Hiring a Wine Cellar Contractor

When you first start your wine cellar building project, you must ask yourself a very important question…Can I build this wine cellar myself or should I hire a contractor to help in the wine cellar construction process?

This is an important decision because building a wine cellar can be a difficult and extremely involved task. Great care must be taken during the construction process to ensure that your collection of wine will be safely protected and preserved after the wine cellar is complete. Having to re-build any part of a wine cellar due to poor construction will mean a significant increase in dollars spent.

If you decide to hire a professional, how do you know if the contractor is the right man or woman for the job? There are some important considerations that must be made, research performed and questions asked prior to hiring the person.

The DIY Network has a few thoughts that I am going to share here with you:

• Check (contractors-license.org) for your state’s licensing rules. If the contractor does have a license, take down the number and call your state or local licensing board to verify.
• Liability insurance. This protects your house and property in case the contractor or his employees cause damage.
• Workers’ compensation insurance. Without it you can be held responsible if someone is injured while doing work on your property.
• Insured subcontractors. The same liability and workers’ compensation insurance that your contractor has should be carried by all the specialists (plumbers, electricians and others) hired.
• Check with the Better Business Bureau. How many complaints have been filed, if any? Remember misunderstandings do occur, so if there was a complaint, see if it was resolved satisfactorily.

Not following a strict set of hiring guidelines can mean the difference between a safe long-term wine storage environment and having to re-do the entire wine cellar. it is also recommended that the contractor has previously installed a wine cellar or has resources at his disposal to rely on for expertise when installing the cellar.

If you are a contractor and are looking to get into the wine cellar installation business. Contact Vigilant. We can help educate you and your team and prepare you for the questions that consumers will ask to qualify you. Rely on our experts and our complete line of wine storage products to help you with your next wine cellar construction project.

Here are a few more thoughts from the DIY network on hiring contractors:

• Get at least three estimates, but try for five — and then ditch the lowest bid.
• Finalize a contract.There should be a clause allowing you to back out of the contract within three days of signing it.
• Don’t make a large down payment. Try to keep it to 10 percent or $1,000 down, whichever is less.
• Don’t pay final installment until after inspections are complete and you are satisfied.

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