Go to Home Depot at 5:30 in the morning. Any contractor there that early is likely hustling on their current project. Get their card and contact them later to schedule a time talk.
Starting the day early is a big criteria for me. My best guys start their day early. These guys are organized and ready to pound it out!
Go to Home Depot at 5:30 in the morning. Any contractor there that early is likely hustling on their current project. Get their card and contact them later to schedule a time talk.
Starting the day early is a big criteria for me. My best guys start their day early. These guys are organized and ready to pound it out!
Investor · Chicago, IL · Member since 2017 · 79 posts · 62 votes
7y
Best contractors are found by networking. The top guys are being kept busy by their top clients. Yes Home Depot may land you a good contact but odds are they won’t take you seriously if your not recommended or they’ll forget because their too busy getting materials for their “serious” clients.
Contractors deal with the same thing investors do. A lot of talk, no action. It doesn’t make sense for them to come out and give you 10 estimates if your not going to work with them.
Always visit a current work site, make sure they communicate, respond quickly, and you get along with them. A lot of contractors are crude, imagine dealing with them when you have problems in a project.
Visit a current worksite, talk to past clients, don’t just look at pictures of their work, and if you have construction knowledge ask them what they’d to in a hypothetical, make them talk out their process for your project, question their process. Everything else is your emotional IQ and gut feeling.
Last advice, if you find a good one make sure you take care of them. You’ll go through a dozen before you find reliable workers you like, do good work, and you can trust.
On the flip side, I generally don't suggest using web referral services such as Angie's List, CraftJack, or HomeAdvisor. While it is possible to find a decent contractor through these sites, the professional, quality driven contractor will have a strong, local network of satisfied clients and fellow tradesmen to funnel work their way.
I've found that many of the individuals relying on HomeAdvisor leads are doing so because their work doesn't speak for itself or their clients have not been telling everyone they know about how well their awesome new renovation turned out.
Rental Property Investor · Member since 2017 · 115 posts · 66 votes
7y
@Victoria N Hoffman
If it's trade specific, I go to the local plumbing supply / electrical supply etc... I ask the counter guys if they needed work done who would they recommend. They know who's who. Also, I will stop at a job site that looks appealing and ask for the GC. If they're there, great. If not, within 5 minutes, your gut should tell you how efficient and organized the job is being run. And lastly, network... people know people.
Severna Park, MD · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 7k+ votes
7y
Drive thru the high dollar areas , houses $500K and up and look for contractors trucks . Get the names off the trucks . The quality contractors generally get the work in the higher end neighborhoods