I'll be the first to admit, I'm not a know-it-all,,,,,I'm a pretty good wallpaper installer and have been doing it for many years and with all types of materials. I learn new tricks, tips, new materials, new products,,,,,all the time. Much of this information comes from fellow professional installers. One thing that I encourage all of my clients to do is, your homework. Hiring the right installer is just as important as purchasing the right material for your project. You wouldn't hang silk or leather in a bathroom, why would you not check references or the background of the installer that you are going to hire? I'm proud to say that I am a registered, tax paying business in my state, with the federal government and I have $500k of liability insurance. I have a real website where you can see current and past projects. I can provide well over 100 current references with only one customer concern (which was addressed) in the past 6 years. All of these things cost money from my profit. Now, there are many people out there that call themselves "installers". You can find them all over Thumbtack, Angie's List, neighborhood Facebook pages.....Many are not registered tax paying business, they don't have liability insurance, no website, references and very little experience. Yet, people will hire these so called "installers" because they are cheaper. Of course they're cheaper,,,,,they don't pay taxes, don't have insurance and most don't have the quality installation experience that you need! I replaced at least 6 projects last year that were installed by these "experienced" installers with the client paying more than double,,,,,,if they would have simply done their homework before hiring. Like they say, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! A quality, experienced installer will help you choose the correct paper for your project area. They will measure and supply the proper measurements and hopefully assist in figuring how much paper to order including your pattern repeats. A professional installer will provide references, their insurance documents and host a professional website. A professional installer is courteous, well dressed and up to date on business trends, tools and materials. Lastly, a professional will never ask you to pay for the project before the project is completed. I will say that if the installer also sells wallpaper, ( I do) they may ask you to pay for the wallpaper when the order is placed. Wallpaper usually can't be returned once ordered. A professional installer may ask you to pay a small consultation fee to travel over 25 miles to your home to measure and meet with you. I follow this practice but I also provide a 100% refund for this fee if the client books their project with me. Most clients have already done some howework and if they are serious about hiring you, they will pay the fee knowing they will get it back. This also cuts down on running all over the state providing estimate for clients who may not be serious about completing their project with you. Do your homework. Don't be disappointed by hiring an inexperienced installer. Do your homework.
Comments