5 Criteria to Consider when Choosing your Paving Contractor
10 August 2020
When it comes time to complete the pavement projects on your property, it is important to have complete confidence in the paving contractor that you choose. Whether it’s to pave a driveway, sidewalk, patio, walkway or entryway, working with a paving company that ticks all of the boxes on your checklist takes a little bit of thought and research.
The paving specialists at Pavage Massie have more than 30 years of experience and more than 25,000 asphalt and paving projects under their belt: we know a thing or two about what can make or break a relationship between a homeowner and contractor. As the customer, you are in control of initiating this relationship and so here are five criteria to consider when choosing your paving contractor.
1. Trust only local paving companies
If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a thousand times: always choose a reputable local paving company and never sign with an itinerant door-to-door roving paving crew. Paving projects are a significant investment and you want to ensure that you can easily contact your paver in the event of any unexpected issues or complications.
How to easily identify a local paver vs. a roaming door-to-door itinerant crew?
• Look for a professionally branded vehicle with a local phone number listed
• Ask for a business card or pamphlet
• Check the BBB listing for the company
2. Proven Experience
As much as we need to support new businesses and budding start-ups, paving your driveway, sidewalk, patio, walkway or entryway is not the time to let an inexperienced paver experiment and learn their trade on your property.
• Does the paving company you’re considering have a number of jobs under their belts?
• Does the company have an established website with a photo gallery of the local paving projects that they have recently completed?
• Can the company provide references ?
• Are they listed with the Better Business Bureau or local Chamber of Commerce?
3. Comprehensive Contract
A professional and reputable paving company will provide you with a comprehensive contract to read prior to signing for approval to complete the work. Look for a paving contractor who is willing to take the time to outline the details of the contract and answer any questions or concerns you have about what to expect in terms of the finished product, fees and timelines.
Carefully consider and question the authenticity and trustworthiness of any paving crew or door-to-door salesperson that pressures you to sign any documents before you’ve had time to fully review them. A common trick employed by dishonest itinerant pavers is to suggest that you’re not signing a contract” when in fact you really are.
4. After Care and Ongoing Support
An important criteria to look for when choosing the company to complete a paving job on your property, both residential and commercial, is the amount of after care and ongoing support that the paver offers. Look for a paving company that is committed to following up on any issues or unexpected problems with the asphalt or paving job that they have completed for you.
A bonus item on the paver checklist is a company that provides helpful information about maintaining your pavement on an ongoing basis. (You have browsed our blog, right?!) A good relationship with your paver means that you should feel comfortable to get in touch with them by phone, e-mail or via their social media channels at any time.
5. Professional
It’s possible that a paving company might meet all of the criteria above but might not have a professional presence or demeanor when completing the pavement job on your property.
• Is the paving company known for being respectful of their clients’ properties?
• Have you seen the paving crew working in the neighbourhood and aiming to be as least disruptive to the neighbourhood as possible?
• Is the paving company committed to following all necessary safety protocols to keep clients and employees safe?
• Did the paving contractor leave the property and street clean and tidy in their last job?
By taking some time to learn more about the paving company that you’re considering working with, you’ll be setting yourself up for a healthy client-contractor relationship and increase the odds that you’ll be completely satisfied with your freshly paved surfaces.
