Business Strategies: The Questions of Warranties
We all know concrete is going to crack. So what kind of warranty should you give the customer? Four contractors describe how they deal with guarantees and warranties for their decorative concrete work.
by Stacy Enesey Klemenc

It all depends on who you ask. Four successful contractors from California to New York share their philosophy on warranties.

It's pretty much a given in this business: Somewhere along the line, concrete is going to crack. No one in their right mind is going to guarantee otherwise.

"We actually have contractors that guarantee concrete will crack," says Ira Goldberg, president of Beyond Concrete, a New Jersey-based Bomanite and Lithocrete franchise that was formerly named Bomanite of New Jersey, New York City, Long Island and Eastern Pennsylvania. "We tell our customers there is always a potential for cracking but we do everything to ensure that it won't."

He says Beyond Concrete will repair any color delamination, surface spalling and significant cracking that may appear within one year from the date of installation, no questions asked. The one-year guarantee is standard fare for most decorative concrete contractors across the country, although many will stand behind their installation for an indeterminate amount of time depending on the project.

Goldberg says his company shies away from extended deals. It used to offer a warranty where the company would come out every two years to power wash, touch up and reseal, but Goldberg felt much of the work was unnecessary. "We found that it's usually three to five years before something needs to be washed and resealed," he says. "We think our clients are better off just calling us when they need our services."