When you’re looking to hire a patio contractor near you, price is almost always going to be a consideration. That’s especially true if you’re looking to add major features like a new deck or an outdoor kitchen.
As you start to add together the costs of all your wish-list items, it can be tempting to seek out the lowest-cost patio contractor you can find. That’s not always the smartest move, though, or the one that will leave you satisfied a year or two in the future.
Obviously, it’s in my interests to suggest you pay reasonable rates to your patio contractor. However, it also turns out to be common sense. In today’s post I’m going to explain why.
Here are the biggest reasons you shouldn’t hire a patio contractor on price alone.
Think about the way you value products and services in every part of your life. You know intuitively, and from experience, that quality costs more. It’s no different in the world of patio contractors.
Hiring the right people takes more money than just getting together a group of guys who are sitting outside the home improvement store. Sourcing the best appliances and materials for your customers costs more than picking up less reliable models or secondhand units. You are always going to get what you pay for.
I’ve been doing this long enough to know that you can only cut costs so far. Once you go beyond the commonsense places to reduce expenses, you end up giving your customer something that either won’t meet expectations today or won’t last long into the future. That would feel wrong. And, it would end up hurting my company’s reputation, making it harder for us to get business in the future.
It’s not exactly news that proven talent and premium materials require higher budgets. It’s a good thing to remember as you evaluate different patio contracting quotes.
Because hiring a patio contractor can cost a significant amount of money, and because there are people out there who know homeowners are looking for savings, there are people advertising more for less. As always, the deal that seems too good to be true probably is.
If someone says they can install your new patio for 30% less than anyone else, ask yourself why that would be. Where are the savings coming from? Usually it’s the case that they’ll be hiring unskilled labor, using cheap materials, or rushing the project. They might do all three.
It could even be that they want to take a deposit for the project and never show up at your home again. That might seem strange and unbelievable, but it definitely happens. This is one of the reasons you need to do your homework when choosing a patio contractor.
It’s worth noting here that low bids can be the result of inexperience rather than dishonesty. I once knew a contractor who decided to open his own business. He was afraid to ask for professional rates so he under-quoted projects again and again. Because of this he eventually ran out of money and wasn’t able to finish the projects he had signed up for. Ultimately his customers were left starting from scratch without the money they had paid.
The bottom line here is to always be wary of patio contracting proposals that come in below market (or below your expectations). If it seems like there could be a problem, trust your instincts.
Deciding to spend less on your patio today could end up costing you more later. This can occur because you have to pay a professional contractor an extra fee to come back and finish something that couldn’t be completed. Or, it might happen that your new patio doesn’t last nearly as long as it should have.
It’s unfortunate, but we get regular requests to fix or finish someone else’s work. These jobs always end up being expensive and time-consuming. In fact, we try to avoid them altogether because they bring unnecessary challenges. Please trust me when I tell you it’s so much better to hire professionals at professional rates the first time than it is to have to pay twice for the same project.
While it’s far more common for homeowners to get a bad deal from patio contractors who charge too little, I also want to say a few words about those charging incredibly high prices.
If you receive several bids for your patio project and one seems much higher than all the others, don’t just assume that you’re getting more for your cash. Ask extra questions. Compare the work that is being completed against other projects in the area. Does it seem as if the extra cost is justified?
As I’ve mentioned, experienced contractors charge more because we know the costs (and value) of using the right people and materials. However, some companies will try to charge more just because they can, or because they’ve seen other businesses get away with it. You don’t want to be on the receiving end of one of these deals.
Hopefully, I’ve done enough to show you that you’re not looking for the patio contractor to give you the best price, but the one that offers the most value (i.e., what you’ll get versus the money you spend). That’s the key to not only getting a good deal, but also making a decision that you will be happy with for many years to come.
If you’re located in Northeast Massachusetts (near Saugus) and want to work with a team of proven professionals, then I hope you’ll get in touch. We have 20+ years of experience with landscaping and patio construction and offer complimentary design consultations at your home.
Contact us today to find out more about the next steps.