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The 5 Biggest Mistakes Homeowners Make When Hiring a Contractor to Sealcoat Their Driveway

  1. Taking the Cheapest Price
  2. We are not here to tell you how to spend your money. If service and quality are not overly important to you and your budget is tight, then by all means take several bids and choose the contractor who shoots you the lowest price. But don’t kid yourself. Just like with everything else in life, price and quality go hand in hand. When you choose the lowest price you are choosing the contractor with the least incentive to keep you happy. After all, you’ve already communicated that price is all you really care about. Your decision to shop for the lowest price stands as irrefutable evidence.

    When you bought your last car, did you buy the cheapest one you could find? Do you buy generic food? Do you do most of your shopping at the Dollar Store?
    Then what would possess you to hire the lowest priced contractor?
    If it sounds too good to be true…. it is.

    Most good contractors have similar costs. There are marginal differences but if someone is 25% less you should ask them why? We all pay around the same price for materials, labor, and insurance. The quickest way to bring our costs down is to cut corners. Sad but true.
    They are possibly not insured.
    They are possibly not local.
    They will possibly sealcoat your driveway too thin with watered down materials and may not treat cracks.
    YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO FIND THEM WHEN FUTURE PROBLEMS APPEAR. DON’T DO IT!!

  3. Hiring an Uninsured Contractor
  4. Although you may not feel much can go wrong when having your driveway sealcoated you definitely don’t want a driveway sealcoating contractor who’s uninsured. For instance, an unexpected rain storm can splash sealcoat material on a homeowner’s garage door, siding, and concrete or brick sidewalk. Even though a contractor can’t control the weather, if they have the proper insurance you will be protected.

  5. Only Sealcoating Your Driveway When it is in Need of Repair or Replacement
  6. Although sealcoating greatly enhances the appearance of your driveways as well as giving significant protection against the elements, there is really no structural benefit to just sealcoating your driveway. If your driveway has low spots, unevenness, and badly cracked areas you probably have a base problem and should repair damaged areas or possibly replace the entire driveway.

  7. Sealcoating your Driveway Too Often
  8. Since residential driveways are generally low traffic areas a good sealcoat job should last 2-3 years and that’s mainly since most driveways in Northern climates get plowed and salted in the winter months. You don’t need to sealcoat every year. Often when driveways get coated too often the sealer builds up and may crack, flake and peel.

  9. Failing to Check References for Driveway Sealcoating Companies
  10. Ask for references of people you can call and interview about their experience. Ask for 3-4 references the contractor has worked for in the last 3 to 6 months.

    Join and check the feedback on the web site, Yelp (www.yelp.com) and/or Angie’s List (www.angieslist.com). Membership is around $10 a year and it gives you access to feedback on companies who provide services to home owners. Angie’s List and Yelp lets you look at detailed feedback written by previous customers. Check with the Better Business Bureau. See whether the contractor has had several complaints lodged. If a driveway sealcoating contractor is going to take care of you, his past clients will sing his praises. If he isn’t going to, the stench of his past performance will stink to high heaven. All you’ve got to do is a little due diligence.

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