Always Hire an Experienced Non-Subcontracted Garage Door Installation Company
A new garage door can make a huge difference in your home's curb appeal, security profile, energy consumption and overall value. It's a major investment in the well-being of the house and the people who live there so it's important that it's installed by someone who knows what they're doing. Folks tend to underestimate how difficult it is to install a garage door properly however and so, in an effort to save a few bucks, they give the job to anyone who will do it cheap. Typically, such bottom of the barrel installations come back to haunt the thrifty homeowner. They may even need to have the door re-installed by a pro. Below we'll provide five good reasons why you should bypass the bargain basement garage door installation and call that experienced pro first and why you should be wary of garage door companies that subcontract their work.
Reasons to Hire Professional Garage Door Installers
Most of the problems that arise with overhead garage doors are either the result of age or the fact that the installation was carried out by someone with little or no experience who did it on the cheap. Here are five good reasons to always hire a professional garage door installation company.
They'll Get It Right
As we said, substandard installation is one of the main causes of garage door problems. The fact is that while it might seem like installing a garage door is no more complicated than assembling one of those prefabricated shelves it actually calls for patience and experience as well as a comprehensive knowledge of the component parts and how they interact. We can tell you that you change the spark plugs in your car by removing the cap, unscrewing the old plug, screwing in the new plug and replacing the cap. But if you don't know how to gap a plug and how to adjust the timing your new spark plugs won't do you much good. Same with the garage door. If you don't know the finer points of adjusting the various components so that they work in harmony you're in for problems.
You'll Save Money
You'll save money because, although the discount garage door installers work for cheap, the problems you'll have to fix are going to cost you plenty. At some point you may even have to have the door reinstalled from scratch. Regardless of who installs the door however you're going to need someone to perform regular maintenance on it and chances are your discount installer is no better at that then he was at installing the door in the first place. As a result of poor maintenance small problems that would have been caught by a pro will fester and turn into expensive fixes.
Your Car and Other Items Will Be Safer
A poorly installed garage door is an invitation to thieves who can smell security weaknesses in a house. If the door doesn't close all the way because the springs were not adjusted properly it's a red carpet invitation to nefarious types to enter your home and wreak havoc. There's also the chance that an improperly installed door could fail and come down on your car while you're entering or exiting the garage or that the auto reverse mechanism won't work properly, endangering your kids and pets. A door that doesn't close properly also wastes massive amounts of energy.
Read our previous guide for ten recommended ways to improve garage security.
You Won't Have to Look Over Your Shoulder
You may or may not be aware of this particular scam but thieves often pose as legitimate handymen in order to gain access to a house. For them the garage door installation is just a means to get in and assess what you have so they can figure out the best time to return and clean you out. They'll chat you up to find out when you're home and when you're not and then leave the door project unfinished using the excuse that they need to order this part or that. Later, when they know you're out they return and enter through the unfinished garage door.
You'll Have Recourse
Good luck chasing down the discount installer and getting them to fix the problems they caused. Their middle name is "Unaccountable" and their favorite phrase is "You get what you pay for." When you hire a professional garage door installation company the door itself will be warrantied as will the workmanship. If there's a problem with the installation call the company, they'll send someone over to set things right. It's called customer service and it's one of the main reasons for using the professional installer.
Now that you know why you don't want to get substandard contractors, we will explain why you don't want to get subcontracted work.
So you've decided it's time to replace the garage door. You got a number off the side of a van you saw drive past the house and had the owner of the garage door installation company over for a chat. They explained everything and seemed to know their stuff so you signed on the dotted line. They then promised to be back in the morning to get to work. The next day a van drives up to your house alright, except the guy you spoke with is nowhere to be seen. In fact, the name on the side of this van is different than the name of the company you thought would be doing the work. What's going on? What's going on is that the company you signed the contract with has subcontracted the job out to someone else. And you have every right and reason to be concerned.
Why You Should Be Wary of Garage Door Installers that Subcontract Out Work
If you've hired someone to install your new garage door and a subcontractor shows up to do the work instead you have good reason to be concerned and here's why.
They've Essentially Tricked You
Business transactions only work when there is trust between both sides. That's not to say you have to be best friends with the contractor, but you need to feel confident the person you're doing business with is being straight with you. If a garage door installation company planned all along to use subcontractors but didn't inform you they've demonstrated a propensity for deceptive behavior and you have every right to call them on it. After all, if they're willing to deceive you about something so fundamental, what else are they hiding?
You Don’t Know Who Is Doing the Work
While using subcontractors is common in the building trades many homeowners are not aware of it and when strangers show up to do work they are justifiably concerned. "Where is the person I talked with?" "Who are these guys?" You may have signed on for the installation because you felt comfortable with the guy you talked to. But when strangers show up that comfort level is gone. In addition, you have no idea if these strangers are qualified or trustworthy? Are you letting someone into your home who has violent criminal history? Are family members and your belongings at risk?
They May Not Be Properly Insured
The garage door installers you signed on with showed proof of insurance when you asked. But are these subcontractors insured? If they're not and one of them gets hurt or causes damage to your home do you know who is responsible? If you guessed the original contractor, guess again. It's you. That's right. If one of these strangers falls off a ladder and is seriously injured while working without insurance you will be held financially accountable. The amount of money you are sued for could fundamentally change the course of your life. Don't ever let a subcontractor lift a finger on your property until they can prove they are fully insured.
The Contractor’s Guarantee May Not Extend to Them
The contractor may have assured you that any work he did was fully guaranteed. But does that guarantee extend to these strangers who showed up? Before you let them do any work you should look carefully at the contract you signed to see if it says anything about the guarantee on workmanship being valid regardless of who does the work. If it doesn't you need to call the original contractor and get them to spell it out in writing. If they hesitate you shouldn't hesitate to send the subcontractors packing.
They May (and Probably Will) Use Cheap Parts
Often times in business things come down to the fine points, such as with the guarantee we just mentioned. This concept also extends to parts. The person you originally talked to may have stated flatly that "I always use the highest quality parts." And that might be true. However, since he didn't show up to do the work it may also be true that the subcontractor installs used or reconditioned parts that are not under warranty and will quickly break down. Again, you need to look over the details of the contract and see if it mentions anything about using new parts or if there is a stipulation hiding in the fine print that allows for the installation of old or reconditioned parts.
If the Contractor Doesn’t Pay Them, They Can Come After You
That's right. If you pay the contractor as per your agreement and the contractor then doesn't pay the subcontractor who actually did the garage door installation the subcontractor can come after you for their money. You may in fact wake up one day to discover a lien has been put on your house by the subcontractor because he didn't get paid. The net result is that you will have paid the original contractor for the work and then you'll also have to pay the subcontractor before you can sue the original contractor to get your money back.
Conclusion
When your garage door installation gets unexpectedly subcontracted out to someone, you never met there are all kinds of things that could go wrong. Don't take the chance. When it comes time to hire a garage door installation company make sure you choose one with a proven track record who will do the installation themselves without any games or legal trickery.
Don't gamble with the value of your home or the safety of your household by using unqualified garage door installers. Always make sure you hire a qualified, experienced professional to install your new garage door and. If you need garage door services in the Denver area, choose A Better Garage Door and rest easy knowing you'll recieve fully-guaranteed services from an experienced team you can trust.