Hiring an experienced contractor can impact a home long after the project is complete. Ensure a contractor brings experience, endurance and relationships to a home project. While a contractor is not directly responsible for product warranties, its experience and relationships matter.
Homeworks Construction has been building and renovating homes on Oahu for nearly 30 years. The company shares how home warranties work and how a contractor can impact their effectiveness and performance.
Hiring a contractor with history offers significant benefits. Long-standing contractors have experience with a large range of products, materials and situations, which enables them to deliver high-quality results. As a result of their experience, established contractors have built relationships with industry professionals. If a problem comes up with a product in the home, it is better addressed by a contractor who has an ongoing relationship with the product supplier.
“We work with our suppliers every day and recommend their products because we are confident in their quality,” says Marshall Hickox, president of Homeworks Construction. “We have good working relationships. If there is an issue with a product, the suppliers are motivated to not only keep the homeowner happy, but the contractors using their products, ensuring brand loyalty.”
Often, homeowners are stuck in loss-of-warranty situations when a company goes out of business.
If the contractor that provided a home warranty ceases operations, coverage is void — gone, like the company. This leaves the homeowner responsible for repairs and replacements that had been covered under warranty if any was offered in the contract.
“Contractors with little experience often fail to properly educate and share product warranty information with homeowners, as well. This can result in significant expense and frustration down the line,” Hickox says.
Homeworks offers an industry standard one-year warranty on its workmanship and materials, and a 10-year structural warranty on its construction. The company recommends asking about warranty offers before signing a contract.
“This is not a product warranty, but if the damage is a result of improper installation, we’ve got you covered,” Hickox says. “We have often taken care of out of warranty items when we recognize we could have done better or if a product we suggested isn’t holding up. If it’s a product failure that we didn’t foresee, we’re going to do everything we can to help.”
Product selection matters. As an experienced contractor, Homeworks recommends products it knows and trusts to protect homeowners from risk.
For example, a client wanted to use a building block company that touted a lifetime warranty and required an inspection every five years. Homeworks convinced the client not to use the product and that company ended up going out of business soon after.
Established contractors will not only deliver higher-quality work, they also have the knowledge and expertise to ensure that products installed adhere to the terms and conditions outlined in any warranty agreement. Homeworks works with its suppliers to ensure products are properly installed and constructed to avoid future issues.
Record-keeping can slip through the cracks. Established contractors have systems for filing, communicating and tracking every detail. Homeworks organizes records of materials, services provided, dates, parts and all warranty-related information for its customers.
Effective communication and research are the best ways to approach any home improvement project. Review the terms and conditions of a home warranty agreement, keep warranty paperwork on file and hire a trusted company. Your home is one of the largest investments you’ll make in your lifetime, so make a decision focused on the long-term. Homeworks Construction provides free home estimates and consultations and are here for clients today and tomorrow.
HOMEWORKS CONSTRUCTION
CONTACT 808-955-2777
ADDRESS 2111 S. Beretania St., Honolulu
EMAIL mrh@homeworkshawaii.com
WEB homeworkshawaii.com
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