Tips to find the right masonry contractor for your job & negotiating well

The area around Chicago, Illinois like Hindsdale, Oak Park, Lincoln Park, Evanston, and Old Town has proved to be a grooming ground for masonry professionals like it happens in any commercially relevant hub in an urban environment with a lot of historically relevant architectural heritage like the Victorian style building around Chicago. Chicago had lost a number of old, marvelous buildings in the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, but still many of them were restored and refreshed and the masonry contractors played a great role in that, and some of them, indeed very old, are still offering their services for every kind of buildings raging from commercial buildings like restaurants, residential complexes & apartments, historically relevant, Painted Lady Houses, churches etc.

Owing to the growing industry, it’s easy to find masonry contractors in Oak Park or a tuckpointing contractor in Evanston, but it’s a confusing task to pick the right contractor with qualifications for the job. Picking up the wrong guy will cost you both unjustified expenditure on poorly delivered services.

So, we have some tips to find the right guy for your job along with some suggestion on how to negotiate with the masonry contractors.

How to find the right guy for job

First step will be to mind the difference between an expert and an all-rounder type service provider. It’s better you know exactly what job your building need – either it can be over all renovation or restoration or careful brick-repair in the Hinsdale or the Oak Park. It’s better if you hire expertise if it’s singular in nature like just tuckpointing. Often contractors will try to scare you while pointing to some additional issues with rest of the building or they’ll make the choice of material or paint for you. Make sure, you stick to what you need.

This suggestion hails from the realms of common sense like asking for the license or certifications. Also, if you got a high-budget job like a commercial restaurant, then it’s not a bad idea to check with the consumer records of contractors for previous complaint history.

You need to screen the list of contractors in your area and then filter a few. It’ll help you clear a lot of concepts and receive suggestions on the same topic from different perspectives if you take time to interview some of the chosen contractors.

How to negotiate with masonry contractors

The trouble with big names like the Home Depot is that will not negotiate as their brand name sells well. However, it’s a mistake to underestimate local professionals with their humble approach. High cost doesn’t always mean the best job. So, try to find a local contractor who will be more susceptible to your subtle negotiating messages.

Find some time to collect rates and estimates from different contractors in the market. You’ll be at a better position technically. The one you negotiate with will know that you aren’t so dumb after all and have got many other options at disposal as well.

The labor time is more negotiable than the material needed for the job, so fix the contract on per hour basis and then be present at the site during the work and try cutting unnecessary delays. Also, the labor rates vary in accordance with the locations. For example, painting contractors in Hinsdale might have lower rates than the one in the Chicago.

Try to observe if something from bartering concept like giving some space to the contractor to advertise his name. Any professional in any industry will listen to it when you talk about their promotion.