7 Contractors Every Homeowner Should Have in Their Contracts

When you are a homeowner, you have enormous responsibility resting on your shoulders: maintaining one of the biggest investments you will ever make in your life. For the most part, caring for your residential property is a matter of routine upkeep and long-term planning. This entails taking the appropriate steps to prevent cosmetic or structural issues around your home from arising or worsening. To that end, you need to maintain a contact list of trusted professionals you can call when things go wrong.

Barry Best Seamless Gutters, an installer of heated gutter systems in Syracuse, recommends every homeowner keep these seven types of contractors in their contacts:

1. Carpenter

A skilled carpenter is one of the most common contractors homeowners will need to work with. While you might be able to carry out a few carpentry-related tasks on your own, having a professional carpenter on your speed dial will prove to be invaluable for larger, more complicated projects.

Essentially, carpenters deal with the construction, repair and installation of building frameworks and fixtures made from wood and other materials. They work both indoors and outdoors, from installing flooring and cabinets to insulating structures and building walls. All carpentry work involves the same basic steps, including working from blueprints and creating initial layouts in accordance with building codes.

Because carpentry work requires manual dexterity, good eye-hand coordination, physical fitness and a sense of balance, carpenters go through trade or vocational training to develop their specialized skills. This is why it is important to seek out a skilled carpenter when maintaining the look and function of your property.

2. Electrician 

Unless you have considerable experience in the field, defective wiring and other electrical malfunctions are not something you should attempt to handle on your own. The electrical system in your home, including power lines, electric meters, service panels and switches, can affect nearly every aspect of your residential property. Even minor electrical tasks can present a number of hazardous situations to both the worker and the people living in the home. In extreme cases, attempting to fix a faulty electrical outlet or worn-out socket can create a fire hazard. Due to safety regulations involved with electrical work, it is best to keep a skilled electrician in your contacts.

An electrician who specializes in residential spaces performs a wide range of electrical work. This includes rewiring a home, replacing an old fuse box, installing a new circuit breaker to accommodate additional appliances, installing lighting systems and installing eclectic household items, such as ceiling fans.

Most states require electricians to be licensed, so make sure you request to see your contractor’s license before hiring them. You may also ask about their professional history to determine whether they are the best fit for your needs.

3. Roofer

Roofing is a dangerous profession, which is why many countries have established safety regulations for work on the roof, such as the use of safety nets, harness systems, anchor points and a variety of additional measures. Roofers install, repair and replace the roofs of homes and buildings using various types of materials, including composition shingles, bitumen, tile and metal. Some of the most common issues roofing professionals attend to include curling or missing shingles, excessive granule loss, leaks and water damage, poor attic ventilation and loose or worn flashing.

Since roofing is a physically demanding field that involves climbing, bending, kneeling and lifting, sometimes in extreme weather conditions, roofers should be skillfully trained, have a good sense of balance and not be afraid of heights. Keep in mind that roofing work can be expensive, so it is important to schedule seasonal upkeep to address potential problems before they spiral out of control and expose your residence to further damage.

4. Gutter Cleaner

With falling leaves come clogged gutters that need to be cleaned. Neglecting to clean your gutters becomes a costly mistake when rainwater seeps into your living space or creates puddles of water near your foundation. 

Gutter cleaners will meticulously remove dirt, leaves, droppings, nests and other debris from your gutters and downspouts, helping ensure precipitation can flow freely through your system so it can be properly drained away from your home. Gutter cleaners may scoop the debris buildup by hand or by machine. After they clear out the gutter system, they will flush it with water to get rid of remaining waste. Clean gutters offer serious benefits in addition to diverting water away from your home, such as minimizing condensation from window sills, keeping water out of the basement and protecting the interior and exterior walls from moisture.

5. Mason

Masons use bricks, natural stones or concrete blocks to build structures, such as walls, fences and chimneys. Depending on the material they specialize in, these workers can be called brick masons, block masons or stonemasons. A mason might not be a contractor that is at the top of your contact list. However, if any of these structures are found in your residence or if you plan on building additional structures to improve the curb appeal and market value of your home, it certainly pays to have someone skilled in masonry in your contact list.

A mason’s responsibilities generally depend on the field in which they work, but some common duties include assisting in building layout and framing, correcting any safety hazards and reporting them to the foreman, tearing down and rebuilding chimneys, and cutting openings into walls, ceilings and floors built with masonry materials.

6. Plumber

For many homeowners, the plumbing system is one of the most intimidating parts of the home. While you will likely learn to fix small leaks or unclog drains by yourself over time, you may also encounter more complicated issues that require the assistance of an experienced plumber. 

Essentially, plumbers are responsible for installing and maintaining pipes for proper drainage, irrigation and sewage. Plumbers can also be involved in hands-on work or work in the design stage like drafting blueprints to make installation processes more efficient. Testing pipes for leakage and constructing pipe systems are some of the other more involved aspects of plumbing. An experienced plumber is well-versed in building regulations and safety standards and makes sure to uphold these standards.

There is no fooling around when it comes to plumbing. Even as little as a quarter-inch of stagnant water can cause a series of serious structural damage to your property, so it is crucial that you choose a plumber who will answer your calls and be readily available.

7. Exterminator

If you believe that there is a pest problem in your home, reach out to a professional before the issue gets worse. A pest control worker, also known as an exterminator, uses appropriate methods to remove or terminate pests, such as termites, roaches, bed bugs, ants, rats, squirrels and other animals inside your home or in your yard.

An exterminator will perform a thorough inspection to determine the problem and the type of treatment needed to get rid of pests. At times when the structural integrity of the home may be compromised, an exterminator will carry out integrated pest control plans.