A swimming pool is increasingly becoming a key property amenity and therefore, it is essential to ensure the best practices are followed when selecting New Jersey swimming pool contractors. In recent times, the use of pools has become commonly associated with convenience, style, and elegance, as well as a must-have feature for any property. There are several pool installers and contractors serving various towns and communities, and sifting through them to select the best service provider can be challenging. However, if you know what you’re looking for, you should be able to compile a list of what you’d like your pool contractor to accomplish once they arrive on the site. Below is a simple but effective checklist to follow when hiring swimming pool contractors in New Jersey.
Focus on Local Contractor Pool Companies
Nowadays, there are many service providers out there in the business of pool construction. When researching, you may be confronted with potentially hundreds of pool companies to make a choice from – especially if you do a wide search. Experts recommend the best way to search for swimming pool contractors in New Jersey is to narrow down your research and focus on your local town or neighborhood. The advantage of using a local pool builder is they have the skills and experience working with specific local conditions such as the topography and will be in a better position to do a good job. Furthermore, the logistics of pool building are easily managed when you hire a pool builder from your local area. Far-flung companies may charge higher considering they have to cover for their expenses such as transport costs. Because of their close proximity, local companies can easily carry out a site survey and have several personal consultation sessions with you.
Don’t Forget to Ask for Referrals
Referrals are an important factor to consider when choosing a pool builder because you get an opportunity to evaluate what a potential pool builder has done in the past. Before appending your signature on any contract, make sure to get a list of customer references or visit the pools they’ve worked on before. Get in touch with past customers and request them for feedback and ratings on their experience working with a pool builder. You can also ask New Jersey swimming pool contractors how many pools they’ve worked on in the past year. This is a great way of understanding a company’s reputation and style of handling customer projects. Your list of referrals should include the most recent customers who can share their recent experiences regarding how their projects were managed.
Look Out for Down-payment
Before a project begins, most pool builders request for a down-payment to enable them to commence a project. It is advisable to consider swimming pool contractors in New Jersey whose down-payment doesn’t exceed 10%. However, some companies may ask for up to 20%, which is still within a good range – especially if you’re dealing with a reputable pool contractor. Beware of companies that ask for higher upfront payments as it could be an indication of a struggling business with poor cash flow. In addition, higher down-payments could mean the contractor doesn’t have sufficient cash on hand to pay their staff and all subcontractors involved in a project. Before making any upfront payment, ensure you’re absolutely sure you’re dealing with a reputable entity to avoid losing your money when projects aren’t completed as agreed.
Measuring Cost of Work Done
The amount of money you spend on pool building should be equivalent to the set project timelines. This applies especially if you want to construct a pool slowly in stages because of a lack of adequate funds. For instance, if you’ve paid 50% of the total cost of the project, your pool should be halfway done. However, it becomes a problem when you pay half the cost but the pool construction is only 25% done. Even though it might be difficult finding out about this before you commence a project, reading past reviews of New Jersey swimming pool contractors can help you get to know a company’s level of commitment in matching project timelines commensurate with the amount paid.
Get Everything in Writing
Just like any formal business transaction, pool contractors should enter into formal agreements with their clients. If you come across a pool provider who is not keen on making written commitments and agreements, that is a red flag. Often salespeople promise a lot when advertising their pool construction services, and the only way to get an assurance regarding their services is to enter into formal contractual agreements outlining the responsibilities and expectations of both parties. Reputable swimming pool contractors in New Jersey understand the importance of service contracts as they guide the entire process of pool construction and ensure everyone involved in the project is satisfied with the outcomes.
Are there Unresolved Complaints?
When choosing New Jersey swimming pool contractors, you need to be careful about negative online reviews. While it’s perfectly normal to have one or two negative reviews, be sure to check whether there are consistent complaints regarding certain issues as well as unresolved problems or issues. Local BBB (Better Business Bureau) is excellent when it comes to showing the ratings of various service providers. However, you should go deeper and evaluate how companies respond and resolve various customer issues. Remember, consistently bad reviews are not good for a brand and may be an indication of poor management and execution of responsibilities; you would want to avoid such swimming pool contractors in New Jersey at all costs.