Questions to Help Choose a Contractor for Your Driveway Needs

by Kevin Smith Author

Concrete driveway construction in Fairfax County is a major project that demands you hire the best contractor you can find for the job. Hire the wrong contractor and you can have a schedule, financial and driveway-quality catastrophe in the making. Hire smart and you can have a drive you appreciate and utilize for decades.

Here are some questions to make sure you choose the best option.

Require References

Asking anyone if they do a good job is a bit like asking your child if they cleaned their room or ate their vegetables. You will never get anyone to admit they do subpar work, are lazy and dishonest and will not guarantee anything once they are off your property. That is just a fact of life and because of it, you need to get references.

You should require and check out at least five separate references who are in no way associated or related to the contractor. If a contractor balks, look elsewhere.

What to Ask

Contact each reference and ask to discuss the contractor and the project they had the contractor complete. Ask the contractor to provide you references for the following:

A project they completed this past year
A project they completed two years ago
A project they completed five years ago
A complex project
A project that was altered a lot during construction

Getting those types of references might take a few days, so be patient. When you have your list, make sure you follow-up with these questions.

What was the job and what was the estimated cost of the job?
When was the job completed?
Was the final cost close to the estimate?
Did the contractor stick to the contract or did they modify it to meet their needs?
Was the contractor’s crew conscientious, professional, polite and hardworking?
How did the contractor handle contract or project modifications?
After the project, did they have any follow-up needs and how responsive was the contractor?
What type of guarantee was offered and what were the terms?
Where any problems experienced and how did the contractor handle them?
Do they trust the contractor and would they hire the contractor for another project?

Ask for a Site Visit

Once these questions have been answered, ask if you could inspect the project. If granted, look specifically at how the project is holding up and compare it to when the project was completed.

Unlike any other part of your property, except maybe the kitchen and bathrooms in your home, you will use your driveway virtually every day. Follow this advice to ensure you get the best contractor for concrete driveway construction in Fairfax County possible.