The siding of your home isn’t just about the aesthetic curb appeal it presents to homeowners as well as their neighbors and guests. It’s about providing adequate functionality towards your home’s first line of defense against harsh exterior elements. Some of these can include animals or insects as well as weather elements such as rain, hail, sleet, and snow. When choosing the best siding contractor for a combination of both high-quality looks as well as top-performing functionality, this blog will help you achieve the best of both worlds.
Although searching for the best siding contractor to attain the finest results for now and years to come can be a burdensome and formidable task, gaining the correct guidance can help you make a proper and informed decision, leading to a more delightful experience in doing so. Some things to consider when searching for a proper siding contractor include understanding your home’s needs as well as your siding desires, evaluating your contractor’s credentials and reputation, how detailed the estimate is, the experience of the contractor and their installers, and what warranties are offered.
Whether it’s just time for simple maintenance or a full house makeover, finding the best siding contractor in your local area can go a long way in meeting or even exceeding your needs, desires, goals, and budget. Now, let’s get down to it so you can be on your way to revitalizing the exterior of your home in the least stressful manner possible.
Understanding What your Home’s Needs are and What Siding Fits Your Preference
The first step along your journey of improving your home’s functionality and aesthetics starts with a physical inspection on your end. You will need to look around the full premises and determine the overall condition of your siding. Doing so includes checking for cracks, rot, fading of color, animal/insect damage, missing or loose pieces, and other signs of deterioration or damage.
You will want to get a good idea of whether you are looking for general maintenance or a full restoration before you start reaching out to a siding contractor. Although recommendations are helpful, you do not want to blindly follow the advice of any one contractor or company, as their goals might not align with yours.
You will also want to consider the climate and demographic location of your home when considering a siding home improvement project. Certain regions are more prone to fire outbursts, where less combustible siding materials will be beneficial. You will also want to consider the aesthetic appeal of the specific material of siding you are considering selecting. Every choice of material has its own specific appearance.
Also, each specific siding material will vary in durability, functionality, longevity, maintenance requirements, and overall cost. You will need to inform yourself of the different options available and their specific benefits compared to others to determine which has the most advantages for your specific goals and desires.
Evaluating the Best Siding Contractor – Credentials and Reputation
Once you have a good idea of what you are looking for and what fits your specific preferences, you will want to start requesting formal proposals. When doing so, it is vital to check each individual siding contractor for their credentials and reputation. A well-established siding contractor will hold the proper licensure and insurance. The proper insurance to hold would be both a liability insurance policy and a workers’ compensation insurance policy.
Credentials of the Best Siding Contractor
The liability insurance policy is important and used in the case that the siding contractor or one of their employees damages or breaks anything within your property. If there is an accident and major damage is done to your home, this policy will cover any damage. If it is not present and, for example, they accidentally start a fire and burn the entire home down, they might not have the funds to rebuild the entire house, and you will have lost potentially millions of dollars, or whatever your home is worth, simply by not verifying the proper insurance.
As for workers’ compensation, this is used if any of the workers get injured on your property. This policy will cover any expenses, medical bills, and missed payroll the injured worker may occur. If an injury occurs and the contractor does not hold workers’ compensation insurance, you could potentially be liable for all of these expenses, potentially in the hundreds of thousands of dollars if the injury is severe enough or even possibly millions if it is fatal. These are extremely important insurances to hold as a siding contractor and to verify as a homeowner.
Proper licensure is also a requirement when selecting a siding contractor, as it is against the law to operate a siding installation company without it. They will need to hold a license under the proper title, which for siding would be the home improvement title. Also, having a license means it is more likely that the siding contractor will follow local codes, rules, and regulations without cutting any corners, as this will be a part of their procedure on all jobs and will train their staff to adhere to these procedures regularly.
Reputation of the Best Siding Contractor
Checking the siding contractor’s reputation is important, as past experiences from former customers will be a good representation of what you can expect for yourself and your own personal experience with them. This can include online reviews from sources like Google and Yelp, local Facebook groups, and signs on front yards that contractors put after they complete a job.
Having a Detailed Proposal
After you have done the in-person estimation process with each siding contractor, you will want to make sure they send you a formal proposal with everything they discussed in writing, as well as all of the procedures to take place and the exact materials to be used. The more detailed a proposal, the better, as this provides you with an added form of protection in the event the contractor does not follow through with their word, as you can now go to court and show a judge with evidence. Word-of-mouth estimates generally do not hold up in court.
Experience of the Best Siding Contractor
As a homeowner looking for long-lasting, high-quality, and aesthetically pleasing results, you will most definitely want to hire a contractor who has good experience within the field as well as the specific niche of siding. It is also good to make sure their specific employees maintain extensive experience within both the industry and the organization, as larger projects are a collaborative effort, and the longer a group has been working together, the more likely it is that the entire staff functions well together, ensuring an efficient project enhancing cost-efficacy so you get the most “bang for the buck”.
Warranties From a Siding Contractor
Gaining a warranty means peace of mind in the event of any material failures or improper installation, depending on the type of warranty being offered. Manufacturer warranties generally cover the materials being used in case of any product or performance defects and are offered through the distributor of the materials themselves. Workmanship warranties cover the installation of the materials, the labor, in the event that one of the installers makes a mistake with the installation of materials. This warranty is generally offered by the company or contractor that you are directly working with.
It is best to gain access to both warranties simultaneously for the most peace of mind for now and years to come. A highly experienced and recommended siding contractor will often offer both.
Conclusion
Now that you’ve gained a better understanding of the siding process, whether it be small maintenance or a full replacement, you are well on your way to making a proper and informed decision on how to determine and select the best siding contractor for your specific property and needs.
Remember, things to consider when searching for a proper siding contractor include understanding your home’s needs as well as your siding desires, evaluating your contractor’s credentials and reputation, how detailed the estimate is, the experience of the contractor and their installers, and what warranties are offered. It is also recommended to keep a checklist during the in-person estimation of what you are specifically looking for in a siding contractor and what possible questions you might want to ask.
Siding jobs can be a major investment and can hold a significant impact on the appearance, functionality, longevity, and overall value of your home, so doing proper research and asking the right questions can save you a tremendous headache and financial burden down the line. We hope you can now make a good choice in your best interest when you are ready to start the process yourself.
