In Los Angeles, earthquake is common. It’s not a possibility but it’s a certainty. That’s why there are earthquake building codes that every building owner must take seriously. To reduce property damage during an earthquake, it’s ideal that you get seismic retrofitting work. But it must be done by a general contractor in Los Angeles that specializes in earthquake retrofitting. However, it’s not easy to hire a contractor to do this job. So, in this post, we’ll list down some of the things you can do to look for the right contractor.
Experience of the General Contractor in Los Angeles
Since the early 1980s, there have been 30 earthquakes that caused extreme damage to buildings. A contractor that has worked through those events and improved the structural capacity of buildings to withstand those damaging earthquakes must be your go-to company to handle your seismic retrofitting. The company has the right skills and experience in this field. The older the contractor is, the more it indicates that customers trust them because of the quality of work they offer throughout the years.
Equipment
When searching for a general contractor to hire for seismic retrofitting, you must check resources to find companies with licenses and necessary qualifications to implement a successful seismic retrofitting project. It’s also important that you know what kind of building the contractor specializes in. Does it focus on a single-family home or just huge buildings? The building it specializes in will tell you whether or not the contractor has the right equipment to do retrofits for your apartment building or large commercial building.
License and Insurance
Seismic retrofitting is a quite complicated job. A reputable contractor can show you its license and insurance in California. In other words, the contractor must be licensed, bonded, and insured in this state. If it can’t show its insurance, then it means it doesn’t have any and if you hire the company and its staff gets hurt while working on your property, you’ll be liable. That is, you’ll pay for that staff’s medical costs.
Read Testimonials
Any contractor can say that it’s the best in the field. But some of them will be lying just to find a customer. Hence, you must check out testimonials. Read the contractor’s review on Yelp and other online review sites so you can have an idea of how this contractor works and treats its clients.
Request Quotes
Quotes are something you need to pay attention to. The contractor must give you a detailed quote so you will know what to expect if you hire the company. This will also prevent surprises when the job starts. Furthermore, the contractor must offer a free assessment of your property to get a good grasp of how the retrofitting must be done.
Hire a Contractor Now
Don’t wait for too long to hire a general contractor in Los Angeles to retrofit your building or house. Call us to find out more about our retrofitting services (818) 699-0449.