What would you pay?

[IMGONNABE40!]

I will be having a contractor working in my house for 4-5 days this summer. I do not want to take time off work to "babysit" the contractor, but do not feel good about letting someone have the roam of my house while I am at work. My thought is to have one of the college kids from the neighborhood come stay in the house until I get home from work. The hours would likely be 9AM to 2PM at the latest. There will be no other job responsibility other than to sit in the house.

What would you pay hourly, or flat rate per day?

 

[stinkerbelle]

Originally posted by IMGONNABE40!
What would you pay hourly, or flat rate per day?

I was going to say $50 a day...but $10 an hour sounds like ALOT.

Maybe $25 or $30 a day?

 

[mudnuri]

I wouldnt hire a contractor if I was not comfortable with the person in my house alone....

But thats just me!

Brandy

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

Brandy--

I was thinking the same thing as I was posting above. I have seen that the guy does great work and seems like a nice guy...but I also realize that he is a total stranger. I do not know how one develops a comfort level like that with a contractor, other than by experience. There is only one contractor I know that I have no problem having in my house (he had keys at one point) but he is a bit pricey and not an expert in the job we are having done. Having someone there protects him as well as us, and the contract we will be signing indicates that he would like a person over the age of 18 to be on the premesis during the work day.

 

[zurgswife]

Just don't hire a female...just for protection of either party....I would only hire a male to sit at my house while a contractor was there...

But I'm also of the group that I wouldn't hire a contractor I didn't trust in my house...or either that or I would stay myself..

 

[skuttle]

I don't think I'd feel comfortable with any contractor in my house either, unless it was a family member or friend.

I'd pay $25 a day...$5/hr sound reasonable to me to just sit there.

 

[jfulcer]

IMHO, you're hiring one semi-stranger (albeit a kid on the block, but still not a 'close relation') to watch another stranger.

I would attempt to take the time off myself or ask a family member that didn't work to house sit for a bit. Do you have any adult neighbors at home? Retired people? That I would feel more comfortable with...

 

[dianeschlicht]

If you aren't comfortable with this contractor, hire a different one. Contractors have a license that if they do something unethical or illegal, they will lose, and then not have a business anymore. If they are licensed and bonded, I would feel comfortable with them being there. Even our contractor who has been negligent about getting the work done, has been totally trustworthy around our things etc.

 

[aprilgail2]

I've always just the contractor in then left for work and by the time I came home they were ready to leave. I would shoot home during lunch just to make sure they didn't have any questions as to where I wanted things or anything then went back to work. When they did the addition they didn't get there early so I just left the window cracked, they reached in and cranked it open enough to climb in- there was no entry into the house from that room at that time, that was the last thing they did.

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

I am not uncomfortable with the contractor. He arrived in a timely fashion for the interview. He was neat and well groomed. He wore a clean shirt wth his company's name on it. He was polite and patiently answered all of our questions. I think the the price is very fair (less than what I expected, actually). He drives a newer model pick up truck that was also very clean. He does good work. He comes recommended by the designer.

But for me, and perhaps this is the New Yorker in me coming out, all of the above does not translate into yeah, I feel like he can be unsupervised in my home.

jlucifer--point well taken--thanks.

dianeschlicht--thanks for that info.

aprilgail2--I have done something similar in the past with a contractor who I got to know because our sons were teammates. Short of that personal knowledge, I could not do that.

 

[Talking Hands]

The only contractor we use we trust to be in our house even if we are gone. We have known him for years. His wife and I worked together until she retired. We belong to the same church and are also part of the same Deaf community groups. He also does work for my husband's sellers in the real estate business.