For any maintenance vendor there are some steps that can help assist in the search for a competent and responsible vendor.
First friends and neighbors are great sources of potential vendors, also other contractors you use for other maintenance services can be a great source as well. Many times contractors who may not provide a particular type of service can recommend other contractors who can. Personal third party referrals are usually very strong candidates because people are usually hesitant to recommend other parties that they are dissatisfied with . Even if you are referred a strong candidate there are still a number of steps that should be taken this help safeguard your selection first ask for three references and check these references.
Check their Hello Peter ratings to see if they have any complaints. See how they have addressed any complaints or lack of complaints. Having complaints may not be significant depending on the size of the company you're investigating - a small company may not have any while a larger company would have more activity just based on their larger size. The main thing here is how they are addressing any complaints they may have.
How long have they been in business? If the vendor is incorporated this can be checked online at the CIPC website for how long have they been at their current address. Have they change their company name recently? These can be signs of a less than trustworthy company. Five estimates and contracts should be written, legal advice may be appropriate for larger maintenance projects, any work changes to your contract should be done in writing and need your approval - also a projected start date along with a projected completion date is a great feature for any agreement number.
Depending on your project and usability it may be a good idea to start an unknown vendor on a smaller job to gauge their performance.
Most importantly never pay a vendor upfront as most installment payments are made as the work progresses. Remember a vendor has the ability to file a lien for non-payment of services while your only remedy may be filing an expensive lawsuit to recoup funds paid out again - there are no guarantees.
