A sturdy retaining wall can provide you with many years of protection as well as enjoyment. Building a retaining wall by yourself is very difficult particularly if you don’t have little knowledge about building and construction. This is the reason why it is of prime importance to hire an expert to install the structure for you. Hiring a professional retaining wall contractor can assure you that the structure is well-built and reliable. So before hiring a contractor, make sure that you ask the right questions. Asking the right questions will help you determine whether a contractor is up for the job or not.
Question #1: How long have you been working in this field?
Building a retaining wall is no easy feat thus it is important to hire a retaining wall contractor that has been around in the industry for a long time. A reliable contractor should be working in this field for more than 5 years – more is better. A contractor that has been around for a long time is able to experience a lot of situations related to building retaining walls. With their experience, they are able to adapt and also provide better quality work to their clients.
Question #2: Can you give me referrals?
Asking for a referral is one of the most important questions that you can ask from a retaining wall contractor. If a contractor has a good reputation, it should have no problem giving you at least three solid references for you to contact. If not, then look elsewhere. The thing is that asking for reference is also like asking for contractors for their portfolio. This will allow you to determine if the contractor has good work ethics and can deliver the job well and within a specific deadline.
Question #3: Can I get a scaled landscape design or aerial snapshot of the project?
Asking for a scaled landscape design or an aerial snapshot will allow you to have a quick glance at what the entire project will look like once it is finished. This will help you phase out the project especially if you encounter some problems such as financial problems. It will also serve as a guide for the contractor on how they will carry out or implement the project as you can suggest changes based on the plan that they submitted.
Question #4: Are you a certified retaining wall installer?
Many homeowners forget to ask this question to their retaining wall installer. Unfortunately, not everyone knows that retaining wall installers need to be certified to be able to build the structure. There are two types of certifications that retaining walls can have and these include the (1) Certified Segmental Retaining Wall Installer (CSRWI) and (2) Interlocking Concrete Paver Installer (ICPI).
But if your retaining wall contractor says that he or she can build the retaining wall albeit the absence of certification, is there really a need to consider their accolades? Hiring certified retaining wall installer ensure that they build the retaining walls following construction standards thus you can be assured that they are dedicated to building quality installation as well as ongoing education. Moreover, certification also helps the contractors meet the industry standard.
Question #5: How much is the projected budget?
Determining how much you need to spend on this particular project is very important as it gives you an idea of how much you need to prepare. The answer to this question, however, largely depends on your needs. The factors that influence the cost of building retaining walls depend on the size of the structure, materials used, labor, and many others. Although the cost can be anywhere in between a few hundred to thousands of dollars, it is crucial to take note that installing a retaining wall is a good investment and can result to 200% recovery value on your property within the next few years.
Question #6: Do you hire subcontractors?
It takes a great amount of strength to build retaining walls especially if the walls are very high. Thus, it is important that you ask the contractor if they hire sub-contractors to help build the entire structure. Hiring subcontractors is necessary if they are bent on finishing the job within a specified deadline. However, hiring as many people to work on the project can also delay or even jeopardize the landscape. Ask your contractor how they will mitigate such problem. Make sure that you raise this concern to your contractor.
Hiring a quality retaining wall contractor to build your retaining wall is very important to make this particular project successful. These questions will help you determine if a particular contractor will be able to deliver or not. Make sure that you take a lot of notes as well as ask for other follow up questions. For more information about hiring commercial retaining wall contractors, visit us today.
Summary
The correct answers to the questions above will help you determine whether a contractor is up for the job or not.
