What people say after we've left

What to ask, before you hire anybody

Including us. A review tells you somebody was happy; these questions tell you whether the work under the surface was done.

Can I see the certificate of insurance?

Ask for it to be sent by the insurer rather than forwarded by the contractor, and check it is current and that it covers the work you are having done. Ours is available on request, and this is the question worth asking first — an uninsured crew on your property is your exposure, not theirs.

How deep is the excavation and what goes in the base?

Almost every hardscape failure in this climate traces back to base depth and compaction, and it is the part of the estimate that is invisible once the job is finished. Two quotes that differ by forty per cent usually differ here.

What happens if you hit rock?

Putnam and northern Westchester both have shallow ledge. An estimate with no answer to this is an opening position rather than a price. We flag it as a risk before starting and price the removal before continuing rather than presenting it at the end.

Who is actually doing the work?

Whether the crew on your property works for the company you hired, or for a subcontractor you have never met and cannot call. We run our own crews.

Where does the water go?

For any patio, driveway or wall, there should be a specific answer — a pitch away from the building, a pipe running to daylight, a drain at a low point. “It drains” is not an answer.

Is it in writing?

Scope, materials, timeline, what is excluded, and what triggers a change order. A verbal estimate is a conversation, not a contract, and the disagreements happen over the parts nobody wrote down.