This last storm, hurricane Michael left damage from the Gulf Coast all the way through Virginia. Many houses were left damaged, trees down, power lines down, missing shingles on roofs, siding off houses, and unfortunately some houses were completely swept away.

For those of you who had damage that is repairable you may be looking for home repair services to start on the reconstruction or repair of your home. You may be looking for  local handyman services who is able to do multiple home repairs, but you want to be sure you are hiring a reliable home handyman.

On the unfortunate side, when tragedies like this happens, you’ll have these pop-up businesses that claim to be professional home repair services. When you’re already distraught from the damage that has been done to your house, the last thing you want to encounter is a fraud pretending to be someone who is qualified to do repairs to your home, but in reality, they are only seeking to benefit from your loss.

The real question is how do you verify that the person you’re dealing with is a true, licensed insured and bonafide handyman business?

You ask questions.

If the handyman starts to get defensive or upset that you are asking questions, then your decision should be really easy, take your business to someone else.

One of the first questions that you want to ask is to see their business license, because if they truly have a business in the city or state that you’re in, they’ll have a business license. They will also have insurance; some type of bonded or liability insurance that they could show you proof of. If they’ve been a handyman for any length of time they should have people that you can talk to for testimonials on their work and customer service. A smart handyman would take pictures of the previous work that he has completed, like before and after pictures. He would have a website or an established business Facebook page already published, also most real contractors have their information printed on their company vehicles. A good example is the image below. This would be a good indication you are working with someone who is legit.

Questions to ask a handyman service:

• Do you have a business license with the city? Great, I’d like to see it.
• Are you insured? Great, I’d like to see it.
• Do you have a LLC or Corporation? Great, I’d like to see that paperwork. Or What is your EIN Number?
• Do you have a website?
• Do you have google reviews?

You can write down or take pictures of their information and check online.

An LLC, Corporation, etc. has an EIN number issued by the IRS. Then the business should be registered with the State. If the person is operating as a DBA (Doing Business As), there may not be an EIN number, only their SSN.

To verify state registration information: On the Secretary of State website (for your state) you should be able to do a search for their business name to see if they are indeed registered to do business in the state.

For the local city: Call the local business license department to verify the business license. Now be aware that in some cities, you have a city business license office and a county business license office. Some of these departments will have the license filed online and some will not.

A here today gone tomorrow, looking to make a quick buck type of handyman will not pay someone to build a website, taken the time to create a Facebook page or any other type of social media accounts, and will not have paid to be a part of any other type of legitimate organization. Ask if they’re a member of their local Chamber of Commerce, this membership also costs them to be a part of it, most will not spend any extra trying to look legitimate. All of these are indications if they are a true business. If the person you are dealing with doesn’t have any of these, I highly suggest you take your money and go somewhere else.

Ask even more questions.

The handyman contractor will be familiar with the local ordinances and building codes for the city and state they are in. Asking him questions related to that will also help you determine if he knows what he is talking about. However, these type questions you will want to be prepared for in advance. You will want to know the answer for these yourself. You can check with the local agencies for your city.

The states that were affected by the most recent storms are Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. The outer bands reached other states too, parts of Alabama and Tennessee.

A qualified experienced local handyman can provide such services as:

• Minor roof repair
• Siding replacement
• New flooring installation
• Deck repair
• Window repair and replacement
• Painting interior and exterior

and more…

One of the first things you want to do before considering any repairs, is to contact your insurance company. You will want to assess the damage your home has taken. If your home had flooding, after inspections by the insurance company, they may be able to assist you with some of the repairs. You would need to look at this on a case by case basis and it really depends on if you have insurance and what they require. There are a wide variety of circumstances, so make sure you go over your storm damage insurance. Look at the home insurance guide to get an idea of the different types of coverage.

Most important is to ask questions, you can also refer to even more information on hiring a contractor, so you are sure you get a qualified handyman contractor to help.

Remember Google is your friend, simply type in the name of the business and the city in a browser window such as Chrome, something like: Residential Improvement Doctor – local handyman services and you will see if the business has any listings in Google and if they do, then you can rest assured this is a true business.

We understand you do not have control over mother nature, but there are things, as a homeowner you can do to prepare for storms, so make sure you are doing all you can to help reduce the amount of damage to your home.

 

How to Find Damage After a Storm

STORM DAMAGE INSURANCE FAQS

AVOIDING CONTRACTOR SCAMS

Hiring the Right Storm Damage Contractor

After a severe storm hits your area, it is always a good idea to get a full property damage inspection and at least three qualified estimates from reputable contractors. Some states do not have a state licensing requirement for contractors and storm damage brings potentially unreliable contractors in from other states. To protect yourself, make sure all contractors you talk to are reputable, established companies with references in your area. Make sure your contractor has completed numerous local jobs, is fully trained to install all of the materials required to restore your home and has a permanent office in your area. Remember your workmanship warranty is worthless if your contractor leaves the state and does not have a reciprocal relationship with a local contractor who will take care of you, should you need warranty service down the road.

