7 Contractors You Should Be Hiring for Your Home
When you’ve decided to do a large renovation project on a new home or you are looking to build one, there are 7 contractors that you’ll need to be a part of this process. Many of these will come at different stages, and others may come just when you’ve discovered issues in your home. Either way, you’ll need a contact for them in case you have any issues arise shortly.
1. Construction
Probably one of the most important full service contractors you need for your home is the construction contractor. Construction companies are at the foundation for any remodeling and development that you want to do in your home. They will help you lay out your plans for your home, guide you through your blueprints, and help connect with other contractors that you’ll end up needing. They have a skilled team in most cases, and they are aware of local zoning and code enforcement that are in place by the local government offices. You’ll need to hire contracting companies if you’re looking to do room additions, or renovations that will require structural changes to the property. You need professionals who can manage this type of work and keep the home structurally sound through the process.
When you hire a construction contractor, you need to first check the license that they are using on your project, as well as their insurance policy. What you don’t want to do is get stuck in a situation where you have uninsured workers at your home around your property, and it gets damaged. If they don’t have the right liability coverage for property damage, you could be forced to cover these expenses on your own. Your insurance company is not likely to cover any of these costs if you make a claim and it’s determined that you hired someone who wasn’t insured to work on the property.
When you hire construction companies, you need to be given a timeline of how long the project will last, and when you should expect them in the home. You still have a family to manage and run during this time, so you need to know when workers will be in the home, and when they’ll have trucks and any dumpster bins out on the property. This is required to keep your family and the employees safe.
2. HVAC
Trying to manage a project means that another full service contractor you’ll need is an air conditioning contractor. These contractors have years of experience servicing HVAC systems, getting them repaired when they have damages, and replacing whole units when it’s necessary. This is something that can cost you a lot of money over time if it’s not properly maintained and repaired. It is a good idea to have an HVAC contractor come out once a year to your property and ensure that your HVAC unit is working and that there isn’t anything major happening that could cost you more money in the near future. Having regular maintenance on your air conditioning can save you more money in the long run.
HVAC contractors are also great for furnace repairs. They have direct insight into how these systems work, especially if you live in an area where you need to have your furnace maintained in order to properly heat your home. If the furnace pipe isn’t maintained, it could be a safety hazard, leaking carbon monoxide into the home. You also need to have the combustion chamber repaired regularly. Depending on the age of your furnace, it may be time to have a new one installed. Having it maintained at least once a year can help prolong the life of your furnace and make it so that you don’t have to replace it too soon or cause serious health concerns in your home.
3. Plumbing
A full service contractor with a plumbing background is just the person you want to reach out to when you see signs of a problem in your plumbing system. There are several signs you need a plumbing contractor in your home, and they include a clogged drain, standing water, and poor water pressure that you’re finding throughout the home. All of these signs indicate that there is at least a water leak or a blockage in the piping somewhere in the system. This can be in the pipes in the walls, or in the septic system outside.
When you call over a plumbing contractor, they will take a drain snake, and sometimes a camera, if necessary, and put it down the clogged drain to find the blockage. In most cases, this can help pull out the blockage, but if it’s significant enough, they may have to go under the home and remove the pipes to remove the blockage. They can also use these same items to check for water that has leaked through the pipes, looking for cracks and holes in the pipes. Some corrosion will be done over time, and they will have to replace these pipes.
The sewage system is another part of this job, and this contractor is great for making sure that your system is flowing efficiently. There will be signs of a sewage backup, such as water not wanting to drain, the smell and condition of the water, and lots of bright green patches of grass around your sewage lines. Plumbing contractors will pump out your septic tank if it’s full, which is great so you can get your system moving again. This is a service that you need every few years to keep it from causing damage and corrosion to the rest of your plumbing system.
4. Asphalt Paving
A full-service contractor that can give you the outside look that you want for your driveway and patio is a paving company that specializes in asphalt paving. Whether you’re looking to do a fresh paving job on your driveway or your patio, they have different types of asphalt that are right for what you’re looking for in your property. Today, many of these contractors will have both regular or recycled asphalt, which make great options for paving these areas on the home. Depending on how much traffic you have on your property, you’ll want to make sure you get the right one. Many of these paving companies can even offer concrete if that’s something you would prefer for your home.
The paving company will need to come out to the home and give you quotes on the property, so be prepared for that part of the process. Depending on how many paving companies you have in your area, you may want to get multiple quotes to ensure you’re getting the right price for your home. Also, you’ll want to let them know if you have any walkways and other spaces out on the property that you want paved. They can do it all while they’re on the property.
