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Home Repair (alt.home.repair) For all homeowners and DIYers with many experienced tradesmen. Solve your toughest home fix-it problems. |
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#1
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No Interest from Contractors, Small Project
Hi,
I need to replace one side of a wooden deck, which was damaged in a storm. I've called 3 different contractors / carpenters, found in phone book. Every time, I get an answering machine, leave my message, and get no response at all from the carpenter. Obviously they are not interested. I am loathe to resort to the "handyman" types. They might answer the phone right away, but I'm afraid of their quality. What to do? Keep calling the real contractors / carpenters until someone responds ? Also, I noted a listing in the phone book for a "contractor referral service". Does that sound legit ? Ideally I could call this "contractor referral service", I suppose, tell them I'm looking for a carpenter to do a small project, and they can refer me to a couple. Thanks |
#2
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No Interest from Contractors, Small Project
On May 31, 5:57�am, utilitarian wrote:
Hi, � � I need to replace one side of a wooden deck, which was damaged in a storm. �I've called 3 different contractors / carpenters, found in phone book. Every time, I get an answering machine, leave my message, and get no response at all from the carpenter. �Obviously they are not interested. � �I am loathe to resort to the "handyman" �types.. �They might answer the phone right away, �but I'm afraid of their quality. � � What to do? Keep calling the real contractors / carpenters until someone responds ? � Also, I noted a listing in the phone book for a "contractor referral service". �Does that sound legit ? �Ideally I could call this "contractor referral service", I suppose, tell them I'm looking for a carpenter to do a small project, and they can refer me to a couple. Thanks Just do it yourself. |
#3
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No Interest from Contractors, Small Project
What to do? Keep calling the real contractors / carpenters until
someone responds ? I've had good results using Angie's List. Best, Christopher |
#4
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No Interest from Contractors, Small Project
On May 30, 11:57*pm, utilitarian wrote:
Hi, * * I need to replace one side of a wooden deck, which was damaged in a storm. *I've called 3 different contractors / carpenters, found in phone book. Every time, I get an answering machine, leave my message, and get no response at all from the carpenter. *Obviously they are not interested. * *I am loathe to resort to the "handyman" *types. *They might answer the phone right away, *but I'm afraid of their quality. * * What to do? Keep calling the real contractors / carpenters until someone responds ? * Also, I noted a listing in the phone book for a "contractor referral service". *Does that sound legit ? *Ideally I could call this "contractor referral service", I suppose, tell them I'm looking for a carpenter to do a small project, and they can refer me to a couple. Thanks if you are afraid of quality pull a permit it gets you a free inspection, and have in the contract thet you dont pay until its inspected, then just get the cheapest dirt cheap bid. Permits are cheap insurance and free inspections have alot of benifits few use, they protect you against shoddy work. |
#5
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No Interest from Contractors, Small Project
utilitarian wrote:
Hi, I need to replace one side of a wooden deck, which was damaged in a storm. I've called 3 different contractors / carpenters, found in phone book. Every time, I get an answering machine, leave my message, and get no response at all from the carpenter. Obviously they are not interested. I am loathe to resort to the "handyman" types. They might answer the phone right away, but I'm afraid of their quality. What to do? Keep calling the real contractors / carpenters until someone responds ? Also, I noted a listing in the phone book for a "contractor referral service". Does that sound legit ? Ideally I could call this "contractor referral service", I suppose, tell them I'm looking for a carpenter to do a small project, and they can refer me to a couple. I feel your pain. BTDT, got the T-shirt. They either don't call back, or after the 'free' estimate, they send me an absurdly high write-up, for simple carpentry jobs like replacing some panel siding, or reskinning my dry-rotted deck. They clearly Don't Want The Job. About all I can recommend, and what I am trying to develop the motivation to do (no SWMBO here to nag me), is start calling the ads in the local free paper for the 'semi-retired' guys, or the guys who say 'licensed and insured' in their ads. A good carpenter with a day job is simply not going to be available. Trick is finding a good one with time on his hands due to the still-poor (around here) new construction market. For specialties, you can find moonlighting guys willing to do small jobs on evenings and weekends. But for basic outdoor carpentry, they pretty much need to be available during daylight hours. -- aem sends... |
#6
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No Interest from Contractors, Small Project
In article
