There are a lot of valuable questions to ask when you are in the market for a potential paving contractor. We have come up with the Top 8 questions to ask a paving contractor to help you on your search. Selecting the right paver contractor takes some work, we hope that the guide below will be useful in helping you through the selection process.

1) HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A PAVING CONTRACTOR?

Any contractor worth their salt knows that their reputation in the marketplace is more valuable than gold. So looking at the years in business and the type of projects they have completed are key factors to consider.

If a contractor has been in business for many years then it is likely that their quality and craftsmanship is above board. Of coarse there are exceptions. It is important for the consumer to do their due diligence on any contracting company. This is to ensure that they have the ability to complete the specific work that you are requesting, as well as ensuring your requirements are understood.

Trust and honesty are the cornerstones of building relationships in any service industry. It goes without saying that applies to paving contractors as well. 

2) DO YOU HAVE REFERENCES I CAN CONTACT?

In this day and age, references and reviews are key factors to ensure that you are hiring a reputable paving contractor. Consumers are urged to ask prospective contractors if they can give you a list of clients that they have recently completed similar jobs for. This will allow you to get in touch with a few of their recent customers and get an idea of what the overall process was like. As well as finding out if they were happy with the overall results of the work performed.

3) WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE ESTIMATE?

Ensuring that you understand the complete scope of the work the contractor will complete is essential to ensuring clarity of what is expected. If you are unfamiliar with what the work entails then ask for a breakdown of the steps involved, what they are going to be completing and what they consider out of scope for the overall job. This will ensure that there is clear communication between both the customer and paving contractor so there are no false expectations that arise later in the project.

4) WHAT IS THE ESTIMATED PRICE FOR THIS PROJECT?

Most paving contractors will need to see your property before giving you an accurate estimate. When you’re shopping around, have the potential contractor come to your property and inspect the area. You never want to be caught off guard with multiple charges for work you didn’t approve of or work that wasn’t discussed with you.

Most reputable paver contractors will offer a no obligation free estimate. To be able to give an appropriate estimate of the work, they will need to do an onsite inspection of the area and do a detailed analysis of all the requirements. If the paver contractor has been doing this for a long time, they might even have ideas that you have not considered, or options for alternatives for problems that you seem to not be able to find a solution for. 

At the end of the day, ensure that you get multiple bids, but be cautious of a incredibly low estimate, they are usually either new to the field or will look at cutting corners to save on some costs. Generally, you will more than likely find that getting various bids should be within the same ball park as far as pricing is concerned, at that point you must make a decision on how you feel about the specific company and their history of completing this type of work. While cost is a driving factor, it should not be the only component in the decision-making process.

5) ARE YOU ICPI CERTIFIED?

For contractors involved in the residential and commercial installation of interlocking concrete pavers, the ICPI Concrete Paver Installer Certification is the industry recognized program for the professionals committed to industry guidelines for segmental concrete pavement installation.  

It’s more than just a certificate on the wall – it’s a testament to your level of investment in the profession that demonstrates a paver contractors’ knowledge and skills for interlocking concrete paver installation best practices. While ICPI might not be known to a customer, it is an important question to ask any prospective contractor to ensure that they have gone above and beyond to obtain specific certifications in the field of paver installation.