After having decided to do a plastering job in your pool, you would require a plastering company to take up and complete the job for you. You would look for a contractor who is not only reasonable from a cost point of view but also reliable. You don’t want to end with either a cost over-run or a shoddy job.
You look for a reliable contractor because you want him to execute the pool plastering job at the agreed cost, within the stipulated time, meeting all the requirements in terms of the quality using the materials and equipments as per the contract and with least inconvenience to you.
Finding a reliable pool plastering company from among so many around, many of them advertising in the media making tall claims becomes a task in itself. Remember that you are going to spend considerable money and it would cost you more if you are to redo the job in case the contractor messes it up. Pool plastering is a specialized job even within the plastering segment of business; you should look beyond the general plastering contractors. Further the absence of laws mandating any licence for the job in some states makes the task of locating a reliable contractor requires consideration of various factors. You need some rational basis to choose one and not the others.
Location
You need to find out the companies located in and around your place to avoid incurring certain additional items of cost such as transportation, boarding lodging etc. In case of need, a personal visit by you to their office would be easy.
An oft accessed source is the internet as most often almost all contractors worth the name do have a web site giving all the relevant information. It is also easier for you to sit in one place and collect data and compare. The local newspapers have classified advertisements section which can provide some information. More than anything else, you ask around in the swimming pools in your area. The managers of the local gyms and club-houses could be another source.
Sources
There are area-wise trade associations which often put out the list of their members on their web site. Based in Northbrook, IL, Signature Contractors represents consumer rated contractors, who can help to get some names. You may find out from BigLabor.com for the local office address of the Operative Plasterers’ and Cement Masons’ International Association which can provide you relevant information. A Colorado based website called ServiceMagic helps find pre-screened and customer-rated contractors.
Rating
Better Business Bureau, though not endorsing any service or business, gives BBB Reliability Reports and assigns ratings by evaluating businesses based on experience, required competency license, any action against the company, complaints, honoring commitments etc. BBB has data on plastering businesses as well.
Customer reviews
Talking to your friends, colleagues and others around your place will help getting customer assessments, feedback and complaints on contractors. You can check for the plastering contractors who are in your zone of consideration.
Rough Estimates
It is fairly easy to get free, no obligation type of estimates for the pool plastering job in general. In particular for your area, you may look at agencies who offer to get you quotes from some of the contractors who operate in your area. Be careful not to go overboard on such enquiries as you may get saddled with more than what you can handle besides the follow-up queries which may bug you.
Short-list
The next step would be to make out a short list of the pool plastering contractors from the many names you have obtained. Before making the short list make a visit to the contractor’s office, meet some of their clients, see some of the works they have done by making a site visit and take into account their accredit ions or certifications. If the local state laws call for having any license, check the same for its validity period.
Quotes
After having obtained an idea of the cost, the next step for you is to call for quotes from the shortlisted pool plastering contractors. Quotations which are way off the mark should raise suspicion. Find out if any exclusions are there. You should ask specifically if there are any other costs payable by you directly such as any rentals, licence fee, insurance cost, taxes etc.
