As a family member who wants to make life easier for a loved one with disability or as a building owner who intends to make his establishment more accessible, integrating wheelchair accessible ramps to your residence or building is a wise move. Nevertheless, you have to bear in mind that this decision could end up futile if you scored the deal with a lousy contractor. Aluminum wheelchair ramps come with a significant monetary investment and the contractor you will work with will largely dictate whether this decision will pay off or not. There are a handful of vital guidelines you should never miss out on.
Choose a contractor with solid background in building wheelchair accessible ramps. This is definitely the safest way for you to go. There is no local agency that regulates contractors who build ramps. Likewise, no specific training is intended and expected for ramp builders. It is also difficult, if not impossible, to find a contractor who builds ramps only. Usually, the contractors engaged into ramp building are also involved with building decks. You could always gather a list of contractors in your area and shortlist those with experience on the job at hand.
Seek for referrals. Definitely, you can find disability support groups in your community. You can consult with them for recommended contractors. You could also check out your local disability welfare agencies. Usually, these government offices have a database or a pool of contractors they hire to build wheelchair ramps for public use. If you were not able to get any vital information from those sources, you can turn to internet sites such as Craigslist. Lots of contractors who build ramps advertise and promote their services on these web-based sites.
Choose an insured contractor. You can start off narrowing down your list by removing contractors who are not insured. Do not be tempted with the lower prices they offer. You will end up spending more in the long run.
Demand for a site visit. You should require your shortlisted contractors to visit your residence or building and check out the area. This will give them a better and more realistic overview of what materials they should use and what type of wheelchair ramp would be most suitable. Be aware of contractors who do not show up or who cancel their site visit appointment. You can do yourself a huge favor by crossing them out from your list. For those who show up at your site, make sure to walk them through the entire site.
Look at their source of materials. Contractors who have been in the business of building wheelchair accessible ramps for quite some time already would surely have corporate accounts in lumber yards, hardware stores or building depots. Thus, they could easily avail of discounts. In addition, it is expected that they would know the best place to buy the materials from that could help you cut down on cost without compromising quality. If a contractor remarks that he can buy the materials anywhere, you should not look at it as a good sign.
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