Making updates and changes to your home or building a new one is stressful enough, without having to worry about cowboy contractors ruining your experience and wallet. A few simple questions before you hire someone could save you a lot of headache.

A highly qualified drywall contractor takes away a lot of the potential for frustration but can turn your dream home experience into a bottomless money pit. I’ve heard a lot of stories from many of my friends and clients about some terrible experiences with dodgy contractors who cut corners, avoid responsibility and are generally a pain to deal with.

But how do you know what to ask and where to start if you have never dealt with a drywall contractor before? The following 10 simple questions will help you choose the right drywall contractor and get the job done right the first time.

1. Do you have Liability Insurance?

You need to make sure your drywall contractor provides you a proof they have Liability Insurance before you pay them anything. This covers you for financial loss should the drywall contractor die, become insolvent or run away.

2. Are there any current or past disputes underway with the relevant construction authorities in your province or with a former client?

This will let you know about the drywall contractor’s general reliability and professionalism as well as the overall quality of their work.

3. Have you ever been declared bankrupt?

If your drywall contractor went bankrupt at some point it may mean a quick eject button on your project should they not have the financial resources to finish the job. A bankrupt company may disappear without warning leaving you with a half finished drywall project and the need for you to search for another drywall contractor willing to complete the job.

4. Do you work in the same area I’ll be building?

It seems self-explanatory, yet many people never ask this question. Your drywall contractor may not be interested in a project far from their office, where they have to travel. The drywall contractor may also need to hire sub-contractors they are not familiar with and these people may not be up to standard.

5. How long is your warranty and what does it cover?

A drywall contractor agrees to perform quality drywall installation and taping job and warrants against any defects in workmanship or materials supplied. Since it is not always possible to find these defects on the spot, such a warranty should extend to one year for residential units and sometimes longer for commercial properties.

6. Who supervises the drywall project?

This is important because the supervisor or project manager is the person who keeps everyone honest and insures the drywall job goes smoothly. When a project manager is onsite, higher quality work is performed. Look into their track record including past experiences and duration at current employer.

7. What about your drywall installers and tapers and their long-term employment?

A consistent and reliable trade base is essential to making certain the job will be finished on time with high quality results.

8. Can provide us with references of your recently finished projects?

This is absolutely a no-brainer. Try to see for yourself the drywall contractors’ recently completed work or at the very least talk with their clients. This way you can understand if the drywall contractor is doing the type of job you want for your home. Check out the quality of materials they use for their drywall projects. This way you can get feedback about customer experience and satisfaction.

9. What other projects will you be involved with while installing my drywall?

You don’t want the drywall contractor to take on more jobs than they can handle. The more they can concentrate on your job, the faster it will be completed and with a fewer mistakes.

And finally… 10. Reviews?

Remember, being involved in a new construction or a renovation project is a huge financial and emotional investment. Take the extra time to do a thorough check on any prospective drywall contractor, their workmanship, references and credentials. There are several places on the web where you can read reviews about their qualification. Such as Homestars.com, Google places or even Facebook.

Speaking of quality, check out the speed the taping job is done by our drywall taping team member.

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Have questions about your upcoming drywall project? Give us a call 647-866-0201 or email at info@drywalltaping.ca