There is no shortage of people around Millsboro willing to fix something in your house. Some have a truck, a toolbox, and a phone number on a flyer. Some run real, registered companies. From the outside they can look exactly the same, right up until something goes wrong and you find out which kind you hired.

We've been doing this kind of work since 1991, and the advice we give friends and neighbors hasn't changed much in that time. Check that you're dealing with a legal company. Then check that they've actually done the kind of job you're asking for. Those two questions sort out most of the trouble before it starts. Here's how we'd walk you through the rest.

The short answer

The rest of this post breaks that down: what to check first, why the size of the job changes the questions, the green and red flags we'd watch for, and a quick decision table at the end.

Step 1: Make sure it's a legal company

This is the first thing we'd tell anyone. There are a lot of people in this line of work who are not properly registered or insured. When the job goes smoothly, you may never notice. When it doesn't, say a ladder slips, a pipe gets nicked, or the work has to be redone, you want to be dealing with a business that can be held to what it promised.

So ask the plain questions. What's the full business name? Is the company registered? Can you show proof of insurance? A legitimate company won't be offended, and it won't need a day to think about the answers. Ask us too. We'd rather you check than assume.

Step 2: Ask whether they've done this exact kind of work before

How much experience matters depends on the job. Changing a lightbulb is easy. How do you even qualify a person to change a lightbulb? You don't need a portfolio for that. But when someone is fabricating or finishing something, like building cabinets, running trim, laying a floor, or cutting in a room of paint, the gap between someone who has done it a hundred times and someone who's figuring it out on your walls is very real.

So match your questions to the job. For a small fix, a registered company with decent reviews is usually enough. For finish work, ask directly: have you done this type of work before? Can I see photos? A company that does it regularly will have pictures in its project gallery or on its phone, and it will be glad to show them.

Small fix vs. finish work: what to check

Here's the checklist we'd hand you if you asked. The highlighted cell is where that check matters most.

This is our own checklist, not an official standard. Plenty of jobs sit somewhere between the two columns; when in doubt, use the right-hand one.

Step 3: Expect them to come and look before they quote

Our own process is simple. We talk about what you want, set up an appointment to come look at it, and then give you a quote. Our estimates are free. That middle step is the one that matters. A wall that looks like a quick patch over the phone can turn out to have water damage behind it. A floor that seems level can have a dip that changes how the planks go down.

Anyone who quotes finish work sight unseen is either guessing or planning to change the number later. Neither is good for you. For bigger jobs like vinyl plank flooring or custom cabinets, an in-person look should be the standard, not a favor.

Step 4: Pick someone who treats your home like their own

This one is harder to check, but it's the one that decides how you'll feel about the job a year from now. Does the company care about the parts you won't notice right away: the clean caulk line, the trim that's actually square, the drop cloths, the cleanup at the end? Read their reviews for those details. Neighbors tend to mention them.

“If we wouldn't be satisfied with someone doing that kind of work in our own home, we won't leave yours that way.”— AEB Services, Inc.

Past work tells you more than any promise. Drag the divider to see one of our deck jobs, from worn boards to a repaired deck, the kind of before-and-after you should ask any company to show you.

Worn and weatheredRepaired

The decision table

If you only read one part of this post, read this table. Go down the left column with the company you're considering in mind. If you land in the right-hand column more than once, keep looking.

The bottom line

Hiring well comes down to a few honest questions. Is this a legal, registered company? Has it done this exact kind of work before? Will it come look before it quotes, and put the quote in writing? And does it seem to care about your home the way you do? A company that's easy to check is usually a company that's easy to work with.

If you're around Millsboro or anywhere in our Sussex County service area, we'd be glad to be one of the companies you check. Whether it's interior painting, trim work, mounting a TV, or the list of general repairs you've been putting off, we'll come look, answer your questions, and give you a free quote.