Maybe you’re looking to turn your basement into a more habitable place? Perhaps you’re trying to prevent basement flooding? Whatever the case may be, you’re in need of a basement waterproofing company.
The only question now is: how do you find the best waterproofing company available? It’s all about building a pool of viable candidates and comparing their characteristics against one another. We’ll get into the specifics below.
Create a Pool of Suitable Candidates
You should start your search by creating a pool of suitable candidates. You can find these candidates in whatever ways you deem necessary. However, in general, the best methods to utilize include the following.
Make Use of Search Engines
The quickest and most convenient way to find suitable candidates is to make use of search engines. By typing “waterproofing companies in [your area]” into Google or another search engine, you’ll be met with a wide variety of waterproofing companies in your proximity.
Some of these companies will be of high quality, while others will be of low quality. But fortunately, they’ll be accompanied by star ratings. As such, you’ll have an idea as to which are worth your consideration.
As far as we’re concerned, if a company has 4 or more stars out of 5, it’s worth adding to your pool of candidates. On the other hand, if it has less than 4 stars out of 5, it’s best left avoided.
Ask Your Friends
Another way to find suitable candidates is to ask your friends. Someone in your life may have had his or her basement waterproofed recently. If he or she is happy with the service received, he or she is bound to provide you with a viable candidate.
You should also ask around to family members, as the more people you ask, the more opinions you’ll get.
Compare Characteristics
Once you’ve created your pool of suitable candidates, you can start comparing them against one another. When doing so, pay particular attention to the following characteristics.
Experience
Perhaps the most important characteristic to consider is experience. Generally speaking, the more experience a company has, the better service it will provide. If it didn’t provide good service, it likely wouldn’t still be in business.
At a minimum, the waterproofing company you choose should have 2 years of experience in the field. Note, though, that a company with 5 years of experience or more is probably the best bet.
New companies might be able to deliver the goods, but, until they’ve built longer resumes, they’re risky to utilize. Highly experienced companies have proven their mettle and so are easy to trust.
Insurance Coverage
You should never, under any circumstances, hire a waterproofing company that doesn’t have insurance. Hiring an uninsured company not only leaves you liable in the event of damage to your property but in the event of injury to a company employee as well.
At the very least, the company you hire should have general liability insurance and workers’ compensation insurance. Whereas general liability insurance will cover damages that occur to your home, workers’ compensation insurance will cover injuries that occur to the company’s employees.
When discussing arrangements with companies, ask for proof of insurance. There are some unscrupulous businesses out there, and they might not be above lying about insurance coverage.
Licensure
In the state of Maryland, basement waterproofing companies are required to have Maryland Home Improvement Contractors licenses. If a prospective company doesn’t have this license, it’s operating illegally and should be avoided at all costs.
Fortunately, it’s easy to verify whether a company has this license. All you need to do is use the Maryland license lookup tool. Type in the company’s name and see if it pops up.
If the company pops up, it’s licensed; if it doesn’t pop up, it’s not licensed (or you entered something wrong).
Warranties Offered
One of the most important characteristics to compare is warranties offered. First and foremost, you should never hire a waterproofing company that doesn’t offer a warranty. In doing so, you could potentially be subjecting yourself to shoddy or incomplete work, all of which you would have to pay for.
A warranty ensures that the work is done right and at the price that was initially agreed upon. It ensures that the company doesn’t charge you anything extra for mistakes that it made.
Any reputable company will offer warranties on its work. So, don’t even think about selling yourself short.
Services Provided
Different waterproofing companies provide different services. Whereas one might only provide sump pump installations, drain tile installations, and foundation crack repair, another might offer waterproofing membrane installation, crawl space encapsulation, and yard grading, in addition to the aforementioned services.
When choosing a company, it’s important to make sure that it can accommodate you. Scour its website to ensure that it provides the services you need.
Prices
While most waterproofing companies will charge similar rates, there is still likely to be some differential from company to company. For this reason, to ensure that you’re getting the best rate possible, you’re advised to call up each company remaining in your pool and ask for an estimate of the work to be done.
Though it’s not always wise to go with the lowest rate, you can at least get a feel for what the average rate is. This will inform your decision as to which companies are viable options.
Utilize the Services of the Best Waterproofing Company in Baltimore County
If you’re trying to find the best waterproofing company near you, and you’re located in Baltimore County, you needn’t look any further than the website you’re on currently. Armored Basement Waterproofing is the company you seek.
Licensed, experienced, and insured, we provide waterproofing services of all kinds. Regardless of your needs, we can accommodate them.
Contact us today to get the process started!
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