Why It’s Important to Have MHIC Certification

July 10, 2019

When there’s a home improvement job you need to tackle, you have a few main options available: try to get the job done yourself with some help from your friends, hire a local handyman or work with a licensed contractor. Unless you yourself are licensed and experienced in the kind of work you want done at your home, your best bet is always going to be to call in a licensed professional with Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC) certification to get the job done correctly and safely.

Here are just a few examples from a paving contractor in Montgomery County, MD of some of the problems you might have with an unlicensed handyman or contractor that you’ll be able to avoid by going with someone who is MHIC certified in their field of work:

  • Hidden fees:
    Many people go with unlicensed contractors because they believe they’re getting a much better deal in terms of the price they’re paying for the work. However, prices that seem “too good to be true” often are. Unlicensed contractors aren’t as likely to be upfront about additional costs that will go into the job, and will not be as upfront about any unforeseen repairs that will arise during the course of the job. Licensed contractors have a professional reputation to uphold and must meet certain standards of professional ethics to maintain their licenses.
  • Bait and switch:
    Unlicensed contractors are also much more likely to use the old “bait and switch” scam. They’ll lowball you with a quote, only to jack up the price as soon as the job begins with items that were either not in the contract or “not found” while they were giving you an estimate for the job. Again, you can have much greater faith in the professional ethics of a licensed contractor.
  • Low quality work:
    While you may very well find an unlicensed contractor who does excellent work, there’s never any guarantee that you’re going to be satisfied with the results they give you. With a licensed contractor, you know that they have the training, experience and high standards of quality necessary to maintain a professional license in their field. It’s worth paying a little extra for the peace of mind that comes with knowing the contractor is proven to provide a high quality of work.
  • Not finishing the job:
    Again, there are many different kinds of scams unlicensed handymen are known to perform, one of which is simply taking the money and running without ever actually completing or even starting the job according to the terms of your agreement. It’s essentially impossible for a licensed contractor to pull off something like this, because they’re easy to track down through a variety of sources (and easy to hold to account).

For more information about the various benefits of working with a licensed and MHIC certified paving contractor in Montgomery County, MD instead of an unlicensed handyman, we encourage you to contact Maryland Asphalt LLC today. We’d be happy to provide you with more information about how we’re equipped to handle your paving project!

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