Is your contractor properly licensed?

You’ve done your homework as a smart consumer.  You got more than one estimate.  You checked the BBB.  You looked at some work the contractor has already completed and you visited a job that is currently being installed.  You like the price and you like the company rep you spoke with.

What’s left to do other than sign a contract?  Well, how about verifying the contractor license and insurance status? 

In Virginia a contractor has 3 levels of licensing that dictates what work they can do.  You should go to the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) to not only verify that the contractor still has a valid contractors license, but to also see if there are any past or current open complaints.

I bring this up now because I recently had a homeowner tell me they were signing a $30,000 contract with another company instead of Blue Ridge Exteriors.  He told me he was going to have (blank) construction do the work.  His price was cheaper. 

It’s not the first time a homeowner has gone with the lowest price.  But what really caught my attention is that the company is only a Class C contractor.  By law he can’t perform the work!

I’ll save you the details of my discussion with that homeowner, but as a homeowner you have the responsibility to make sure the contractor you are planning to use is licensed and insured properly for the job they will do for you.  Click here to see the different classifications of contractors in Virginia and their limitations. 

While your at it you should check on their insurance status.  Call their insurer to be certain all premiums have been paid.  I’m sure you won’t be surprised to learn that some contractors have let their insurance lapse due to money flow problems. 

Blue Ridge Exteriors is a licensed Class A contractor in the state of Virginia.  On EVERY appointment that we go on we leave a copy of our insurance certificate and a copy of our contractor license and we expect you will verify that all is up to date and accurate.

Blue Ridge Exteriors specializes in the installation of James Hardie fiber cement siding and trim components.  We are the only James Hardie VIP Preferred Remodeler in Central Virginia and one of only six in the entire country!

For a free estimate call us at 804.405.3683!