How To Choose an Asphalt Contractor?

Let’s be honest, how often do you inspect your asphalt driveway? Do you scan it once a year looking for cracks? Do your repair pits before they become potholes? Probably not. If you’re like most you won’t look for an asphalt contractor until the situation is already out of control and then you’re scrambling.

You need an asphalt contractor on call before something goes wrong. Choosing an asphalt contractor before you’re facing a disaster means you don’t have to spend unnecessary time researching contractors or browsing the Better Business Bureau – you’re ready to go. Having a regular asphalt professional also gives you the added benefit of yearly inspections to keep things from going wrong to begin with. Let’s figure out how to choose an asphalt contractor so you’ve got piece of mind about your asphalt.

Finding a Contractor to Repair Your Asphalt Driveway

Don’t know where to start? Try using as many of the resources below as you can to make a list of potential hires.

Online Reviews

Most homeowners head online to find several services, including asphalt contractors. Look for companies with high reviews on at least two different sites like Google Reviews or the BBB. Don’t just look at the overall rating, read the reviews to get a feel for the company. You can use reviews to make a short list but don’t use them as your only measuring stick before hiring.

Phone Book

Why the phone book? Because disreputable companies skip it altogether. Though considered archaic, a contractor must have a valid address and represent a legitimate business to garner a phone book listing.

Friends and Family

Word of mouth is still one of the best ways to find an asphalt contractor. Simply ask your friends and family if they’ve worked with anyone and how their experience was. You can get many questions answered before you’ve even called the contractor with a personal recommendation.

Local Resource Guides

Many mid and larger towns have their own local resource guides which can be a boon to homeowners looking for high-quality contractors. Most contractors in local resource guides have already been vetted for certification, insurance registration, high-quality work, and other factors. Pick up one of these local resource guides at your local coffee shop or library for a bevvy of reputable local contractors including asphalt contractors.

Questions to Ask Potential Hires

There are many questions you should ask an asphalt contractor before hiring, but you should always ask the following questions and note the answers.

How long have you been operating locally? Only hire companies with several years of local service. Years of experience across the nation doesn’t help much for your local asphalt project.

Are you licensed and insured within the state? All asphalt contractors should be licensed with your local building department, insured, and should be able to prove it.

Can you give me referrals that I can call? If you can’t get a word-of-mouth hire, referrals are the next best thing. Referrals allow you to ask direct questions to someone who has already utilized the contractor and can let you ask questions you might be uncomfortable asking your contractor directly.