Q: Are you licensed as a home improvement contractor with the State
of NJ?
Q: Can I obtain an estimate over the phone or via email?
Q: Will your insurance agent provide me with a copy of your Certificate
of Insurance?
Q: Is it really necessary to check references?
Q: Is it necessary to check business references?
Q: Should a home remodeling contractor be a member of the Better Business
Bureau?
Q: Do you climb up on every roof when you prepare an estimate?
Q: Is a certification by GAF Materials Corporation really necessary?
Q: Do you provide a discount for multiple properties?
Q: How do I get an estimate?
Q: How long does it take to obtain an estimate?
Q: Do I need to be home when you’re working?
Q: How long does it take?
Q: When you start a job, do you stay until it’s done?
Q: Do you work with Home Owner’s Associations?
- Are you licensed as a home improvement contractor with the State of NJ?
- Yes. Our license number is # 13VH00721900. Contractors that are not licensed should be avoided as they are likely to expose you to unnecessary insurance risks and provide inferior service. Back to top
- Can I obtain an estimate over the phone or via email?
- Home Remodeling Contractors who will give you a quote over the phone without meeting you or visiting your property should be avoided. This is very unprofessional.
- We do not give estimates over the phone. There are too many variables to simply give an accurate quote. We will meet you in person, ask you specific questions to gain a full understanding of your roofing, siding, window or deck needs and then provide you with a written detailed estimate including our detailed preparation and installation procedure for a typical home. We provide each homeowner we meet with our written processes. This allows the homeowner to easily understand the cost of updating their home and to easily compare our proposal with another proposal. Back to top
- Will your insurance agent provide me with a copy of your Certificate of Insurance?
- Yes. Getting the Certificate of Insurance directly from the contractor’s
insurance agent will provide you with assurance that the coverage is current.
In addition to registering with the New Jersey – home remodeling contractors are required to adhere to the following guidelines:- The home remodeling contractor is required to maintain statutory Worker’s Compensation insurance.
- The home remodeling contractor must carry at least $500,000 Liability insurance per incident in order to be registered with New Jersey.
- If the home remodeling contractor utilizes sub-contractors – they all must also meet the same insurance requirements.
- If a home remodeling contractor is unable to produce the appropriate insurance documents, do not hire them as you may be responsible for any injuries or other accidents that occur. Back to top
- Is it really necessary to check references?
- Yes. Quality home remodeling contractors have multiple references from past clients. We believe that a home remodeling contractor should provide you with a list of at least 25 references – this prevents the contractor from giving you 3 or 4 “references” that are actually not real customers but friends or associates.
- George J. Keller & Sons provides a list of more than 50 references you can call. If a contractor is unable or unwilling to provide at least 25 references that should be a warning sign. Back to top
- Is it necessary to check business references?
- Home remodeling contractors should have longstanding relationships with their local bank and local suppliers. All of their relationships should be in good standing. Businesses in good standing with the bank and local suppliers get preferential treatment and pricing which helps them stay competitive. George J. Keller & Sons is pleased to provide you with our bank and vendor references. Back to top
- Should a home remodeling contractor be a member of the Better Business Bureau?
- We believe so. BBB sees trust as a function of two primary factors – integrity and performance. Integrity includes respect, ethics and intent. Performance speaks to a business’s track record of delivering results in accordance with BBB standards and/or addressing customer concerns in a timely, satisfactory manner. BBB Accreditation is an honor – and not every company is eligible. All BBB accredited businesses have agreed to live up to our Principles for Trust. Our Principles for Trust are a comprehensive set of policies, procedures and best practices focused on how businesses should treat the public – fairly and honestly in all circumstances. Back to top
- Do you climb up on every roof when you prepare an estimate?
- Yes and here are the reasons why we do it:
- This step is one that MANY ROOFING CONTRACTORS SKIP because they know the homeowner isn’t likely to get up on the roof to check out what they are recommending.
- A physical examination of the roof is the ONLY way to determine what needs to be done.
- You CANNOT know the real condition of the roof until you walk on it.
- This is the only way to get an accurate measurement.
- Many roofing contractors do a quick drive-by estimate – this is the major cause of “change orders” that increase the quoted price and leave the homeowner feeling ripped off.
Back to top - Is a certification by GAF Materials Corporation really necessary?
- We believe it is. We are proud of our designation as a Master Elite Roofing Contractor. This is our proof that our operations are run by a dedicated professional that has achieved the highest standards available from the leading manufacturer in our industry. Less than 1 in 30 Roofing Contractors achieve Master Elite Certification.
- George J. Keller & Sons is also holds other certifications in siding and window installation. Back to top
- Do you provide a discount for multiple properties?
- Yes. We will offer you a discount if you hire us to provide any of our services at multiple properties at the same time. The amount of the discount will be dependent on how close together the projects are and how similar the projects are to each other. Back to top
- How do I get an estimate?
- Simply call us at (973) 927-0963 and if we are not available – we return all morning calls by 1PM and all afternoon calls by 6 PM. (Try us!) Back to top
- How long does it take to obtain an estimate?
- Once we meet with you – either on the spot or within 24 hours in almost all cases. Back to top
- Do I need to be home when you’re working?
- Not all the time but we do ask that you be available each day so we can provide you with our daily update of progress and answer any questions you have. Back to top
- How long does it take?
- Each project is different. We give you approximate start and finish dates in our proposal as required by the State of New Jersey. Once we start your project, we stay on it each day until we are finished unless there are circumstances beyond our control like weather that don’t permit us to work. Back to top
- When you start a job, do you stay until it’s done?
- Yes. We are motivated to complete your project as that is the only way we get paid. Once we start your project, we stay on it each day until we are finished unless there are circumstances beyond our control like weather that don’t permit us to work. Back to top
- Do you work with Home Owner’s Associations?
- Yes. We will provide the appropriate information to your HOA. Back to top
