Tips for Hiring an Asphalt Sealcoating Contractor

Making sure your parking lot is in good condition is your responsibility as a property owner as both a manner of courtesy and keep your customers and employees safe. Whether your property needs full repairs or just routine maintenance, it’s important to find the right asphalt contractors for the job.

You want to find an asphalt sealer contractor who will fit your budget, provides good work, will complete the project in an efficient manner, and uses the best materials. Doing your research online, including on social media, is an important start, but there are other steps you should take—steps that may also help you find out about upcoming discounts on services.

9 Tips for Hiring an Asphalt Sealcoating Contractor in the GTA

Here are some helpful tips for finding a prominent and professional asphalt sealcoating contractor in the GTA.

Ask about Their Experience in the Business

There’s no shame in asking a professional asphalt sealcoating contractor how long they’ve been working in the industry, what kind of experience they have (whether it’s mostly commercial, residential, or both), and to provide you with a list of references.

A well-known driveway sealcoating contractor will have nothing to hide and they’ll gladly show you all of their credentials as well as their past work upfront. They’ll understand that you’re just doing your due diligence and want to make sure you’re not wasting your time or money. While there’s nothing wrong with hiring a driveway sealcoating company in Toronto or the GTA with a new recruit or apprentice, it wouldn’t be prudent to hire a company that’s only been in business for a short time. The more experience an asphalt sealcoating company has under its belt, the more beneficial it will be for you.

Ask about a Free Estimate

It’s typical for people in the trades and service industry to offer free estimates for their services to the extent that you should be suspicious of any company that attempts to charge you just for quantifying the potential costs of the project.

It’s important that any company you’re considering hiring is straightforward with you from the beginning with their cost predictions. They should provide you with a fully itemized list of everything they intend to do and all the materials they’ll need with an estimated cost for each item on the list. You should never have to question how they arrived at their overall total and they should make it clear from the beginning that this is an estimated price and the cost could be less or more as the project progresses.

Ask about a Schedule Commitment

It’s important that you understand how difficult it can sometimes be to guarantee a set schedule commitment when it comes to sealcoating a parking lot or driveway because there are so many potential negative factors that are out of the contractor’s control. The main one is dealing with weather restrictions.

There’s a very limited window of opportunity throughout the year for contractors to successfully sealcoat driveways or parking lots. They might draw up a preliminary contract that gives a certain timeline for each project to be completed, but there’s usually an asterisk disclaimer stating that inclement weather needs to be taken into account. In order to produce the highest-quality work possible, contractors need to make sure there’s no precipitation or cold weather in the forecast that could ruin their efforts throughout the project and impede any further progress from being made.

Asphalt and Driveway Sealcoating Near You

It’s completely worth it to hire a professional asphalt sealcoating company near you because not only do they have the required experience working in your area, but they’re also highly familiar with the weather and traffic patterns year-round. A local sealcoating contractor should have access to appropriate and high-quality materials that are tailored toward weather and traffic conditions in your region and it should also be familiar with the best mixing and application processes to suit your needs.

Insurance Coverage

Driveway sealing contractors always have stringent safety precautions and redundancies in place, as well as well-trained, safety-minded workers so that the project will be completed uneventfully. However, should the unthinkable happen, you’ll want to have protection in place.

The contractor may feature their insurance cover prominently on their web site or they will be more than happy to provide it if you ask. If they are not forthcoming with their insurance coverage, find someone else.

Get References or Information on Past Projects

Quality asphalt sealing contractors often feature testimonials or a gallery of past projects on their site. Also look for what people are saying about them on social media. If this still isn’t enough, you can consider asking them for references too.

Check Their Qualifications

You’ll want to make sure that the asphalt sealer contractors you hire will be able to handle paving your parking lot, especially if it is a large one. Look at the equipment they use as well as the level of jobs they take on.

It is also recommended that you look into any other industry certifications and memberships in professional associations.

Proper Licenses and Insurance

Asphalt paving contractors must be bonded, insured, and have the proper licenses. Don’t hesitate to ask the contractor you are hiring to provide their licenses, proof of insurance, and workers’ compensation for their employees. Even if some contractors list this kind of information on their web site alongside related promotional materials, don’t be afraid to ask them to provide the important information to you to make sure it is up-to-date.

Find Out the Quality of Asphalt They Use

When it comes to paving your property, you don’t want to cut corners. Many asphalt sealing contractors use recycled materials and the quality can vary greatly, so it’s worth the money to hire a contractor who uses quality materials that will last. In addition, having a parking lot that is in good condition and paved with quality materials adds to a property’s value.

As the top driveway sealing contractors in the GTA, Sure-Seal Pavement Maintenance Inc. provides fully insured and bonded workers. We have more than 20 years of experience tackling a large variety of paving projects and use only the best materials for the lowest price. For more information, contact us today!