When you hire a paving company, make sure they are licensed and insured just like the construction contractor. They could potentially cause damage to your property, and you need them to be able to repair it if that happens on your property. You also want to get some information on the timeline for this project. They will have the ability to let you know when they can do it and let you know what areas are going to be roped off and what to avoid. You may have to change how you’re parking and which doors you’re using for entry into the home while the asphalt or concrete dries on the property.
5. Mold Removal
Another full service contractor that you probably didn’t realize you needed was a mold removal company. Homeowners who have properties that they’ve lived in for years or recently purchased that are a couple of decades old find themselves in need of mold removal. In a lot of cases, it isn’t discovered until the construction contractor starts working through a renovation and discovers the mold. When this happens, they can either refer you to a mold removal company they’ve worked with in the past, or you can find one on your own if you want to do your own research.
This is usually a cost you weren’t planning for, but when you need mold removal, this means there are spores, and at the point of discovery, they are more exposed than they were before. This is a health hazard, so you’ll need to stop all renovations at that time and have your family and pets related until the mold is treated and it isn’t a threat any longer. A mold removal company will come in and treat the area and then remove drywall and other parts of the home that need to be replaced. They can either do the repair themselves, or they can work with your construction contractor to have the work added to your renovation. Once the mold is removed and the home is deemed safe, you can move your family back into the home.
6. Exterior
Unlike a full service contractor that does all construction, an exterior contractor specializes in the external parts of your home and works to ensure that your home is protected from the environment and looks great. Some of these exterior contractors include gutter companies who provide ample gutter services, and roof contractors who are also pretty common in a lot of areas. Depending on your needs, you could need one or both of these contractors.
If you need a gutter contractor to come out, they can come and clean out the gutter system, especially for homeowners who aren’t capable of doing it themselves. They will inspect the gutter system, and see if any areas are damaged from the season before where water could be leaking or a blockage may have busted out a gutter. If you want to get one of the new gutter systems that sit discretely beneath the roof, then they are able to install these for you. One of the final services they offer is the ability to get gutter guards installed. Not only does this keep large debris out of your gutters, but it also keeps birds and other wildlife from getting into the gutters and building nests.
Roof repair from roof contractors is another exterior home need you may have. Some roofs suffer damage in certain areas of the property after having severe weather, and you’ll need a roof contractor to come out and get the area secure before it causes extensive water damage inside of your home. Signs that you need roof repair will include missing shingles, dry-rotted shingles that you see hanging off of your roof, and if you had some branches or debris fall on your home after a storm.
7. Insulation
You might not need a full service contractor, but if you’ve had some damage done to your home or you’re undergoing a remodel, you might need the assistance of an insulation company to help you with these things. If you have an older home, it may be time to have the insulation replaced, and you can choose from materials that will help keep the temperature in the room so that you aren’t losing it and not using too much energy. When your construction contractor gets to that point where installation is needed, they usually reach out to the installation company, and they can either come and install it themselves or they can have the contractors do it. If you’re building a new home, then they will likely come and install the insulation on their own.
Mold is a serious issue that can force homeowners to move out of their homes for health and safety reasons. Mold thrives in damp environments and can spread rapidly, causing structural damage and creating an unhealthy living space. One of the primary concerns with mold is its impact on health. Prolonged exposure to mold can lead to respiratory problems, allergies, and other health issues, especially for individuals with asthma or weakened immune systems. In some cases, mold contamination becomes so severe that professional remediation is required, which can take time and leave the home uninhabitable. If you discover extensive mold growth in your home, moving out temporarily or permanently may be the safest option for you and your family. During this stressful time, using moving services can help streamline the process. Professional movers can efficiently pack and transport your belongings, ensuring that you leave behind any contaminated items. Additionally, moving services can provide storage solutions while your home undergoes mold remediation. In severe cases, mold can compromise the structural integrity of your home, making repairs costly and lengthy. For many homeowners, the best solution is to relocate to a safer, healthier environment, and professional movers can make this transition easier.
Whether you’re building a new home or undergoing a large renovation on your home, these seven contractors will be a part of a combined team to ensure that the work is done correctly according to your standards and those in place by the local code enforcement office. Make sure that you have contact information for all these companies and that you’ve gone through reviews to know what to expect. When they’re going to be on the property, you need to know and make sure they’re properly insured in case of damages. Once you’ve vetted all of them, you’re good to get started on your home.