Are you registered with the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection?
Yes, our registration number is HIC # 0615392. Contractors that are not licensed should be avoided as they are likely to expose you to unnecessary insurance risks and provide inferior service.
When someone contracts without a license, they endanger the health, safety and welfare of the public, undercut licensed contractors who operate legitimately and lawfully, and hurt the entire construction industry.
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This registration must be prominently displayed at their place of business, in all advertisements and on all business documents including contracts and correspondence with customers.
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Contractors must have the certificate of registration to obtain municipal permits for property improvements. (The State of CT provides a toll-free number that anyone can call to check on the status of a contractor.)
A homeowner that contracts with an unregistered contractor will not be able to access the Home Improvement Guaranty Fund if there is a dispute.
Have you ever declared bankruptcy for this or any other company that you were an owner, shareholder or partner that has been a home improvement contractor?
The State of Connecticut updated its regulations on May 8, 2009. The Home Improvement contractor must disclose all legal entities that they have been an owner, shareholder or partner in that has been a home improvement contractor. This requirement is for the previous 5 years.
The State of Connecticut took this action to protect legitimate contractors and to expose unscrupulous contractors that would simply go out of business when they had problems and start up under a similar name.
Can I obtain a “ball park” estimate over the phone or via email?
General or Home Remodeling Contractors who will give you a quote over the phone without meeting you or visiting your property should be avoided. This is very unprofessional.
We do not give estimates over the phone. There are too many variables to simply give an accurate quote. We will meet you in person; ask you specific questions to gain a full understanding of your project needs. We will then provide you with a written detailed estimate including our detailed preparation and installation procedure for a typical home. We provide each homeowner we meet with our written processes. This allows the homeowner to easily understand the cost of updating their home and to easily compare our proposal with another proposal.
When is the New EPA Law to Prevent Lead Poisoning going into effect?
Common renovation activities like sanding, cutting, and demolition can create hazardous lead dust and chips by disturbing lead-based paint, which can be harmful to adults and children.
To protect against this risk, on April 22, 2008, EPA issued a rule requiring the use of lead-safe practices and other actions aimed at preventing lead poisoning. Under the rule, beginning in April 2010, contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 must be certified and must follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination.
As President of Sunny House LLC, I believe this is a very important step to protect adults and children from the harmful effects of lead paint. Sunny House LLC is certified in the new law and will follow the laws in providing our services at your home.
Is It really necessary to check references?
Yes. Quality home remodeling contractors have multiple references from past clients. We believe that a home remodeling contractor should provide you with a list of at least 20 references – this prevents the contractor from giving you 3 or 4 “references” that are actually not real customers but friends or associates. (Yes, it’s been known to happen)
Sunny House LLC provides a list of at least 25 references you can call. If a contractor is unable or unwilling to provide references that should be a warning sign.
Is it necessary to check business references?
Home remodeling contractors should have longstanding relationships with their local bank and local suppliers. All of their relationships should be in good standing. Businesses in good standing with the bank and local suppliers get preferential treatment and pricing which helps them stay competitive.
Sunny House LLC is pleased to provide you with our bank and vendor references.
Will your insurance agent provide me with a copy of your Certificate of Insurance?
Yes. Getting the Certificate of Insurance directly from the contractor’s insurance agent will provide you with assurance that the coverage is current.
In addition to registering with the Connecticut – quality home improvement contractors to adhere to the following guidelines:
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The home improvement contractor is required to maintain statutory Worker’s Compensation insurance.
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The home improvement contractor will carry at least $1,000,000 Liability insurance per incident.
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If the home improvement contractor utilizes sub-contractors – they all must also meet the same insurance requirements.
Are professional designations like Certified by InstallationMastersTM really that important?
We believe it is. We are proud of our designation as InstallationMastersTM.
InstallationMastersTM has a rigorous certification programs that recognize individuals that have demonstrated an ongoing commitment to quality products and improving standards within the home improvement industry.
An individual with these certifications will have a good understanding of specifications, product quality and installation techniques that will help assure a first-class installation for the consumer.
How will I be kept informed about the progress of my project?
We provide you with a daily update. This communication is an essential part of keeping your project on time and on budget.
Keeping you informed every day allows you to feel comfortable that progress is being made.
We’ll even keep you updated if you’re traveling with emails.
When you start a job, do you stay until it’s done?
Yes. We are motivated to complete your project as that is the only way we get paid. Once we start your project, we stay on it each day until we are finished unless there are circumstances beyond our control like weather that don’t permit us to work.
Do I need to be home when you’re working?
Not all the time but we do ask that you be available each day so we can provide you with answers to any questions you have.
How long does it take?
Each project is different. As required by law in Connecticut, we give you an approximate start and finish dates in our proposal so you can plan. Once we start your project, we stay on it each day until we are finished unless there are circumstances beyond our control like weather that don’t permit us to work.
Where will you clean up?
We do ask for access to a sink that we can use for cleanup but will make other arrangements if that isn’t possible.
Do you work with Home Owner’s Associations?
Yes. We will provide the appropriate information to your HOA.
