17 Nov Reduce Costs and Risks When Evaluating Contractors for Your Log Home
It’s easy to experience decision fatigue: a state in which, faced with too many choices the quality of an individual’s decisions begins to deteriorate. The search to find log home products and services that you can rely on is, frankly, overwhelming- even with something as seemingly benign as refinishing the exterior. Enter any store, visit any website, or read about log home maintenance on the internet and you’re suddenly faced with a dizzying array of options, many of which fall short of excellence. Here are some tips to make the process easier:
Log Home Products
Select only specialized products specifically engineered for log home application. Log homes are different from conventional construction and the products used to maintain them must perform in a particular manner in order to avoid frequent reapplication. The best products come from a short list of manufacturers and the best distributors will help you understand the selection process for your application. If desired, contact us and we provide contact information about the dealers and distributors best suited to meet your needs.
Log Home Contractors
In the same way, the processes used to maintain a log home differ from the conventional building trades. Our crews service a multi-state region so we see the best (and worst) of what contractors have to offer and we’ve noted an increase in the number of new businesses popping up and offering log home maintenance services. The skills required to produce a nice website are different than those required to adequately, legally, and safely maintain your home so due diligence is up to the homeowner.
What to ask from any contractor working on your home, in any trade. First, they must be able to produce a current Worker’s Compensation Certificate. This assures that any worker injured on your property is insured by their employer (as legally required) and protects the homeowner insurance claim against their homeowner’s policy. Secondly, require proof of General Liability insurance which protects the homeowner if your home is damaged by a contractor. Worker’s Comp and Liability insurance are expensive so unscrupulous contractors may not be able to prove evidence of coverage.
A qualified log home services contractor should have verifiable experience specifically doing the type of work your project requires and be readily able to provide references of satisfied customers.
Lastly, protect yourself by dealing only with contractors who legally employ legitimate employees (paid on a W2 form), not those using subcontracted freelancers (paid on tax form 1099) to do the work. Misidentifying the tax status workers on a jobsite is a common way to avoid the overhead of having legitimate employees but in a payment dispute between the subcontractors and the contractor, your property can be served with a lien on your property even though you paid the contractor you hired in full.
Dealing with contractors is a part of any type of home ownership. Dealing with qualified professionals will help you not become distracted from the truly important qualities of log home life.