On 21 Mar 2007 21:53:53 GMT, Steve wrote:

aspasia wrote in :

On Wed, 21 Mar 2007 06:24:49 -0400, "3G" wrote:
aspasia wrote in message
remove and rebuild them.
it's not worth the time to cut and grind.

That's what I want -- to remove and rebuild, pref. with wood.
I was never suggesting "cut and grind".

My problem is locating a contractor.

Look for a handyman. We tackle smaller jobs like this all the time.
Contractors don't like to mess with jobs under $10K because theres so much
cost in the setup.

Ask for references and check them out before you hire someone.

This isn't a repair, so he'll have to pull a permit with the city. This is a
good thing, since they'll make sure he meets code.

If I were doing it in the Fort Worth area, I'd guess the cost would be around
$1000. This includes hauling away the old concrete and building a stoop with
two steps and a railing. Your code might not require the railing, but I'd
want it anyway. (I didn't do an actual calculation here. Make your guy give
you a written estimate up front.)

Well, you did give me an idea. Maybe the City doesn't require him (or
her) to be a licensed contractor. I was thinking they had to be,
because it would be paid for by a City grant (senior stuff).

The City allocated $4000 for the job, but the ONLY bid I was able
to get was from a female head of a minority construction company not
in this area, and it ran $625 over.

Nothing developed for over a year, and then I got an inquiry from
whoever drew up the bid papers -- they're somehow connected with the
City (don't ask; I don't even understand it!) So now I am trying to
find out if the bid is still alive, and if not, go back on the hunt
for a contractor/handyman/whatever.

Sigh!

I originally asked the group if they knew of a way to locate a
person to do the job, other than the Yellow Pages.

Still asking...any thoughts on where to look? I really don't want to
lose the City funds, and I sure as hell need to fix those steps,
but I can't afford it out of pocket.

Aspasia