Hiring a contractor to seal your asphalt paving can be daunting. Sealcoating is among the most important maintenance tasks, and you need a contractor with the expertise to do things right. However, like many other property owners and managers, you likely also need to consider your maintenance budget. So, after getting quotes from sealcoating companies, you may feel tempted to choose the contractor offering the lowest bid to save money. Unfortunately, doing so can be a big mistake! Read on to find out why.
How and Why Do Some Sealcoating Companies Offer Suspiciously Low Bids?
Here’s the thing about the asphalt sealcoating industry: It’s competitive! Many companies want your business and use the bidding process to be as appealing as possible. They know they’ll entice more budget-conscious customers by offering lower quotes for sealcoating in West Virginia, Maryland and northern Virginia.
Those low quotes sometimes feel too good to be true. Unfortunately, they often are! Asphalt sealcoating is a more complex process than most realize. To do it correctly, Washington DC sealcoating contractors must properly prepare your pavement, use high-quality materials and follow best practices before and after application. It’s a time-consuming and meticulous job.
Shady contractors must cut corners to save money and offer lower bids. It’s the only way to reduce costs. Unscrupulous companies may use low-quality asphalt sealing products, skip vital steps in the surface prep stage, or speed through the application process to save time and money. No matter where those cuts come from, they result in awful results that don’t last.
So, when you receive curiously low bids for asphalt sealing, remember that the contractor offering it has to cut corners at some point during the job. Ask yourself how those cuts affect the final product and if you’re willing to take the risk to save a few bucks. Asphalt sealing is an important service impacting your pavement’s safety and longevity. Therefore, you must look beyond the bid you receive from Washington DC sealcoating contractors to ensure you choose a company you can trust.
Does a Low Sealcoating Bid Indicate Inferior Materials?
There are many ways that contractors can sneakily deliver lower-quality results when sealcoating in West Virginia and Maryland. The most common is to utilize low-quality asphalt sealer. For maximum protection, asphalt sealcoating companies should use premium asphalt emulsion sealers.
Shadier service providers may use products you can find at big box stores or substandard options from low-rated suppliers. Alternatively, they may use a decent asphalt sealer but prepare it incorrectly. All asphalt sealing products need preparation according to manufacturer directions. This process usually involves adding water and sand.
Some companies add more water to save money while leaving the sand out. Therefore, the mix is nothing more than watered-down asphalt sealer. Without the sand, the product has significantly less durability. As a result, it offers less protection and won’t last as long as you need it to.
How Does Experience Impact the Sealcoating Bidding Process?
Sometimes, lower bids aren’t malicious. Rather, they could be a byproduct of inexperience. That is, arguably, just as bad. When you pay for a vital service like asphalt sealcoating, you expect your contractor to do things by the book, ensuring fantastic results. However, less-experienced contractors may not realize how much work they need to do to protect your pavement.
Common rookie mistakes in asphalt sealcoating include poor surface prep, failing to make pavement repairs, applying the asphalt sealer too thickly and more. Many believe they can do asphalt sealing without realizing how much work it takes, resulting in low bids, huge mistakes and lackluster results.
How Do I Choose Sealcoating Companies I Can Trust?
Get bids for asphalt sealcoating in West Virginia, northern Virginia and Maryland from several contractors. Consult with multiple sealcoating companies to compare quotes. Most of them will be in a similar range. Consider it a red flag if you see anything significantly lower.
To narrow your options further, do your due diligence. Read online reviews, call references, examine the company’s work portfolio, etc. Look beyond the price and choose a contractor that offers experience, reliability and communication. Choosing a company you can count on makes all the difference.
Let Quality Striping & Sealing be your partner in all things pavement maintenance. We’re experts in asphalt sealcoating, bringing over two decades of experience to your project. You don’t have to worry about cut corners or substandard work when you turn to us. We do things right the first time while offering competitive pricing. In addition to asphalt sealing, we’re available for repairs, crack filling, parking lot maintenance, striping, wheel stops, snow removal and more.
Call Quality Striping & Sealing at (833)966-SEAL (7325) for an honest and transparent quote today. You can also reach the team via our online contact form or email at info@
