Choosing a Contractor

10 years ago

last modified: 10 years ago

I am doing a master suite addition to my house plus some exterior work. Long story short, I now have two contractors who want the job and I honestly don't know how to pick.

Contractor 1: Has prices quoted for every little detail so I know what I'm paying. It's a set price except for finish materials. He is super nice, and I really like him. BUT, Sometimes he doesn't respond to calls or texts for literately weeks. He will say, "I'll call you tonight." And then it's two weeks before I hear from him. He says he is super busy right now, so maybe once he was working on my job he would be more focused? Not sure, but he is working on a friend's house and they like him a lot. They said he does awesome work, but he is hard to get a hold of, and you have to call him multiple times. He has a normal job besides the contracting, and does multiple houses so I think he overextends himself. My friend's house was quoted for 8 weeks, and they have been at it for 5 months already. My friends think it was worth the wait.

Contractor 2: They text me back within minutes if I ask a question, very knowledgeable, very nice, etc. They gave me a rough estimate, but they actually open a tab at the local building supply and I pay directly for materials, and then I pay them hourly for whatever work I want. The good news is, they aren't jacking up material costs, and their hourly wage is very very reasonable. But there is some unknown about costs. Their "quote" was cheaper on some things than the first contractor, some things were higher. They also come highly recommended and are very reputable in the area.

There are pros and cons to each company. The main pro for #2 is that I know they aren't going to price gouge me. If everything goes smoothly and it takes shorter than expected I can save quite a bit of money. On the other hand, if we run into problems... #1 I worry about communication. But I honestly just think he is super busy right now, he seems sincere when I speak with him. When I've talked with him in person he made a good impression.

So it's #1 set price but questionable communication, or #2 hourly variable price but very responsive.

Help!? Advice?

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Comments (5)

Sandy
10 years ago
Communication is key to everything. I would not use #1 just for that reason. It doesn't matter how reasonable the cost if it drags out forever, or he leaves you hanging for weeks on end not know what is going on.
farmhousefixer
Original Author
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
That is kind of how I am feeling Sandy. He might do awesome work, but if I can't get a hold of him to ask questions or make changes it's kind of a deal breaker. My husband really likes him, and wants to go with him. I think it's mostly just the unknown cost of #2 that scares my husband. They are reluctant to give me numbers for anything because they said it's individual for each job, since they charge by the hour. But my loan officer was the person to recommend #2 to me, and he said they are very fair and reasonable. I've just never heard of paying a contractor hourly like that before. Does anyone have experience with this? How did it work out?
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Anglophilia
10 years ago
I think I'd continue to look for a contractor. Neither one of these appears to be a good choice.
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Virgil Carter Fine Art
10 years ago
Well, before you dismiss one or both interested contractors, give some thought as to which financial arrangement is best for you and your situation: Fixed cost or time and materials with no maximum?
farmhousefixer
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks for all the advice guys. As an update #1's final estimate came in much higher than we talked about originally. We cut the square feet in half, and the 2nd price only went down less than 10%. Making #2 the much clearer choice. I am meeting with them tomorrow to get a written estimate and get my financing started!