Contrary to what you might think, buying a new garage door isn’t as simple as selecting one and hiring someone to install it for you. There’s more that you have to consider.
Most importantly, you want to make sure that you’re working with a reputable garage door dealer. When you’re looking, be sure to see if the dealer backs up their work with a warranty. If they do, then it’s a good sign they can be trusted.
But, that’s not all you should be concerned with. Here’s everything else:
Step 1: Establish the Dealer’s Reputation
To do this, you can use the Internet. Simply check out popular review websites, and see what other customers have had to say about the garage door dealer that you’re considering. Do they seem happy with the service they got? How about the prices they were quoted? You can back up this Internet research by visiting the dealer itself. Take note of the salespeople, and judge whether or not they seem courteous and knowledgeable.
Step 2: Find Out About Their Experience
When working with any contractor, experience counts for a lot. So, see how long the garage door dealer has been in business.
Also remember that your region has particular environmental concerns. Try to see if the garage door dealer you’re considering knows what these are and has the solutions to deal with them. Also, when speaking with the dealer, note whether or not they seem to be sensitive to your needs and budget. If not, then you’ll likely be better served elsewhere.
In judging the dealer’s experience, you should also look into their accreditation. Is the dealer certified by the International Door Association? Also, is the dealer certified by the manufacturers that make the garage doors that the dealer sells? A dealer that sells GARAGA garage doors, for example, will be certified as a Garaga Expert.
Step 3: Research Their Knowledge of Codes and Regulations
The garage door dealer that you choose to work with should be eminently familiar with local building codes, and they should know how to comply with them. If they don’t, you could be opening yourself up to fines and other headaches.
Also, a garage door dealer should have certification for their safety practices. So, ask to see their various safety licenses when choosing whether or not to work with them. If you don’t know what licenses they should have, doing a bit of research should help.
Step 4: Look into Their Insurance Coverage
Like any other contractor, a garage door dealer should have insurance that covers employees and the business. To find out if a garage door dealer is so covered, simply ask to see their Certificate of Insurance. This should be a request that the dealer is happy to comply with. If they’re not, then that’s a giant red flag that the dealer can’t be trusted.
Step 5: Figure out the Business’ Stability
You’re going to have your garage doors for a long time, and you want to make sure that the business that installed them is there to back up its warranty. If that business isn’t there, then your warranty isn’t worth the paper it was printed on. This means you could potentially be stuck with costly repair bills, or even the cost of replacing the garage doors entirely, if something goes wrong.
To figure out if the business is stable, you can ask about their financials. You don’t need a detailed financial report; you just need to ask if business is good, and if business is expected to remain good. When you combine the answers with what you’ve learned on the Internet, you should have a good idea of the business’ stability.
Step 6: Go Buy a Garage Door
Provided you’ve followed these steps and properly vetted the garage door dealer you’re going to work with, you should be good to go. Now get out there and buy your new garage doors!
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