Selecting a contractor Property owners are required to hire a licensed and bonded contractor to connect their homes to the city's mainline sanitary sewer. Since your STEP project affects your entire neighborhood, keep in mind that you and your neighbors likely will be approached by many contractors soliciting this work. If you coordinate with several of your neighbors, the contractor may reduce the price. Selecting a contractor is an issue that should not be handled lightly, as you are responsible for paying for their services. 1. Ask the contractor for his/her business card. The card should include the company's name, address and phone number. 2. Make sure the contractor is: - Licensed with the City of Indianapolis. Don't take his/her word for it.
- Call 327-8700 or log onto the city's Web site to discover whether the contractor is licensed (Click Here).
- Bonded.
- Ask the contractor for the name and phone number of his/her insurance company.
- Verify with the insurance company that the contractor is insured against claims covering worker's compensation, property damage and personal liability claims.
- Reputable.
- Contact the local Better Business Bureau at (317) 488-2222 (Web site: www.indybbb.org; email info@central-in.bbb.org).
- Contact the Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Services Division, at (317) 232-6330 (Web site: http://www.in.gov/attorneygeneral/contact/). Ask how long the company has been in business and if any complaints have been filed against it.
- Contact Angie's List at 297-5478. Angie's List is a membership organization that requires a yearly fee to use the service.
3. Talk with your neighbors, friends, and co-workers who might have experience with local contractors. Ask them if they would recommend any. 4. Ask the contractor for a list of local references, including names and phone numbers. Call these customers to find out if they were satisfied with the contractor's work. Visit and inspect the projects. 5. Ask for estimates in writing from at least two to three contractors. Estimates should be provided free of charge. Compare costs before making a financial commitment toward the lateral connection. Make sure the bids are based upon the same specifications, materials, labor and time. The lowest bid is not always the best bid. 7. Discuss the bids in detail with each contractor, making certain you understand the reasons for any variations in the prices. Signing a Contract Before signing a contract, make sure all the necessary components are listed, including: 1. Any contracts you sign should have the name of the company, the name of the contractor's representative, the company's address and telephone number. Never sign a partial or blank contract. Read every contract clause carefully and ask any questions you may have before signing. Retain a copy of the contract once it is signed and file it in your records. 2. You are not required to make a down payment for lateral connections; it is your choice. Be suspicious if you are asked to pay for the entire job in advance. The down payment, as a rule of thumb, is usually no more than one-third of the total contract price. 3. Be sure the contract specifies the schedule for releasing payments to the contractor and that all verbal promises also are included in the written contract. 4. Ask the contractor to provide you with a written list of all work to be completed. The contract you sign must include the following information: - Abandoning the septic tank
- Pumping the septic tank; septic tanks must be pumped empty by the contractor
- Disposing of the sludge at the city's water treatment plant. Disposal in the new sewer is against the law.
- Filling all tanks and pits with clean fill material to grade level
- Any internal plumbing changes necessary to tie into the sanitary sewer
- A complete plumbing connection ensuring that your lateral line is connected directly to the sanitary main line
- Connecting all wastewater lines, including the washing machine line, to the line that runs to the sanitary sewer
- Agreed upon start and completion dates
- Any warranties and guarantees of workmanship
5. Other information that may be included in the contract: - Final grading; filling in voids after settlement
- Driveway restoration and any landscape restoration
- Total cost, with a breakdown for labor and material charges
- A payment schedule
6. A licensed and bonded contractor must pull the permit for work to be done on private property. thus, if the contractor's work does not pass inspection, you cannot be held financially responsible for any corrections that must be made. 7. Make sure you inform your contractor of all stormwater and perimeter lines. It is illegal to connect line that discharge stormwater, groundwater, roof runoff, sub-surface drainage, or surface water into the sanitary sewer (such as sump pumps,downspouts, etc.). 8. Do not sign a completion certificate for the job until it has been inspected and approved by city inspectors and all work is properly completed, according to the contract. |