Finding a reliable contractor to pave or fix your driveway is important. Valley Asphalt Solutions sees many homeowners around Michiana get taken advantage of by traveling paving scams that roll into town after a heavy frost or a rainy spring. Homeowners in South Bend, IN need someone who knows local conditions, from the heavy clay soils around St. Joseph County to the freeze-thaw cycles that tear up pavement every winter. Asphalt Contractor work requires someone who understands the area. Here is how you can separate the professionals from the con artists before you hand over any money.
Questions You Need to Ask
Homeowners should not hesitate about interviewing an Asphalt Contractor. A real professional will welcome your questions and give you straight answers without getting defensive. Ask them how long they have been operating locally and whether they use their own crews or sub the work out to strangers. Valley Asphalt Solutions always tells homeowners to ask about material thickness and compaction methods, too. If they mumble or brush you off, show them the door.
Red Flags to Watch For
Door-to-door pavers offering a discount because they just finished a job down the street and have extra material are almost always trouble. That leftover hot-mix asphalt cools down fast in our Indiana weather and will not compact right anyway. Other warning signs include unmarked trucks, out-of-state license plates, requests for huge cash deposits upfront, and high-pressure tactics that demand you sign right now. Valley Asphalt Solutions warns that an Asphalt Contractor relying on these tactics is usually not legitimate.
What a Proper Quote Should Include
A scrap of paper with a rough scribble and a total price is useless. A legitimate quote for Asphalt Contractor services needs to spell out the exact scope of work in detail. Look for specific measurements, the depth of the aggregate base, the thickness of the asphalt layer after compaction, and drainage provisions. It should also outline grading plans, cleanup duties, and warranty terms. If the paperwork is vague, the final result usually is too.
How to Verify Legitimacy
Anyone can slap a magnetic logo on a pickup truck, so you have to dig a little deeper. Check the Indiana Secretary of State business registry to see if they are a registered entity. Ask for proof of general liability insurance and worker's compensation coverage, and call their insurance agent to verify the policy is active. Local references and real reviews from people right here in South Bend go a long way, too. Do your homework up front, and Valley Asphalt Solutions ensures you will save yourself a massive headache down the road for any Asphalt Contractor project.