, utilitarian wrote: Hi, I need to replace one side of a wooden deck, which was damaged in a storm. I've called 3 different contractors / carpenters, found in phone book. Every time, I get an answering machine, leave my message, and get no response at all from the carpenter. Obviously they are not interested. I am loathe to resort to the "handyman" types. They might answer the phone right away, but I'm afraid of their quality. What to do? Keep calling the real contractors / carpenters until someone responds ? Also, I noted a listing in the phone book for a "contractor referral service". Does that sound legit ? Ideally I could call this "contractor referral service", I suppose, tell them I'm looking for a carpenter to do a small project, and they can refer me to a couple. Thanks If you use a newsreader to get to usenet instead of going through google or some other lame-ass web based portal, your post will be seen by more people. The phone book is last century, and the people who advertise there are no more likely to be qualified than the freelancers. In fact, I would never use a contractor from the yellow pages. I don't want to pay for all that advertising, secretaries, fancy company vans, and a big carpeted suite of offices, only to have the owner, who actually knows the trade, send me some punk kid trainee who earns $10/hr. but for whom I get charged $85/hr. There are only two ways to find a competent contractor: trial and error, and word of mouth. I don't care if you're a hermit or you just moved to town fifteen minutes ago, start asking everyone you know or don't know for recommendations. The best tradespeople work alone, and don't advertise anywhere, because they have all the work they need from repeats and referrals. |
#7
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No Interest from Contractors, Small Project
On 5/31/2010 9:53 AM, Smitty Two wrote:
In article , wrote: Hi, I need to replace one side of a wooden deck, which was damaged in a storm. I've called 3 different contractors / carpenters, found in phone book. Every time, I get an answering machine, leave my message, and get no response at all from the carpenter. Obviously they are not interested. I am loathe to resort to the "handyman" types. They might answer the phone right away, but I'm afraid of their quality. What to do? Keep calling the real contractors / carpenters until someone responds ? Also, I noted a listing in the phone book for a "contractor referral service". Does that sound legit ? Ideally I could call this "contractor referral service", I suppose, tell them I'm looking for a carpenter to do a small project, and they can refer me to a couple. Thanks If you use a newsreader to get to usenet instead of going through google or some other lame-ass web based portal, your post will be seen by more people. The phone book is last century, and the people who advertise there are no more likely to be qualified than the freelancers. In fact, I would never use a contractor from the yellow pages. I don't want to pay for all that advertising, secretaries, fancy company vans, and a big carpeted suite of offices, only to have the owner, who actually knows the trade, send me some punk kid trainee who earns $10/hr. but for whom I get charged $85/hr. There are only two ways to find a competent contractor: trial and error, and word of mouth. I don't care if you're a hermit or you just moved to town fifteen minutes ago, start asking everyone you know or don't know for recommendations. The best tradespeople work alone, and don't advertise anywhere, because they have all the work they need from repeats and referrals. There's another possible way. The OP indicated that this was storm damage. There might be homeowner's insurance on the property. Even if the OP does not intend to file a claim (damage might be less than the deductible or unwillingness to risk raising premiums) insurance companies usually have a list of "recommended" or "trusted" contractors they can refer him to. |
#8
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No Interest from Contractors, Small Project
"Smitty Two" wrote in message
news In article , utilitarian wrote: Hi, I need to replace one side of a wooden deck, which was damaged in a storm. I've called 3 different contractors / carpenters, found in phone book. Every time, I get an answering machine, leave my message, and get no response at all from the carpenter. Obviously they are not interested. I am loathe to resort to the "handyman" types. They might answer the phone right away, but I'm afraid of their quality. What to do? Keep calling the real contractors / carpenters until someone responds ? Also, I noted a listing in the phone book for a "contractor referral service". Does that sound legit ? Ideally I could call this "contractor referral service", I suppose, tell them I'm looking for a carpenter to do a small project, and they can refer me to a couple. Thanks If you use a newsreader to get to usenet instead of going through google or some other lame-ass web based portal, your post will be seen by more people. The phone book is last century, and the people who advertise there are no more likely to be qualified than the freelancers. In fact, I would never use a contractor from the yellow pages. I don't want to pay for all that advertising, secretaries, fancy company vans, and a big carpeted suite of offices, only to have the owner, who actually knows the trade, send me some punk kid trainee who earns $10/hr. but for whom I get charged $85/hr. There are only two ways to find a competent contractor: trial and error, and word of mouth. I don't care if you're a hermit or you just moved to town fifteen minutes ago, start asking everyone you know or don't know for recommendations. The best tradespeople work alone, and don't advertise anywhere, because they have all the work they need from repeats and referrals. DITTO...Talk to your neighbors..Stop at the local lumber yard or contractor supply place and ASK who the good ones are... |
#9
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No Interest from Contractors, Small Project
benick wrote the following:
