How to find good reliable contractors

[KAYLI'S DAD]

We are wanting to get a deck built in our back yard and I dont know how to find a good contractor. Can anyone give me some advice how to find one and what to look for? Also can you negotiate the labor with them? I already have all the material.

 

[tvguy]

Good old fashioned ask your friends and neighbors. I'm not a fan of Yelp, or Angies List, too many bogus reviews there. I suspect they will charge a slightly higher labor rate since you are providing the materials. They normally have a markup on materials they provide.

 

[misse336]

I second asking everyone you know for who they (or friends of theirs used) to make sure you get reliable answers.

I've never heard of negotiating with a contractor for a price. In my experience it's kind of been like paying someone to do your taxes, cut your hair, etc - what price they quote you is the price that you pay. That may vary by region though since I've never heard of it around here. If a contractor will do it with your materials or not will vary from contractor to contractor since many are given discounts on materials, usually 10% that I've heard, but will charge you the regular rate to have a higher profit.

 

[tvguy]

I second asking everyone you know for who they (or friends of theirs used) to make sure you get reliable answers.

I've never heard of negotiating with a contractor for a price. In my experience it's kind of been like paying someone to do your taxes, cut your hair, etc - what price they quote you is the price that you pay. That may vary by region though since I've never heard of it around here. If a contractor will do it with your materials or not will vary from contractor to contractor since many are given discounts on materials, usually 10% that I've heard, but will charge you the regular rate to have a higher profit.

10% markup is pretty good. When I remodeled last year every contractor made it clear that their markup on materials was 40%. Company I went with expected me to purchase appliances and fixtures on my own because they didn't feel it was fair to charge a markup on those items. But the sheet rock, cabinets, cultured marble and Corian were all purchased through them with a markup. But unlike the appliances, there was work involved on their part measuring, ordering, and coordinating delivery and installation of those items.

 

[MAO]

I don't know that I agree that Angie's List has a lot of "bogus" reviews - certainly the fact that you have to pay to join would seem to cut out the most egregious of those type of reviews. I've hired three contractors that were highly rated from the service and was quite pleased with the results. If you don't know anyone to ask, I think it's worth considering. You're supposed to be able to leave prior to a year with the service and get your money back; since I recently moved to a new state, I joined and have on my calendar to quit the service prior to being charged for the next year (I don't particularly care if I get the refund as I feel I definitely have gotten my money's worth - but I now have some contacts to utilize so don't see the need to continue paying for it.)

 

[tvguy]

I don't know that I agree that Angie's List has a lot of "bogus" reviews - certainly the fact that you have to pay to join would seem to cut out the most egregious of those type of reviews. I've hired three contractors that were highly rated from the service and was quite pleased with the results. If you don't know anyone to ask, I think it's worth considering. You're supposed to be able to leave prior to a year with the service and get your money back; since I recently moved to a new state, I joined and have on my calendar to quit the service prior to being charged for the next year (I don't particularly care if I get the refund as I feel I definitely have gotten my money's worth - but I now have some contacts to utilize so don't see the need to continue paying for it.)

There is free access to some portions of Angies list. I Googled my city and remodeling contractors and got this.
http://www.angieslist.com/companylist/us/ca/carmichael/handyman-contractor-reviews-263911.htm

 

[Pesky]

See if you have some neighbors on nextdoor.com and ask there. I've found some good recommendations that way and it's free. We usually got quotes from at least 3 or 4 and then we'd narrow down to the top two, tell them they were finalists and ask if the quote was their best and final. Then we'd ask if there was a cash discount.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I second asking everyone you know for who they (or friends of theirs used) to make sure you get reliable answers.

I've never heard of negotiating with a contractor for a price. In my experience it's kind of been like paying someone to do your taxes, cut your hair, etc - what price they quote you is the price that you pay. That may vary by region though since I've never heard of it around here. If a contractor will do it with your materials or not will vary from contractor to contractor since many are given discounts on materials, usually 10% that I've heard, but will charge you the regular rate to have a higher profit.

You can always negotiate price, even for haircuts!

 

[seashoreCM]

Is the contractor willing to work without a deposit and with the amount of work always ahead of the installments paid?

This part is negotiable, or you can immediately tell the contractor you will "think about it" while you seek yet more bids.

 

[laurafergie]

I agree about asking around. Back in the day, my DH never advertised, all his referrals were word of mouth. Materials depend on the job and the contractor. Some contractors will not guarantee their work unless they provide their materials. Some will do labor only with limited guarantee. I would advise you to only use an licensed and insured contractor and not your friend's, friend's, friend who is a contractor as a deck is structural and out in the weather. not done correctly can cost a lot down the road. You can try to negotiate, but in the world of construction, your job is very small. I have a feeling that the price is going to be the price. Good Luck!

 

[LuvOrlando]

I love Angies list. Like anything that has open reviews it could be fake but as a general rule bogus entries are easy to spot here and on Yelp, Tripadvisor etc. As you read through just look to see if the member has multiple entries for different things over a decent time period if they only have one that's a sure sign, look to see with the majority of people have to say & if there's only a handful that complain whenmost of them are positive then you're probably just dealing with troublemakers, try to pick people with high volume of reviews and then cross reference the company name with yelp etc. Personally, I have had fantastic experiences with this review service for plumbing, a new eye dr, dermatologist, orthodontist, a new fence this summer, HVAC & lawn care.

 

[barkley]

all good advice but i'll put one other source out there-you local homeowner's insurance agent OR a reliable real estate agent.

in an emergency our local insurance agent has a list of job specific contractors to call to deal w/our issue. these are people the insurance company has vetted as doing work that is reliable (insurance company is on the hook when they pay claims for any subsequent problems w/workmanship) and cost effective. those contractors (in our experience) offer fair prices and good work b/c they don't want me as an independent client bad mouthing them to my agent (and i always let them know who referred me). same goes w/reputable realtors-most know EXACTLY who in town does good work b/c they see the fallout when selling a home and an inspection finds fault, things are not done w/in code, permits are absent or insufficient.

as for negotiating a price I do it every time. i first ask if they do a discount if a credit card is not used and most will take the 3 or 4% charge they get hit with from the credit card company right off the top, and then i move on to how much paying cash will make a difference. we've done 3 larger scale projects over the past few years-only one required a deposit for materials up front (custom granite countertops) so when i negotiated cash with them i made sure to get a receipt from them and retain my withdrawal slip from the bank for the exact amount i paid the contractor. with all three the minimum discount i received was 10% for cash-which when you're doing a $8000 minimum job adds up to a nice savings.

 

[buzz2400]

my father is a contractor and he never advertised. He would get calls from people who got referrals from their friends and neighbors that he had worked for. And always make sure they are licensed and have insurance.