Regardless of the contractor you choose to restore your home, protect yourself by making sure they meet the following criteria:

• Established company with a positive track record
• Fully insured; liability and workers comp
• Insurance claims experience
• Have passed a background check
• Can provide at least 3 local references

Questions to Ask Your Contractor:

How long has your company been in business?
Look for a company with an established business history. Most successful storm restoration contractors are proud of their history in business and hard-earned reputations.

Tell me about your experience working with insurance claims?
If you are filing an insurance claim, it is critical that you work with a contractor who has the experience to advocate for you and make sure your insurance claim is settled for a fair amount that will cover the cost of your repairs.

Do you have your own crews, or do you outsource your work?
While many good contractors outsource the actual restoration work to subcontractors, you’ll want to make sure your contractor can provide adequate supervision to ensure a high quality finished job.

Who will be assigned as my on-site project manager for the job?
Ask for the contact information for this person, and whom you can contact if the project manager is not available. Get the names and phone numbers for the people who will be overseeing your job.

What can I expect from you and your team?
This question will give you a sense of how the contractor works and what you can expect during your project. This is a big indicator of how the company does business.

Does your company specialize in storm repair?
If you have damage to your roof, siding, windows, or structural damage, you’ll want to make sure your contractor specializes in those repairs. Storm restoration can be a complicated process and you want to make sure you are working with an expert with the experience to ensure a good result for you.

Is your company fully insured? Do you carry liability and workers compensation?
It is always smart to ask any contractor you are considering hiring for copies of their insurance policies to verify coverage, then confirm that the policy is in force with your contractor’s insurance company. If a worker is injured on your property and your contractor does not have adequate coverage, you can be held responsible. So, protect yourself by making sure your contractor is fully insured.

Can you provide a list of references for local projects in the past 12 months?
The contractor should be able to supply you with a minimum of three references, including names, telephone numbers and addresses. See the checking a contractor’s references section for tips on questions to ask. To determine if your contractor is running a sound business, ask for supplier references and make sure they are in good standing with local materials suppliers.

What percentage of your business is by referral?
This will give you a good sense of the contractor’s customer satisfaction rate. In an area hit by a storm, referrals to a good contractor are very common so ask to see if your contractor has a high rate of referral businesses.

How many insurance claims have you handled in the past 12 months?
This will help you determine the contractor’s familiarity with storm damage repair and working through the insurance claims process. An active storm restoration contractor will have handled at least 50 claims in the past 12 months.

What permits will be required for this project?
This will give you a good sense of what permits will be required for your project. Since it is critical to obtain permits for most serious storm restoration projects and your inspection can be denied without a permit, it is critical to understand what your contractor is legally required to do before the work can begin.

Do I feel comfortable hiring this person and do I trust this company to repair my property?
Your home, or property is an important financial asset, so it is critical to have a high level of confidence in the person you hire to repair your property. To ensure a positive outcome, make sure and do your homework.

Contractor Warning Signs

To protect yourself and your family from inexperienced, uninsured contractors, and out-of-state contractors who may not be experienced repairing storm damage, or have your best interests in mind, watch out for the following warning signs:

• Out of state license plates
• No local office
• No insurance or under-insured
• Won’t provide local references
• Demands upfront cash or deposit
• Convicted criminals and sex offenders
• Poor BBB ratings or no local ratings

Checking References

When asking for references, it is a good idea to ask for the last three, local jobs the contractor performed. Do not hire a contractor who cannot provide local references or who is unwilling to let you drive by the site of a completed job in your area. Once you receive references, do your homework and give them a call. Explain that you are a homeowner in the area and are thinking of working with the contractor. The following questions will give you a good idea of how your contractor will treat your project and the level of professionalism you can expect.

1. Did your contractor clearly explain what needed to be done in advance?
2. How did your contractor handle your insurance claims process?
3. Did your contractor and crew show up on time?
4. Was there always someone there to answer your questions?
5. Did the contractor obtain necessary permits?
6. Was the crew pleasant and professional?
7. Were change orders made in writing?
8. Did any issues arise? How were they handled?
9. How did the contractor leave your site at the end of the day?
10. Did your job finish on schedule?
11. Did the work pass inspection?
12. Did the finished job meet your expectations?
13. Was your contractor fair, ethical and honest?
14. Would you work with this contractor again?
15. Would you hesitate to recommend this contractor to a family member?

All different types of storms and natural disasters happen from time to time. It’s best that you are prepared with storm essentials so that you don’t have to panic if one suddenly threatens your area.