Choose the Best Dallas Carpentry Service
Do you need a carpenter for your Dallas home? Whether you need to install storage shelves in your basement, are looking to add an island to your kitchen or need your cabinets resurfaced, it’s integral you hire a woodworking professional you can trust.
Carpentry is highly skilled work. Indeed, it’s one of the oldest trades and has a history dating back to Ancient Egypt. Yet, not all carpenters are created equally. So, how do you know if you’ve hired the right contractors for your house? There are a few things to look for that will help make the hiring process easier.
Know Your Project
Before researching carpenters, it’s important to have a clear idea of the project at hand. Some professionals will be more skilled at certain tasks, and more familiar with different types of wood, than others. For example, say you need a warped or rotten door frame restored. It follows you should hire a carpenter who specializes in door repairs. Likewise, not all carpenters can do custom projects. So if you want something special done in your home—a unique mantel place, a moving kitchen island or custom kitchen cabinets—check to be sure the woodworking expert you hire has the experience and skills to complete these types of projects. There are a few different kinds of woodworking professionals you should familiarize yourself with:
Rough carpenters handle structural jobs involving framing and formwork.
Finish carpentry includes any work that will be visible once a building’s completed. Finish carpenters work to a very high level of detail and on a range of projects.
Repair carpenters work on repairing a range of woodwork, including damaged frames around doors and windows to broken shelves and staircases.
Cabinet-making involves building cabinetry for kitchens, bathrooms, laundries, offices etc. Furniture making is also generally categorized with cabinet-making.
Trim carpentry specializes in installing trims and molding in a room, including mantles skirting birds, edge trim and cornices.
Check Credentials
It sounds like common sense, but we can’t emphasize enough how important it is to check a carpenter’s credentials before committing to their services. Check online reviews and ask for references from the company directly. When doing so, make sure before and after photos of recent work are included in the reference. It’s best to find photos of work similar to what you want completed in your home.
While looking online, check for the consistency of positive reviews. Are they recent? Do there seem to be any dips in work quality over the recent weeks? A carpenter is only as good as his or her most recent job, so up-to-date reviews are a must.
Confirm Availability
If you’re working on a timeline, hire a carpenter who can complete the work by the time you need it done. Say you’re having guests stay with you over the holidays and you need your porch in tip-top shape before they arrive. Naturally, you’ll need a carpenter who can work according to your schedule.
That said, keep in mind that sometimes busy companies are worth waiting for. Much like how you might choose a busy restaurant over one that is empty—taking the line of waiting people to indicate the quality of a restaurant's menu—the same logic follows for carpenters. Highly sought after woodworking professionals might need more notice of your project, so they can accommodate your timeline.
Inquire About Pricing and Costs
Different companies handle pricing differently. Some might ask you to pay a deposit upfront, while others will wait to the end of a job to present the full bill. Also, it’s helpful to know what methods of payment a carpenter accepts. If you’re planning to pay by credit card, for example, some smaller operations might charge extra to compensate for bank fees.
Ask About Carpentry Tools and Materials
A good carpenter should have all the necessary tools to complete your woodworking project. Most homeowners don’t really have a sense of what typically belongs in a carpenters tool kit, so it can be tricky to confirm whether he or she is adequately outfitted. To give you an inside edge, ask about the following professional tools:
Drill driver
Hammer
Tape measure
Socket set
Nail puller
Drill bits for steel
Circular saw
Socket organizer
Framing square
Screw extractor
Level
When it comes to materials, the carpenter should be an expert at knowing how to work with different types of wood. Depending on the company, either the woodworking professional will provide enough materials for your project or you’ll have to make a trip to the hardware store. Any woodworking contractor worth their salt should be able to let you know what kind of wood you need, what size, and any other pertinent details that ensure you buy all the necessary materials.
Is There a Guarantee?
The final step before selecting a carpenter is to check for a guarantee. Does the company guarantee its workmanship and parts? What warranties are offered on materials that will be used for your woodworking project? It’s important to ask these questions so that you know how the work will be covered, repaired or replaced should anything go wrong.
Hire the Pros at Mr. Handyman of Dallas!
Many of our contractors at Mr. Handyman of Dallas are seasoned carpenters. Our team of carpenters has extensive experience completing a variety of woodworking projects for homeowners throughout the Dallas area. No matter the scope of your next project—whether you need bespoke shelves built in your home bar, deck repairs or even a new front door installed—our team has it covered. We can build, repair and/or install:
Kitchen islands
Mantels
Wall cabinets and pre-made cabinets
Bookshelves
Crown molding
Handrails
Decks
Door frames
Stairs
We know caring for your home can be stressful, so we want you to feel reassured knowing we take pride in the work we do, and we make sure it’s done to the highest standard. That’s why we stand behind our work by offering our Done Right Guarantee. If your woodworking project was not done right the first time, we’ll fix it.
To learn more about our outstanding woodworking services or to schedule one of our skilled carpenters today, we invite you to give our friendly office staff a call at 972-627-4518 or request a service online. We're looking forward to learning more about your next project and answering any questions you might have.