Contractor for Beam replacement

[Hahna Reyes]

I’m trying to find a good contractor who can replace the main beam. After shopping around, we narrow down to 2 contractors.

Contractor A has good reviews online and offered me to do the job for $13k. He has proper company website which we can check on his jobs. And he actually took us to see his current job site so I kind of feel he is very honest and open. But he hasn’t talked about the payment process or contract etc yet.

Contractor B has no reviews available online and offered me to do the job with $2.5k retainer fee upfront. Total estimate is less than $10k. He seems to be a good reputable guy and has prepared the contract with details of the job process.

Could anyone share your thought, tips,or experience in terms of picking a good contractor if you have similar project experience in the past? Since it is my first time to hear retainer fee, I am being extra cautious..

Any comments or sharing is helpful.