foundation repairs are one of the most critical and most important of all home repairs. It is critical to choose a qualified and trustworthy contractor to perform your repair. How do you find a good company to perform the work? Foundation contractor reviews from homeowners that have had work done is a great place to start. Below is a quick guide that will take you through some items to look for when selecting a contractor. A foundation repair is only as strong as the company that performs the work. Make sure you choose the best.
Items to Consider When Hiring a Foundation Repair Company
1. Ask for Referrals
Reach out to your network. Ask your friends and family if they have had previous foundation repair. If they have had repairs performed dig in and find out if they were happy with the company and their work. If you find a few names of contractors, you can add them to your list to complete further research on.
2. Use the Power of the Internet
This day and age the power of the internet is a leading voice in a company’s brand. Online reviews from sites such as Google, Yelp, and the Better Business Bureau should paint a good picture of a company’s reputation. If a company has been in business any considerable amount of time they will have reviews. Research these reviews and add a few more reputable companies to your list. You can see some of our foundation repair company reviews as well.
3. Ensure they are Insured
Only hire a foundation contractor that has the proper insurance. As a homeowner you are responsible for anyone working in and around your home. A reputable company will have proper insurance to ensure that it covers any employee that is injured on the job or any property that is damaged while the work is being completed. If you feel it necessary, you can always validate the coverage with the contractors’ insurance company before starting the work.
4. Get Multiple Quotes for the Work
You should get two or three estimates on any work that needs to be performed on your home. You are making an investment into your home and seeking a quality professional with a track record of honesty and trust is important. Allowing yourself several options to select from.
Choose the company that best fits your needs.
Contractors to Avoid When Looking at Reviews
1. No Reviews or Testimonials
Most foundation repair contractors have been in business for quite some time. If you find a company that has zero reviews online then you are not able to contact those people to get more knowledge of their experience. This could also mean that the company is very new to the work and has less experience that other companies out there. While this may be okay in some situations, working on the foundation of your home takes experience that comes with time.
2. High-Pressure Sales Teams
Foundation issues are a serious matter and should be addressed quickly. However, if you bring a company into your home that pressures you to sign “today” for a special discount, they probably do not have your best interest in mind. If you are confident in the company, sign away – if not, it is okay to let them know you will be shopping other contractors as well.
3. Cash Payment Terms
Steer clear of contractors that offer discounts for cash payment. It is a pretty clear sign that they are keeping some of their income off of the books. If they are not honest in this manner, you can assume they would not be honest should you need repairs?
Finding a Foundation Repair Contractor
When seeking to hire a foundation repair contractor in the Houston area you will come across many choices. When selecting the best slab repair contractor you want to ensure that you are armed with the proper information. The company should have a track record of excellent work and be able to provide answers to all of your questions when you call and speak with them. It is important to be very selective in the process and not just hire any fly-by-night company to perform a repair on your most valuable asset. That is why we strongly recommend that you review the questions below before you select a foundation repair contractor.
The best contractors will have a great Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating and an outstanding reputation across all online platforms. If you want to find a slab repair specialist known for doing great work, we suggest that you ensure they are a member of the Better Business Bureau. If they are not part of the BBB then they are not dedicated to ensuring their work is the best possible quality and they should be avoided.
Finding a contractor can be hard, it is for this reason that we have put together this list of three tips to assist with the task . Keep in mind that the first thing to ask any contractor that you contact is if they repair the type of foundation that you have. In Houston slab foundations are the most common, however, they are not the only type of foundation found in the area. Overall, once you read through our tips below you should be able to make an educated decision on who you let come to your home, provide an evaluation of your needs and give you an estimate of the foundation repair costs. On top of that, we strongly suggest you dig through our blog and become very familiar with all aspects of foundation repair in the Houston area, especially our foundation repair tips.
Three Tips to Find the Best Foundation Repair Contractor
Tip One: Ask those you know for referrals. Utilizing social media for this task seems to work the best. Most people know someone that has had their foundation repaired at one point or another. Reaching out to neighbors is another great way to get a referral or find a company to avoid. Once you get a few solid referrals then you can really start to do additional research that will help you narrow down your list.
Tip Two: Check the company’s digital profile and reputation. Not all companies are going to be equal in this space. Some of the huge conglomerates will have huge marketing budgets and spam the internet with their reviews. That being said, you do want to check all brands Google reviews, Yelp reviews, Facebook reviews, and any comments on Twitter. If a local repair company is not showing up in these places they are not on the leading edge of technology for their digital business and more than likely the same holds true for their foundation repair business as well. Look for someone that is reputable on Angie’s List and Home Advisor as well.
Tip Three: Pick up the phone and make a call to the company. First thing, did they answer the phone the first time you called? If they did not, did they return you message if you left one? If a company does not return messages and pick up the phone you probably do not want to do business with them. You want someone that is going to be there to address your needs. If they do answer then you want to know who you are talking to. Is the owner the one taking the calls? Do they have a stake in your foundations future? If you find an answering service is taking the calls and there is not an opportunity to talk to an owner or specialist you probably want to move on as well. If you happen to need to discuss an issue having a direct line to someone that owns the business will help you get resolution faster than having to speak with someone that is no empowered to make decisions on behalf of the company.
Final Thoughts:
These are just a few best practices to use when attempting to locate a Houston area foundation repair specialist to take care of your home. If you work through the tips above you should have a solid start to locating someone that is qualified to do work on your home and has a good reputation and brand. At AAA Foundation Service, Jerry Bartlett, the owner of the company is always behind the phone. We also have a BBB rating of A+ and positive reviews across the internet. We are family owned and operated in Houston and have served the community for 60 years. Give us a call today and we can discuss how we can help put your foundation back on solid ground.