How To Choose The Right Awning Contractor?

If you’re looking to have awning work done on your home or business in Singapore, it’s best to hire a professional awning contractor to handle the job and provide quality workmanship. A good contractor will be more than willing to answer whatever questions you might have regarding your project, and can also provide useful advice on what products and tools to use as well as what procedures meet your unique awning needs. When choosing a company, you need to be careful to avoid making the wrong choice.

How To Choose the Right Awning Contractor In Singapore

1. How long has the contractor been in business?
Generally, an awning contractor or company that has been around for longer is better than a newcomer in the industry. Apart from being stable and professional, such a contractor is likely to have had previous experience handling awning projects similar to your own project. He or she is therefore likely to do a quality job from the word go.

2. Ask for references
Does the contractor have a portfolio of previous work? Are they willing to provide references of previous customers or clients? Ask to be provided with a few job locations you can visit in person, and not only jobs that have been installed recently. Ask to see 3 to 5 year-old jobs to find out how they’ve performed over that period of time. A professional contractor will proudly show you his or her previous jobs.

3. Are they full-time awning contractors?
Some contractors may advertise themselves as awning contractors or companies whereas awnings are only a portion, and not the biggest part of their business. Others will advertise lots of years of experience, but in reality the experience was in other fields rather than awnings. 

The awning contractor you pick should be a full-time contractor who is trained exclusively to produce as well as install custom awnings. He or she should also be familiar with different shapes and sizes of awnings, being that he is not a general laborer but is trained as an awning craftsman. Such a contractor will be better placed to handle your specific awning needs.

4. What is your product choice?
Generally, not all awning products (like fabrics and frames) are suited for all applications. Do you prefer aluminum or galvanized frames? Do you want awnings made using the staple system or lace on system? Ask them to provide different styles or fabrics to determine the ones that might work best for your project.

5. What is the contractor’s workmanship warranty?
A professional awning contractor or company should provide you with at least five year warranty on installation and a lifetime warranty on the framework. This can serve as a guarantee that the craftsman believes in his or her products. But remember while the length of the warranty is crucial, the ability of the contractor to stand behind the warranty is even more crucial.

6. Look for an insured contractor 
Like any other project, an awning project carries its own risks to you, your property and even the crew doing the work. It’s therefore important to verify whether the company has comprehensive liability insurance as well as worker’s compensation, health and life insurance. If you hire a non-insured contractor, you may find yourself parting with huge liability fees (in form of medical or legal costs) in the event an accident occurs around your project .If possible, contact the insurance company to verify whether the coverage is valid and current.

7. Do they have designers-on-staff?
Normally, having a designer on-staff may be the difference between a successful and a failed project. If there’s no in-house designer, the lead times may pile up and final products will not be up-to-par.Be sure to ask your contractor questions regarding the designer. Can they customize the design according to your needs and your home’s or business’ architecture? Can the awning contractor provide a colored summary of the work you want done?

8. Check online for reviews
Finally, check the internet to find out the contractor’s track record in solving customer complaints as well as what other people have to say about him or her. If you notice that a huge number of people have given negative reviews about the contractor’s service, it’s best to move to the next craftsman. A professional awning company should also have in place necessary mechanisms to handle complaints and should also respond to them immediately.