Should I pay.....................

[sajetto]

$1,000 up front to my handy man???? My realtor referred me to him and the previous owners used him for the repairs. He quoted me $2,000 to paint the whole house (ceilings, closets, trim, doors, cabinets, walls), but wants half up front. I know he has a lot of references, but I'm worried about it. He is the cheapest quote I've gotten so far, the others range from 2,300-2,600 because our walls are so badly damaged from wallpaper removal where the walls had not been primed (these quotes are for walls and trim ONLY). I would hate to spend more, but its something I'm not crazy about. However, he will not work with me on it. He says he's just as leary of my b/c he doesn't want to spend his money on materials and then I bail. He's bringing his standard contract over this afternoon for me to look at.

So long winded....so yeah....would you do it or no way Jose'?!

 

[Jeafl]

Around here it is pretty standard to pay half up front. I can see your point, but I can see his as well. I am willing to bet that just about anybody you use will want half up front. If you have gotten some good references, and know people who have used him, you will probably be ok. I had to pay the guy that faux finished our foyer $1500 up front and that was scary. It all turned out fine though. Good luck!

 

[SillyMe]

If he's not willing to work out another deal, then you probably don't have a choice. I know I don't need to tell you this, but make sure you pay by check. Why is it that so many construction workers/repairemen take the money and run?

 

[Evil Queen]

We normally had to pay half for most services like that around here.

 

[Cinderella2004]

Half is standard here as well. Don't forget, the contractor/painter incurs expenses as well. What are the terms with the quotes that are higher? As previous posters have mentioned, if you have references, you should be all set.

 

[Bob Slydell]

Assuming a lot of his business comes from referrals from people like your realtor, it's in his best interest not to take off with your money or do a shoddy job, so yes, I would pay up front. He needs it to buy materials so it's not coming out of his pocket.

 

[golfgal]

Did you check his references? If you did and they were positive, then pay him half upfront. It may be that he is busy enough that his costs are covered with that bid. The lowest doesn't always mean the worst, too. The guy that did the inspection on our home came highly recommended, DH's company has used him for a lot of properties and our RE agent has had him do many of their inspections. He charges about $100 LESS then everyone else. He is ALWAYS busy because of that and he basically told DH that for the 2 hours it takes him to do the inspection he gets paid very well ($250 for the inspection).

 

[RitaZ.]

One of the worst things about owning a home is hiring a contractor to do repairs or whatever. You never know what you're going to get. Even when they come highly recommended, they do lousy work.

Most contractors want some money up front, that's the norm. When we had our house painted last year (exterior), the company didn't ask for any money up front. I thought that was unusual, but they didn't.

Paying by check doesn't offer any more protection than cash. If he accepts credit cards, which I doubt, I'd use that for the initial payment. I can also see his side of it. If he comes so highly recommended by your realtor, then he probably isn't a fly-by-night operation. Good luck!

 

[mickeyfan2]

It is standard to pay half up front. That is to enable him to buy the materials.

 

[DVC Sadie]

I take issue with a poster that says contractors do lousy work for the money. My dh owned his own contracting business and you wouldn't believe what some homeowners put him through...don't want to go there this morning.

Thank goodness 99% of the business he received was from customer referrals from satisfied customers.

Things may have changed since he has retired but he use to receive 1/3rd at the signing of the contract for materials, another draw of 1/3rd at the start of the job and final payment at completion of job.

 

[sajetto]

Okey dokey, we're set then. Thanks guys! He's actually the only one that told us he wanted half up front, but its not a problem. He really does have good references, but I guess its normal to be a little hesitant to cut a check for $1,000 dollars without actually getting anything first. I think everything will be fine.......at least I hope

 

[MouseWorshipin]

Half is pretty standard with that kind of amount. Otherwise, he might be thinking, "Here I'm doing all this work for folks who might end up being deadbeats."

I'd do it, if you trust the people who recommended him.

Good luck!

 

[MinnieGirl33]

We own our own construction company & always require a deposit.

If all else checks out I'm sure you'll be fine. Just think, he has all your realtors business to lose if he skips not just your $1000.

 

[sajetto]

I'd do it, if you trust the people who recommended him.

Good luck!

I do trust the references and I know for sure that our realtor would not have been suggesting him for the past 8 years unless she felt confident about his work. I'm just way too paranoid.