Three construction workers are standing on a flat concrete slab at a construction site, where numerous white utility pipes protrude. The site, overseen by Steve L. Dellinger Contractor, is surrounded by dirt and construction materials with an orange safety barrier in the background.

How to Choose the Right Contractor in York, PA

Choosing the correct contractor for your project can sometimes be confusing. Be careful with this process. Remember the work is taking place on what is probably your best asset and investment, your home!

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Price Vs. Value

Don’t confuse the difference between price and value. Price is just the amount of money for which something is bought. The value is the actual relative worth of a product or service. The price can be low, but the actual value or worth is often times even lower.

It’s very true, that the regret of a sloppy and inferior project lasts much longer than the brief happiness of its original low price! The cost of replacing or correcting the project, at that point, is generally much higher than before it was even started.

10 Things to Consider Before Hiring a Contractor

1. Is the contractor legal & registered?
Steve L. Dellinger Contractor is registered with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a Home Improvement Contractor. Our number is PA 019035.


2. Is the contractor trained & experienced?
Steve started training at the young age of 15 years old as a student at York Vo-Tech studying trowel trades. His dedicated interest in being the best he could be in masonry and concrete led him to further his trade education with additional training from the University of Wisconsin, Penn State, World of Concrete, Increte Decorative Concrete, Glen Gery Design Center, etc.


3. What kind of reputation does the contractor have?
SLD’s 30 plus years of local, professional concrete, masonry, and excavating service has produced a fine reputation and name in the industry.


4. Is the contractor personally insured?
SLD is fully insured from municipal bonds, general liability and workman’s compensation insurance.


5. How is the project supervised?
Steve is in the field daily and has a hands-on approach to the projects.

6. Is the contractor professional & ethical?
Steve has built the business on the principal of providing honest and professional service to the client.


7. Is the contractor trade specific?
SLD will not mow your lawn, trim your trees, replace your roof or kitchen. We just do what we know we are best at: concrete, masonry, and excavation.


8) Is the estimate specific and in writing?
SLD has everything outlined in detail on our estimate sheet. And, if accepted, places the project on a contract proposal. So, there are no unclear issues.


9) Are the contractor’s employees providing similar professionalism & ethics as the firm they work for?
Steve hires only employees that meet his qualifications. Not only technical, but ethical and professional as well. All employees are United States citizens.


10) Does the contractor warrant their work?
Be cautious of contractors that will make guarantees that sound too good to be true. Because, they generally are full of loopholes. The fact is, no one can guarantee that you will not get some minor cracking with any masonry or concrete work done. It is a trade norm and acceptance for the possibility of some very minor cracking due to shrinking and movement of the earth. SLD stands behind all of our work, as we have done since 1980. If the problem is determined to be with our workmanship or material, we will correct it.