6 Tips for Choosing the Right Excavation Contractor
Do you have a project in mind that requires major excavation? Unless you have heavy machinery at your disposal, sooner or later you will have to hire an excavation contractor.
If you want to avoid unpleasant surprises and make sure the work is done properly, you’ll need to take the time to compare the services offered by different excavation companies.
In this article, our experts present 6 essential factors to consider when choosing an excavation contractor and how to go about finding the one that best suits your needs.
1. Compare the services offered by different excavation companies
Excavation is a very broad field of expertise. Some excavation companies may specialize in a particular type of work, such as repairing French drains or waterproofing foundations from the outside. Some contractors may only offer residential excavation services, while others provide commercial excavation. When comparing excavation contractors, you should look for the ones that specialize in the type of work you want done.
2. Take a look at pictures of excavation work done by the companies you’re considering
Once you’ve found a few excavation companies that offer the services you need, it’s time to find out more about the quality of their work. Take a look at each contractor’s portfolio to get a sense of their previous work.
As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Checking out pictures and videos of the excavation work yourself will give you a much better understanding of the company’s methods.
If you find in the course of your research that you don’t like the results of certain excavation projects, simply remove the contractor that did the work from your list of potential choices.
3. Ask for references and comments from past clients
Of course, when looking at pictures, keep in mind that excavation companies can curate the content on their website and only showcase their best work. Furthermore, a great result doesn’t necessarily mean that the project was completed within budget and deadline, nor that the client and contractor had a good working relationship.
It’s in your best interest to talk to a professional’s former clients to verify their credibility. Ideally, you should try to contact recent clients. They will be able to warn you against dealing with the excavation contractor they used or recommend them highly.
4. Check the excavation contractor’s licenses and certifications
In the construction sector, there are various licenses and certifications that can indicate a contractor’s reliability and competence. For example, in Quebec, a CCQ competency certificate and an RBQ specialized contractor license in excavation and earthwork are legally required in order to carry out certain types of excavation work.
Contractors must meet specific requirements in order to obtain the necessary licenses from the Régie du Bâtiment du Québec. They must also pay license security that is used to compensate a customer who has suffered damages in the event of improperly executed or incomplete excavation work.
Dealing with a licensed excavation company ensures that you have a proper contract that sets out all of the terms and conditions of the work (start and finish dates, materials used, employees, cost, etc.) and protects you from potential damages.
5. Check the equipment owned by the excavation companies
Some excavation companies are equipped for large jobs, while others have smaller equipment designed to excavate with precision in urban areas. By taking a look at an excavation contractor’s fleet of equipment, you’ll be able to get a sense of what types of jobs they specialize in and whether they are equipped to carry out your excavation work properly and within a reasonable amount of time.
For example, a smaller excavator is preferable for sewer and aqueduct repairs in densely populated areas. With smaller equipment, the operator will be able to move around the site without damaging the landscaping, buried wires or water lines.
Conversely, if you’re looking to excavate the basement of a multiplex or large building in Montreal, it’s better to hire a company that has a fleet of heavy equipment.
6. Request a quote from several companies for excavation work
It’s important to keep in mind that prices and deadlines for excavation work can fluctuate widely depending on various factors such as the complexity of the project, the equipment used and the distance to the worksite.
Therefore, it’s best to ask several different companies to provide a quote for your excavation work. This will give you the best chance of finding one that meets all of your requirements. If you can, try to speak with a manager at each company so that you can ask more in-depth questions to aid your comparison.
Finally, beware of companies that bid at an abnormally low price. If the price seems too good to be true, something fishy is probably going on!
Your excavation work is safe in the hands of Excavation Chanthier!
Choosing an excavation contractor isn’t a decision that should be made lightly. If you want good value for your money and results that meet your expectations, you’ll need to compare the services offered by several different companies. You should also look for customer testimonials, check for certifications and compare quotes to make a truly informed choice.
At Excavation Chanthier, we are confident that our excavation services will hold up splendidly against those of our competitors, so feel free to make your comparisons! Whatever your project, our team guarantees your complete satisfaction.
Contact us today to find out more about our excavation services or begin work on your project!
