Contractor Suck (longish)

[Sapphire Silk]

I'm getting ready to put new siding on my house. I bought my place about 18 months ago, and it needed a paint job when I bought it.

I called around and got some contractors to bid on the project. I was thinking about going to vinyl, believing it would be a cheaper alternative. One of the contractors was a large chain catering to DIY folks. I was curious to see if they could match or beat local contractors.

Guy comes out to measure the house and talk about various products. Quotes me almost 17K to re-side my whole house (a 1 level ranch). Waaay more than I expected, though I did know it would be expensive. Told the guy I'd have to think it over and compare his price to the other bids.

Fast forward about a week and a half later. My neighbor across the street is re-siding the south side of his house (like mine, the south side gets a LOT of sun). We both have cedar plank siding. I go over with my sister (who is far more assertive than I) to take a look, and see what the work is like, the materials they are using, and what they charge.

They're using "Hardy board", a wood-cement composite material. It looks wonderful; the materials look quite realistic, and their work looked wonderful. I ask them for a quote, which they gave me today, for just the south side of my house. $2200, including materials, tear off, tar paper, fix my rotted soffits, paint the new siding, and sand and paint the window sills (4 of them). Not bad I thought. And he offered to cut the price if I do the tear down, and again if I paint the siding myself (which I just might do).

So guy from big chain calls a few minutes ago and asks what my plans were. I told him I was going with another contractor. He asked how much I was paying, I told him (I might ask for an estimate on something else in the future, so may as well be polite). He asks about a warranty. I will be getting one but couldn't remember the details (I haven't signed a contract yet). He tries to argue with me "James Hardy will warranty the materials, but if the work is done wrong, they won't. So you're saying you'd rather go cheap than have a company stand behind their work?"

Umm. Sure, I will get a warranty, and maybe it's not as good as yours, but I've seen the workmanship--these guys have been taking their time to do it right. And do you really think that calling me cheap is going to make me want to use your company???

Thanks, but no thanks.

[Amina516]

Good sleuthing. That sounds like a deal.

The bigger companies for Home Improvement ALWAYs charge ridiculously more.

I had the same issue with windows. A LARGE company quoted me $20K, while a smaller, local one was $3900. The Large Co man was PISSED when I told him we were going with someone else. I even had to kick him out of my house b/c he wouldnt leave. He was cruising for a bruising... I then wrote to Large Co, and let them know the antics of their sales staff and they never got back to me. Oh wells.

[bainsidhe]

I'm speaking as a non-homeowner here, but how can large home improvement places charge so much?? Are they really making a killing (besides to your wallet) or is there something else going on? There's no way I understand paying 8x more when we're talking thousands of dollars.

[Sapphire Silk]

I was surprised by the huge difference in price. I had expected a quote of about half what the large chain actually gave me. Then for the salesman to get pissy with me over the phone when I told him I'd be going with someone else pretty much slammed the door closed for good.

I hate being talked down to, and that's what that guy did.

[draftermatt]

I'm speaking as a non-homeowner here, but how can large home improvement places charge so much?? Are they really making a killing (besides to your wallet) or is there something else going on? There's no way I understand paying 8x more when we're talking thousands of dollars.

Because for every person who will comparison shop there are normally 2 or 3 who will either go with the first name in the phone book, or with a name they recognize.

That said things like that are rarer these days and most contractors (and subcontractors, hi) realize that and have cut their prices to the point of almost no profit.

My guess is in the OP's case the big company hasn't yet figured out that their reputation and warranty aren't going to continue to get them work.

My bosses took about 6 months longer to figure that out than most of our competitors which is why I'm posting this from home on a Friday morning.

[evillebee]

Contractors who work through the Big Box Store's are subcontracted and do not technicaly work for the Big Box Store. The subcontractors are charged an average fee of 8% by the Big Box Store for all jobs they get through them. Add to that the cost of the high pressure salesman hired by the subcontractor (some who work for commision only) and the homeowner ends up paying $$$ more than if they called someone out of the yellow pages.

Best bet is to get referals from neighbors, friends and family. You did the right thing, Panacea.

[Gruesome]

Always always always get quotes from multiple sources. I had a bathroom redone recently and I had bids from $6,500 to $11,000. All contractors are not created equal and it will be very helpful to do your research.

The big box guys can be helpful in a pinch. If you need something PDQ and you just don't have the time to jerk around with the process then they can probably fix you up. You'll pay more than necessary, but there IS a cost for convenience. When I needed a new water heater installed that day, I wasn't worried about the price tag and a big box sent a guy out immediately. I don;t care if it cost me an extra $100, I had hot water that evening.

[Magpie]

It's also worth paying a little bit more to make sure you get someone you trust. There's not a lot of regulation, and you don't want to get stuck with someone who either cuts corners like mad or doesn't know what the heck they're doing.

[Stormraven]

Definitely on that. I've been watching, lately, a show called 'Holmes on Homes', and he's always pointing out that much of what regulation exists actually protects contractors over homeowners, so he's very vocal about 'verify, verify, verify', and watch for the red flags.

[Pagan]

Definitely on that. I've been watching, lately, a show called 'Holmes on Homes', and he's always pointing out that much of what regulation exists actually protects contractors over homeowners, so he's very vocal about 'verify, verify, verify', and watch for the red flags.

I was going to say that, too, but you beat me to it! He actually seems genuinely pissed-off with some of the stuff that he finds.

[Sapphire Silk]

I've had really mixed experiences with contractors. I've had to learn some lessons the hard way (ie, got ripped off), and I'm getting a lot more cynical and skeptical when dealing with them.

When I first bought my house, I had an issue hooking up my dryer to the vent hose. The end of the hose had been wrapped in a plastic trash bag, I figured to keep dirt out of it, and it never occurred to me to look at it before the closing. The inspector missed this too. It was badly torn. Although I had enough slack to trim it up I quickly realized that it would not attach to my dryer (wrong type of hose) and that the hose was in the wrong place. there was a pipe for gas also, that was keeping me from pushing the dryer all the way into the closet.

I called a couple of appliances places for help and ended up going with a contractor one of them recommended. He was a really nice guy. He explained I had the wrong kind of vent hose; it should be rigid, not the collapsible tubing I had. He also noted the vent was in the wrong place in the closet, said he'd have to move it and the pipe (which was also in the wrong place). I had him take out the pipe since I don't have a gas dryer. He installed the new ductwork, then showed me how to keep the dryer lint free and talked about dryer safety. He was very nice, professional, and the price seemed reasonable for everything he had to do to get me set up. He said he'd need to service the dryer and the ducts in 2 years, and left me with a reminder sticker.

My dryer works like a charm.

A couple of weeks ago, the company he works for called me, saying I was overdue for maintenance. I thought it was every 2 years, says I.

Oh no, 12-14 months, says they.

How much, says I

$129.99, says they.

Uh, I'll have to think about it and call you back, says I.

Yes, indeed, companies do charge that much to clean lint from your dryer and your vents. It is also an easy DIY job I can do in about a hour. I think I will be keeping that $129.99 in my pocket . . .

[Stormraven]

Given some of the stuff he finds, I'd be pissed off, too. I watched one today where the contractor had left a live wire buried in the subfloor. And it didn't look like he'd capped it off, either. The contractor was, supposedly, a Master Electrician.