Your garage door is, usually, the largest moving part of your home, and in most commercial business facilities. For homes, it is your real front door. You use it to go to work, come home, run errands, visit family, and even just to hang out from time to time. For businesses, it is how you receive and send shipments, load and unload trucks, and many other necessary functions.
Garage or overhead doors that are improperly installed can lead to dangerous situations. From falling on children or adults, entrapping people in an emergency situation, or parts of it breaking or snapping and causing injuries or damage. Selecting the right person to install and service your garage door is a very, very serious decision. It is not one you should take lightly!
So we wanted to provide information to outline how to choose a garage door company.
There are many sources to turn to for garage door service and products. The most popular source is the door dealer professional.
Garage door dealers are the most reliable and dependable due to their experience and knowledge. Garage door dealers usually work with a variety of manufacturers and partners, and are trained for each brand. This gives them the ability to work with pretty much any door or opener a customer may have issues with.
There are thousands of door dealers in business today. So, what can you do to assure yourself you’re selecting the right garage door dealer in Tampa Bay? Check the following five areas before you choose a garage door company:
Experience
Of all the five checkpoints, this is perhaps the easiest to validate. How long has the company been in business? If it’s a new company, does the team have experience in the door and operator industry? How much and where did they get the experience?
Workmanship
This may be the most important checkpoint, and it is also very easy to verify. Does the door dealer have satisfied customers? In today’s world, reviews online are a great way to get an idea to the customer experience and workmanship of companies. However, it is also very easy for companies to manipulate how they gain reviews. Make sure you read closely to see exactly what the reviews are saying. Depending upon the project, you may want to talk to a customer or two.
Code and Regulatory Compliance
There are numerous requirements pertaining to safety and the installation of a garage door system. Federal, state, and local codes and regulations must be followed. Ask the dealer you select about how they comply with the codes in your city to make sure you are hiring experts on garage doors that Tampa Bay residents can trust.
Insurance Coverage
It is important to you that the garage door dealer carry proper insurance on their business and employees. One checkpoint is to ask for a copy of the company’s Certificate of Insurance. If they don’t have one or hesitate to comply with your request, it could be a bad sign.
Financial Integrity
Depending on the size of your project, financial integrity of a door dealer can be very important. Although this is a sensitive issue, a dependable, honest door dealer won’t mind telling you about the basic financial integrity of their company.
How can you protect yourself?
Use only locally certified contractors.
- Have your contractor show you their Hillsborough County Contractor’s card
- Does your contractor have their certificate number on his car or truck?
If you’d like to take it a step further and determine if the contractor chosen is licensed, certified, bonded and insured, or has a permit for the work they are doing on your home, call the City of Tampa Inspectional Services Division at 813-223-8321 or the Hillsborough County Building Bureau at 813-272-5652.
Here at the Overhead Door Company of Tampa Bay, we are proud to meet all of these requirements and PLUS SOME! Check out our blog on how we work with The Seal!
If you are looking for the most professional garage door installer in Tampa Bay, call us today at 813-885-3667!
