Thanks to technology, people have come to expect immediate answers to many questions. How many tablespoons go into half a cup (the answer is 8, by the way)? Google gives you the answer in a matter of milliseconds. Trying to decide what to wear in the morning? Find out your local weather after just a few taps on your phone. Want to know how much a roof replacement will cost? You expect your local contractor to tell you over the phone but get frustrated when they answer, “We don’t give quotes over the phone.” In the world we live in, it’s understandable to get frustrated when an answer isn’t easy to come by. But home improvement projects are unique, requiring detailed information about your home, as well as a thorough inspection and selection of the right materials for the climate, location, and construction details of your home.
Below are the top 3 reasons why you don’t want to get a quote over the phone and why you shouldn’t trust anyone who gives you one.
1. Every Home and Project is Unique
Just like snowflakes, homes are unique thanks to the personality and style of the people living in them and the environment around them. Even if you know the exact square footage of your home or the surface area of your roof, you might not know what type of shingle you currently have or the style of insulation behind your siding. If there are existing issues, like a leak, just replacing the roof or siding may not be the solution. The age of a home and the dates of any work performed before you moved in are also important to know. If you can’t give those dates during a phone call, the contractor on the other end is left guessing at the details of the new project and could price out materials that don’t match what is currently being used.
If you can provide detailed information on your home over the phone to a contractor, be wary of any quotes, they are willing to give you. Unless a professional can come out to your home to see exactly what materials need to be matched or what additional products need to be ordered, you are running the risk of your costs doubling (or tripling) when materials don’t match and need to be reordered.
2. Phone Consultations Can’t Account for What You Can’t See
An honest and fair estimate is only as accurate as the details used to calculate it. As a homeowner, you might overlook some details because you see them daily, such as a faded spot on the side of your house. Some things you wouldn’t categorize as a big deal could require extensive work from a trained professional, and vice versa. The leak you notice coming from your gutters during a storm could be a sign that they need to be replaced. What you think might be a clear-cut roof repair could require much more work if there is any damage to the assembly of your roof that cannot be seen.
Our licensed and master tradespeople know what to look for and how to peek behind walls or under shingles to get information without leaving any damage. There is no way of knowing the complete ins and outs of a home improvement project over the phone, especially for older houses that could have undergone several transformations throughout the years.
3. There is No Opportunity for Questions or Options
Every home project comes with its own set of options. Thinking of getting your roof replaced? What kind of shingles do you want? What about the shingle color? Do you know the current pitch of your roof? What about updating your attic insulation, too? Do you even need a full replacement, or will a roof repair provide everything you need? You can’t make any of these decisions over the phone, where you can’t see or feel the materials you have to choose from. Every decision you make contributes to the overall estimate of your project, and you deserve to know your options in advance and how each one affects the overall cost.
Getting a quote over the phone may sound appealing, but what about warranties? Will you take a contractor’s word that they are licensed, or do you want to see the license yourself? Are you interested in learning about energy-efficient solutions? What about knowing all of them? Home improvement projects can be a significant investment, and you deserve to have your questions answered before the work begins. Even if you take the time to ask all your questions and listen to all your options in an over-the-phone consultation, you would be on the phone for a very long time and still get a quote that could change as soon as the work begins.
Price is one of the most discussed topics in every home improvement project. Many homeowners will get multiple quotes from multiple contractors before deciding who does the work. Home improvement projects are an investment, and this investment should be taken seriously. You cannot get peace of mind from a single phone call. It’s essential to meet with a contractor in person so they can get a full picture of the job, and you can get a feel for the people that will be coming to work on your home. If you want to find out how much a home improvement project will cost, call us today. We will send someone to evaluate your project and give you a thorough proposal so you know what to expect from the first day of work until the final day your project is completed.
