If you’re searching for a paving contractor, the choices may seem overwhelming. Your parking lot is one of your property’s most important features, and if you choose a paving company that does a poor job, not only will you lose money to have it fixed, but it may also unintentionally send the wrong message about your organization.
When it comes to choosing the right paving contractor for upcoming asphalt paving projects, there are a few factors you need to keep in mind. The following are a few tips to think about when choosing a paving contractor that meets your personal and industry standards.
7 Things to Look for When Choosing a Paving Company or Contractor
When looking at paving companies in Toronto, there are several things you should consider before you hire a contractor to pave or resurface your parking lot, such as;
Qualifications
Companies that provide asphalt paving in Toronto will be more than happy to provide any qualifications they have such as certifications, whether or not they are insured and bonded. They will also be more than happy to provide any testimonials as well as images of projects they have completed. Social media can be a good place to find out what customers are saying about the paving contractor and as an added bonus, you can also find out if they have any specials coming up.
Cost and Location
You may have a limited budget for paving or resurfacing your parking lot, but the old saying about how “cost and location” is especially true in this case. Just because one of the paving companies in Toronto you are looking at offers a low price doesn’t mean that they will deliver quality work.
It is also recommended that you hire a Toronto paving company that works out of a physical location. If their address is just a PO box, you should consider that company to be a solid “avoid.”
Experience
This is not to say that you should discount a company that does asphalt paving in Toronto that is just starting out; a company that only has a few years under its belt may just offer high-quality work that is on par with many veteran paving companies, but at the same time, it is far better to play it safe and hire a paving contractor that has years of experience for paving or resurfacing your parking lot.
You should also look at the services they offer; most paving companies in Toronto will offer several services in addition to paving and resurfacing, including crack sealing, linestriping and repairing catch basins. If you need more than one project tackled in your parking lot, you can hire the same paving contractor for the job and save money.
Choose a Local Paving Contractor
Once you have settled on the exact paving project, start shopping around for different asphalt paving companies and driveway paving contractors near you. The key is to look locally. Local paving contractors will unquestionably be more familiar with your area, the soil in your area, and the type of climate to which the asphalt will be subjected than a paving company that is located outside of town. In the end, this will also ensure that the materials being used are suitable to handle the weather in your area. The asphalt mixture that is used should be strong enough to withstand any weather-related moisture or dryness in the air that your pavement will inevitably be exposed to.
Be Aware of Pavement Material Selection
Following that, the material selection also plays a huge role in terms of the longevity and overall quality of the work completed by the asphalt or driveway paving contractor you choose to hire. Be aware that some companies out there are not above scamming their customers by misleading them into thinking they are using higher quality materials than they actually are. Think about it: Sometimes, at the end of a job, there is excess unused asphalt left over. What happens to that asphalt? It usually gets mixed in with newer asphalt mixes and is recycled for other upcoming projects. While this helps the asphalt paving companies save a great deal of money on their end, it also means that you, as the customer, could be getting the raw end of the deal. This is why it is not always necessarily prudent to go with the company that has the lowest bid.
Get Quotes from Multiple Paving Contractors
This point cannot be stressed enough when hiring a paving company: Do your research. Even though you may think that you are saving a lot of money by choosing the paving contractor who offers the lowest price, this does not make it so. Oftentimes, paying less also means getting lower-quality work. The old adage “you get what you pay for” applies here. To repeat, do your homework.
Collecting quotes from multiple companies is a great place to start, but you also need to dig a little deeper than that to truly get to the bottom of things. Check out what past customers are saying about these companies on social media and other web forums. Be wary of companies that only have positive reviews. Most of the time this means that they are deleting negative reviews or comments. After all, nobody is 100% perfect. Look for both positive and negative reviews, be critical of what you read and assess how the company responds to the negative and positive reviews alike. Judge how professional they are online with their customers as well as how they respond to negative comments and how they work to rectify issues with past customers.
Lastly, compare all of your notes and try to narrow down your options to at least three and then consider the pros and cons of each company.
Get Insurance Coverage and a Warranty
While researching all of the options in your area, look into companies that are covered by workers’ compensation insurance and make sure that all of their workers are fully certified by the Interlocking Concrete Paving Institute. This should reassure you about the quality of their work as well as their professionalism in the industry. It will also ensure that you are not liable for any work-related accidents since these workers will be conducting their business on your property.
If they are not insured and an accident occurs on your property, then you are deemed legally responsible. Make sure that you have the company draft a contract stating that they are completely insured and that it includes all work that was initially agreed upon to be finished by a certain deadline. This is a legally binding contract that should also cover the warranty period of the pavement.
Choose Sure-Seal Pavement Maintenance Inc.
Sure-Seal Pavement Maintenance Inc. has over 20 years of experience in asphalt paving and repairs. We offer an industry-leading, seven-year structural warranty, and we stand behind the quality and durability of our services, ensuring that they will last. For a free consultation, please call our number 416-410-3705; if you’re in Toronto, you can call 416-410-3705.
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