First time dealing with a concreting project for your home? It can be a little daunting engaging contractors for the first time, especially when you are dealing larger sums of money. Asking the right questions to your chosen contractor will help gauge if the project is the right match for both your budget, time frame, your project and the contractor. Most concreters will offer free onsite quotes, this is a great opportunity to ask questions and ultimately to see if it is a good fit between the both parties.
To make the most out of the time that the concreter is visiting your house, be prepared with questions you want answers to and clarify the information you require—because getting a concreting quote goes beyond the pricing—it tackles a lot of factors you need to take into consideration, such as the preparations required, labour, reinforcing materials, finish, timeframe, and so on.
Have an idea of what you are after
Prior to the concreter coming to your property for the quote, do some research about types of concrete options available to you. Familiarise yourself with the basic concepts when it comes to your options. Look up other concreter services as well, to broaden or compare your choices. Make a list of the important details you want to point out to your contractor, your non negotiable and things you are flexible with.
From there, you can have a rough idea of what the market rate is for your project (you can get the cost per square metre online to have a baseline). Always remember that cheaper doesn’t always mean better! In some cases, cheaper options could mean more spending for you in the end because of faulty labour or materials, cutting corners which leads to more repairs and even replacement in the future.
Be open to feedback. After the contractors assess your project, they can assess the best solutions for your project. Allow some room for flexibility as they may suggest an alternative to your plan that could lead to even better outcomes. The professionals that they are, expect these alternative solutions or recommendations made are tested and done on various previous projects already. Remember that construction projects, including concreting, are not a one-size fits all approach, the plan will need to be tailored to your requirements.
Questions to ask the concreter
It pays to know if your contractor is committed to giving the highest standard of product and excellent customer service, the best way to determine this, is through your initial experience with them during the quotation stage.
Wherever possible, be there at the time the contractor is going to be onsite for the quote so that you can get a feel for them, and their ideas and ask questions directly to them. If possible, jot down the most crucial questions you want and need to ask. Some guide questions are:
- How long will my project take?
Time frames are important. Starting from the preparation, to pouring and the curing time, all concrete projects will need time. Asking this question gives you an assessment of the contractor’s approach and performance, as well as the reality of when they would be able to fit in your project in their schedule. The quote should provide an overview of the timeframe for projects similar to yours. Simpler projects such as driveway concreting usually just take 2-3 days. If there is a major difference from one contractor to another, it’s best to clarify why there is such a difference. Your contractor will tell you the timeframes they have scheduled so you can adjust everything you will need. With a timeframe, you can set expectations for the project’s completion.
- The cost that they estimate
Upon the inspection, the contractor will start pinpointing the materials that will be needed and the price range for each of the materials. Ask them if this will be separate planning or if they will take charge of canvassing for the materials. Wherever possible get an itemised quote so both parties are transparent and can manage expectations and responsibilities.
- Ask for their professional feedback on your options (for example exposed aggregate vs plain concrete)
Getting their opinion on your project will give the concreter an opportunity to explore with you the options available for your project to get the best outcome. If there are aspects you are still unsure about or still unclear about, it will be helpful to hear their comments.
- Warranty on their work
Better be safe than sorry, after all concreting isn’t cheap. Protect yourself and your project from sketchy workmanship, and back your project up with a contractor that backs their work. When you work with someone who backs their work, you know they’ll be doing things right the first time with high quality materials.
- How many concreters will do the job?
There might be a chance that the team that gave you the quote would not be the same that would actually work on your project. Consult the contractor if they are working with subcontractors and your communication channels.
- Professional portfolio
If you are going for anything beyond standard concrete or complicated works, ask them for examples of their previous work, which can be found on their website or their social media profiles or testimonials. Nothing would prove their standard better than through a collated portfolio.
In the instance that they can’t provide pictures immediately, don’t fret. You can ask for references or their previous clients. Through them, you can get firsthand feedback about the contractor—visual evidence help you understand the contractor’s expertise.
Conclusion
The right concreter should take the stress out of your concreting project. It will make your life easier. When possible, be onsite when the concreter does the onsite quote to be able to get a feel for their attitude, approach and ideas, and bring lots of questions prepared so that you can both be on the same page.
Looking for a reputable professional contractor that provides affordable solutions? Call your Northern Beaches concreter on (02) 9100 0908 for a free quote today.
