Frequently Asked Questions

What areas do you service?

HomeCare Referral Agency™ services the following cities in the East Bay Area – Vallejo, Martinez, Concord, Richmond, Oakland, Lafayette, Milpitas, Fremont, Newark, Union City, Hayward, Sunol, Pleasanton, Castro Valley, Livermore, San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Danville, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, Berkley, San Ramon – please click on the map to see a larger view

 
When are you available?

Our Agencies office hours of operation are Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.   Our contractors each set their own hours Monday through Friday for recurring jobs. Saturday and Sundays are available by request for only for non recurring jobs. Please note – we do charge higher fees for Weekend or after hour work and have a minimum fee for any job booked.

Do we have to be home?

That is a personal preference, The majority of our clients provide us with access or keys to their homes, however if you choose to be home while the contractor is there you are welcome to do so. We understand that you may prefer to get to know our contractors prior to allowing them to work on their own.

How do you handle keys that are given to you to retain?

If you chose to provide us with keys to your home rest assured that we take the utmost care in protecting both your key and your home, Keys are numbered and never have names attached to them. They are only issued the day of your job and are checked back in to be deposited into our safe daily. If you choose not to provide a key, lock boxes are, in our opinion; the next best solution for key control. Please be advised that due to the fact that we can only give approximate times for arrival, If we arrive and are unable to gain access to your home or business you risk being charged full rate for the lock out if we do not have a key or access to the property.

 

How many people will come to clean my home?

Depending on the home and your needs, our contractors can work individually, or in teams of 2 normally, occasionally teams of 3 can be assembled for very large jobs. Remember though if you are paying per hour the hourly rate is “per person – per hour”

Are you insured?

Yes, the majority of our contractors are insured with Liability insurance for your protection and peace of mind. As part of our vetting each contractor who is insured must provide proof of insurance to our agency and list us as a certificate holder so that we are notified if their insurance lapses and we will in turn notify you.  We do occasional have a few contractors registered who are not insured and we charge significantly less per hour for their service for them if you’re willing to assume the risks under your own home owners/ renters insurance. If you are okay with an uninsured contractor please choose the uninsured discount on our booking form to have the discount applied automatically.   

What does it mean to be bonded? What exactly is bonding?

This is a question that gets asked a lot. Bonding is an inexpensive form of insurance that pays out if there is a theft of personal belongings. Unfortunately there are several catches to bonding – 1) in order to pay out on any loss the insurance company requires that there is a prosecution of the party responsible for the theft, 2) Then the insurance company will only pay off if the item(s) stolen are not recovered or cannot be re-cooped financially from the person who was prosecuted. 3) The payout is technically just a loan and if the insurance company pays out then they want repayment of their loan by whatever party is deemed responsible. Therefore, under those terms the insurance company that holds the bond rarely pays out in any form of damages to the person or company who claims the loss. In our humbled opinion its just not worth the cost of a bond. As an employment Agency we do not insure or bond the contractors

 

What if some thing is damaged while they work in or around my home?

Please keep in mind that accidents do sometimes happen. Each contractor will make every attempt to treat your home with the utmost of care and caution. If however they break something they will leave the item and a note for you & they will make arrangements to replace the item or to pay for it. Please note – if you have items that are of extreme value, either sentimental or monetary, they would prefer that those items are identified and that they not work with or clean these items. Our contractors will not to clean plasma screens, computer equipment or other expensive electronic equipment that can be damaged easily. Too, they cannot be responsible for items that were previously damaged prior to their cleaning or work, are improperly constructed, or are not fastened in a proper way as they have no control over those situations.

Do I have to do anything before you come to work at my home?

For cleaners it is advantageous to have the home picked up as much as possible allowing your contractor to be able to get to all areas so that they can optimize your cleaning. If you haven’t chosen the extra organizing option when using our online booking option and your contractor has to spend a lot of time picking items up and putting them in their place prior to cleaning you may either be billed for the extra time needed to do so or another area of your home may be skipped to make up for the time needed to pick up in order to clean. Unless agreed upon in advance surfaces found with excessive clutter that would potentially result in damage or breakage can be skipped at the cleaner’s discretion. For all other professions it is advantageous that you have the areas they are to work on free and clear of obstructions

Do your contractors guarantee their work?

Our contractors strive to please all of their customers to the best of their abilities, however sometimes things don’t go as planned, if you contact the Agency with your concerns within 24 hours of the work being completed we will ask the contractor to work with you to resolve any problems you may have.  If in the event that you find that you for any reason you cannot work with any contractor, please let the agency know as soon as possible so we can find a replacement contractor for you.

I have allergies or am conscience of the environment, what can you do for me?

Our contractors can use traditional or only Green products that are safe for the environment, again if you want green products please check that feature on our booking form. Your contractor can also customize their work to take into account any allergies and sensitivities.

How do I pay for my services?

Payment is expected at the time of the cleaning. We require for a credit card to be on file in order to book the job but We will accept cash, checks or credit cards for your convenience. If you haven’t left a check or cash the day of your card with be automatically run after the cleaning. For 1 time cleans and larger jobs we reserve the right to put a hold on your cards funds to assure payment

Do you offer any discount programs?

We offer several types of discounts. For example – we discount if you accept an uninsured contractor, we have recurring services discounts, we have a referral discount program where you are given money off of your cleaning for each referral that turns into a job for us. We also offer other specials or discounts thru out the year; so please check with us from time to time to see what specials are available.

I have pets, what do I do with them when the worker is present?

We are of a firm belief that family pets are just like children, most contractors enjoy working with them. If however your pet is afraid of power tools or vacuums or are unruly and will not allow our contractors to do their work they may suggest that they be placed in areas that are not being worked in.

What if I do not need my whole home cleaned?

Keep in mind that we do have a 2 hour minimum for any week day job and a 3 hour minimum for any Saturday job, past that we can work with you to customize your cleanings to your needs. Call us, tell us your needs and we will find a way to work them out for you.

 

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