"Smitty Two" wrote in message news In article , utilitarian wrote: Hi, I need to replace one side of a wooden deck, which was damaged in a storm. I've called 3 different contractors / carpenters, found in phone book. Every time, I get an answering machine, leave my message, and get no response at all from the carpenter. Obviously they are not interested. I am loathe to resort to the "handyman" types. They might answer the phone right away, but I'm afraid of their quality. What to do? Keep calling the real contractors / carpenters until someone responds ? Also, I noted a listing in the phone book for a "contractor referral service". Does that sound legit ? Ideally I could call this "contractor referral service", I suppose, tell them I'm looking for a carpenter to do a small project, and they can refer me to a couple. Thanks If you use a newsreader to get to usenet instead of going through google or some other lame-ass web based portal, your post will be seen by more people. The phone book is last century, and the people who advertise there are no more likely to be qualified than the freelancers. In fact, I would never use a contractor from the yellow pages. I don't want to pay for all that advertising, secretaries, fancy company vans, and a big carpeted suite of offices, only to have the owner, who actually knows the trade, send me some punk kid trainee who earns $10/hr. but for whom I get charged $85/hr. There are only two ways to find a competent contractor: trial and error, and word of mouth. I don't care if you're a hermit or you just moved to town fifteen minutes ago, start asking everyone you know or don't know for recommendations. The best tradespeople work alone, and don't advertise anywhere, because they have all the work they need from repeats and referrals. DITTO...Talk to your neighbors..Stop at the local lumber yard or contractor supply place and ASK who the good ones are... You might not have to ask. Most of these places have business cards stuck all over the counter. -- Bill In Hamptonburgh, NY In the original Orange County. Est. 1683 To email, remove the double zeroes after @ |
#10
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No Interest from Contractors, Small Project
On Jun 1, 5:56*pm, willshak wrote:
benick wrote the following: "Smitty Two" wrote in message news In article , utilitarian wrote: Hi, * * I need to replace one side of a wooden deck, which was damaged in a storm. *I've called 3 different contractors / carpenters, found in phone book. Every time, I get an answering machine, leave my message, and get no response at all from the carpenter. *Obviously they are not interested. * *I am loathe to resort to the "handyman" *types. *They might answer the phone right away, *but I'm afraid of their quality. * * What to do? Keep calling the real contractors / carpenters until someone responds ? * Also, I noted a listing in the phone book for a "contractor referral service". *Does that sound legit ? *Ideally I could call this "contractor referral service", I suppose, tell them I'm looking for a carpenter to do a small project, and they can refer me to a couple. Thanks If you use a newsreader to get to usenet instead of going through google or some other lame-ass web based portal, your post will be seen by more people. The phone book is last century, and the people who advertise there are no more likely to be qualified than the freelancers. In fact, I would never use a contractor from the yellow pages. I don't want to pay for all that advertising, secretaries, fancy company vans, and a big carpeted suite of offices, only to have the owner, who actually knows the trade, send me some punk kid trainee who earns $10/hr. but for whom I get charged $85/hr. There are only two ways to find a competent contractor: trial and error, and word of mouth. I don't care if you're a hermit or you just moved to town fifteen minutes ago, start asking everyone you know or don't know for recommendations. The best tradespeople work alone, and don't advertise anywhere, because they have all the work they need from repeats and referrals. DITTO...Talk to your neighbors..Stop at the local lumber yard or contractor supply place and ASK who the good ones are... You might not have to ask. Most of these places have business cards stuck all over the counter. -- Bill In Hamptonburgh, NY In the original Orange County. Est. 1683 To email, remove the double zeroes after @- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - craigs list but generally you are right, it's going to be a handyman sort not a regular carpenter. Job is too small. |
#11
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No Interest from Contractors, Small Project
On Sat, 18 Dec 2010 09:17:22 -0800 (PST), Shaun Eli
wrote Re No Interest from Contractors, Small Project: I'm reasonably handy but needed help with a project. Found a handyman in the yellow pages, checked with Consumer Affairs to see that he was licensed as a home improvement contractor. He showed up, did good work, knew what he was doing... I wouldn't immediately discount handymen. I'm happy with the one I chose. +1 on that. I've done the same thing and been happy with the results. -- Work is the curse of the drinking class. |
#12
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No Interest from Contractors, Small Project
"Caesar Romano" wrote in message ... On Sat, 18 Dec 2010 09:17:22 -0800 (PST), Shaun Eli wrote Re No Interest from Contractors, Small Project: I'm reasonably handy but needed help with a project. Found a handyman in the yellow pages, checked with Consumer Affairs to see that he was licensed as a home improvement contractor. He showed up, did good work, knew what he was doing... I wouldn't immediately discount handymen. I'm happy with the one I chose. +1 on that. I've done the same thing and been happy with the results. -- I hired a couple of 'handy men' from where I work. They do mechanical work in the plant, but do lots of house type work for people. Most are very happy with their work and so was I. One place I was not very happy with was a place that does floor covering and carpets. They had been in business for many years,but the work looked like this was their first job. |
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