In the last few years, the amount scams, incomplete work, and unfair payment amounts reported to the Better Business Bureau regarding contractors has been steadily increasing, here are some tips to choosing the right contractor for your Travertine tile or paver install!

Choosing the right travertine contractor shouldn’t be the hardest part of your pool deck or home remodel, but if you choose the wrong one, it can create significant problems long-term and cause stress until the project is completed. It’s important to be mindful of the process and avoid hire someone that doesn’t have the proper credentials or refuses to ask questions. Here are some tips for hiring the best travertine contractor for you.

Travertine Contractor Referrals

Even if you are trying to create a pool that is the talk of the neighborhood and rivals your neighbor’s newly installed pool deck, it may be best to use their contractor. Referrals are a great way to find a travertine contractor because it could prevent you from overpaying or being scammed.  It may also be helpful to review past contracts and negotiations if you have never done it before. Referred contractors are also more likely to do a good job if they know that someone you knew liked their work or they may give better rates.  Although knowing someone who’s used a contractor in the past may be helpful, sometimes it may not be the best fit for your project or you may not be getting the best workers – so if your cousin’s son just started a tile contracting business, it may be a good idea to go over other options too.

Research Contractor Credentials

It’s all too common that people hear about horror stories of travertine tile or home contractors over charging for work, not completing the work, or making fraudulent claims – so it’s important that you protect yourself from scams. One of the most important things to make sure before hiring is to check to see if the contractor is “bonded”, insured, and has the correct license.

The Better Business Bureau website https://www.bbb.org/en/us/ is a good place to start. The BBB requires that all contractors are bonded and insured. If a contractor is bonded it means that if they don’t complete the work or the work is not done correctly, then you are financially protected. Also, you need to ensure that the contractor is completely covered by insurance and not partly. For example, are all the contractor’s workers covered?

Asking the contractor for the correct license is helpful. Most of the proper licenses are held from the National Kitchen & Bath Association, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry and the National Association of Homebuilders. Even if a friend of family member referred the contractor, it’s important that they have all the proper documentation, full insurance coverage, and are listed on the BBB.

Interview Candidates

It’s common practice to interview at least three tile installation contractors before settling on one to do your project. Before you set up the interviews, it’s best to have a good idea about what you want your project and design to look like, so that you can get an exact estimate for what you want.

In the interview process make sure that the contractor is specialized for the type of project that you need and that they are using the proper tools to complete the project. You don’t want to hire a contractor that has done work on your cousin’s bathroom, but can’t correctly install tiles or pavers for an indoor walkway, even if the contractor says it’s the same. No question is a bad question. Make sure to go over everything before getting started, especially costs, time constraints, installation patterns, insurance coverage, credentials, and past work history.

Even if a contractor is busy, it may be worth the wait because if they are in high demand it usually means they have a lot of clients due to their promising work. So don’t hire someone simply because they are available, waiting a few weeks may make all the difference between something that you love!

Check References

Most tile contractors have worked on travertine projects before, don’t be afraid to ask them for references of their past work or for a portfolio. Most reputable flooring contractors will provide you pictures of designs from previous projects, if they don’t have one or have just started their work as a contract, don’t fret yet. But make sure you are showed something before the project begins to ensure that you aren’t getting cheated. At Texas Travertine, we want to ensure that your project is exactly how you want it, so ask us for recommendations on contractors or project ideas!

Set Expectations

If you are planning to use travertine pavers to build your pool decking, have an idea in mind of what you want. Compare previous installs of friends and neighbors, or compare pictures online to get an idea of the scope of your install. If friends don’t mind sharing pricing with you, it’s a great way to estimate what you might expect to pay. If you are doing a remodel or new home construction and want to use travertine backsplash or travertine flooring in the home, have an idea of the linear footage of your backsplash, as well as the approximate square footage of the flooring area where you want to install the tile. If you can have these dimensions in mind, it will come in handy to help you estimate the cost of materials. This is important because it could be less expensive to buy the travertine through a local or online dealer and just pay for the install, rather than budgeting a turnkey job.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us anytime. We are more than happy to help you plan your next travertine install!