Having work done on your home or business is a long road that can be fraught with pitfalls, especially in finding a reputable contractor. Tucker Paving has been operating in the paving industry for thirty years, and we have seen the devastation and trouble caused by a bad contractor. Even today, the news is filled with stories of contractors that took a sizeable down payment and never returned, did a poor job, used inferior products, or disappeared off the face of the earth when their work needed fixing down the line. Working on someone’s home or business is an act of trust, and we’re happy to share with anyone how to go about finding a reputable contractor.

Tips for Finding a Reputable Contractor

If you’re on the hunt for a reputable contractor, follow as many of the tips below as you can:

  1. Get recommendations. There are few things that are as important as word-of-mouth. Ask family and friends for contractor recommendations, but make sure you ask your community as well. Find a social media page for your area and make an “in search of a contractor” post and/or read through others’ similar posts. If a contractor is worth their salt, you’ll see their name recommended again and again. Look for responses where a contractor actually did work, not just their friends or family recommending them.
  2. Research their reputation. Look for online reviews by searching the company’s name; use a few different search engines and look at as many sites, like Yelp, Google, NextDoor, etc., for reviews as possible. Don’t rely solely on reviews found on the company’s website. Don’t forget to check the Better Business Bureau as well!
  3. Check that they are licensed and insured/bonded. A contractor should not hesitate to hand you proof of their insurance and license to work in your area. These can also be verified through various government entities, such as contractor licensing boards, Secretary of State websites, Department of Commerce websites, and local Building Departments.
  4. Look for violations. In Florida, you can find violations with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) at MyFloridaLicense.com. There is also an option to search for public records pertaining to unlicensed activity complaints. You can also search court records via specific court websites to see if the company has been the subject of any lawsuits.
  5. Do a background check. There are many services that will let you do a criminal background check for a small fee. Many types of contractors will be in your home, so you want to be sure that they do not have a criminal past.
  6. Look at the quality of their work. Search out pictures of the contractor’s work, and go check it out in person if possible. You’ll also want to see work they have done in years past to see how well it holds up.

One last word; most reputable contractors do not need to go door-to-door offering their services; be wary of any company that comes to your door with an offer that sounds too good to be true. Put their company through the above steps before putting any money down!

Tucker Paving offers site construction services, including site clearing, site grading, stabilized subgrade, base work, asphalt paving, underground utilities, and concrete curbs, sidewalks, slabs, and tie-beams, in addition to our nearly three decades in the asphalt and concrete paving industry. Contact us by calling (863) 299-2262, or fill out our contact form online, to let us help you with your next Earthworks project!