BiggerPockets

I'm having a horribly difficult time finding contractors for a large project I need completed at my home. One of three red flags appear when I contact one:

a) They come and never follow up with an actual bid - over 50% of the contractors who have come to see the full task.
b) Their bids take much longer to return then promised. If you can't return a bid on time, how are you going to be able to complete a large project in any kind of reasonable amount of time?
c) Their bids are incomplete or include several areas where markups are excessive (eg. bid came in that included gutter work that was 2x the bid of all other bids on that part of the job).

So - I'm running out of patience - fast - and need to get this job done in the next 2 months.

Which leads me to Angie's List. Have any of you used this site to screen contractors (looking for a GC)? What are your thoughts?

I have used Angies List, with mixed results. Their contractors tend to be "retail". Their bids are higher and they're aimed at homeowners rather than fix-and-flippers.

I've had bids for the same job vary by more than a factor of three. For example, for the same work, I've had plumber bids of over $9000, about $8000, and $2,700. For a job to relocate my furnace and hot water heater into a crawlspace, I had bids of $7,000 and $1,100.

Nick - I try not to flash the BP card -- though maybe I need to start.

Jon - thanks. I know I've asked you before, but if you have any recos on GCs who can do a patio/overhang (the roof is supported by 5 posts on the patio, so I need someone beyond the concrete people to take responsibility for it not falling while being replaced). Let me know.

See what happens when you dont

Supposedly contractors can't pay to get on Angie's list. I don't think there is a way to know if that's true or not.

My next door neighbor found an excellent plumber using Angie's list. He gave an estimate over the phone for a small job, after hearing the homeowner's description, said he'd be there between 4 and 5PM, showed up at 4:30, did the job in a little over an hour, and charged exactly what he said. At $200 for a little over an hour's work, it's not the cheapest, but in NH and MA, getting a plumber at ALL is a big deal. So my neighbor was very satisfied.

You could give it a try - and I'd use the BP card. And then if he does a good job, figure out how to send him more business.

I have had terrible luck using Angie's List, but I think the biggest problem is the fact that it is not highly used in my area, therefore there are few reviews on any contractors.

Angie's List is probably as good a resource as any to pre-screen contractors. I would steer clear though of the daily offers - I bought one and had a terrible time with the contractor because he was overwhelmed with responses and couldn't cope. This was for work on my own house, of course :-).

One great thing about Angie's List is the care they take to ensure that their system is not gamed.

For example, NY Times recently had an article exploring how Yelp was being manipulated by unscrupulous organizations seeking to undermine their competition by posting fake, yet highly negative reviews.

Angie's List only allows for reviews by consumers of the contractors. They also screen each individual posting to ensure that fake posts do not get through.

That said, it is clear that some contractors care deeply about their Angie's List profile, while the majority have no idea what it is, or why they should care. This latter group might contain some of the best value contractors in your area.

Angies list is hit or miss for me. I have hired ppl there that have sucked, I suspect from having huge number of proposals since they are no. 1 on Angies list.

On the other hand my brother hired an architect a few years ago off there and I use her to this day! She designed a number stadiums like the Baltimore Ravens stadium when she was a working stiff at a blood sucking corporate architectural firm. Now shes independent and has used Angies List to her advantage. Shes great,I think Angies List is good for smaller ppl like that.

a friend had account with them and gave me a few names, but they never panned out.

what i do is the following:

let's say i need windows (like i do at the moment). I called a window wholesaler/distributor and asked them to give me 3-4 contractors. they do, i call them and work with them.

i did that for brick work, gutters/siding, windows, sprinklers, you name it.

works every time and i get great contractors.