Twin Cities landlords: How are you actually finding good contractors?

Question

Hello! Future first-time landlord here, about to start shopping for multi-family rentals in the Twin Cities. Before I buy, I’m trying to learn from people who’ve already been through this.

For those of you self-managing 1-5 units: how do you currently find contractors you trust (plumbers, electricians, HVAC, handymen, etc.)? Word of mouth, Yelp, Angi/Thumbtack, a local referral service, something else?

Also, what’s been the most frustrating part of that process? Bad quotes, no-shows, work you had to redo, just never knowing who to call when something breaks?

I’m trying to learn as much about this process before I’m in the position of needing this myself. Appreciate any war stories.

Thanks!

Adam Tafel · Answer

There are a few ways to go about it. It took me 6, maybe 7 years of landlording and being a professional in the real estate investing space before I really had a crew I trusted to work for me consistently.

I was able to get connected to a fantastic crew of mostly immigrant labor, which is much cheaper than the majority of general contractors, through another friend in the space. Don't expect to be connected to these guys easily. It was a lender of mine who I had done lots of business with, so my success was mutually beneficial to both of us.

You could attend meetups and ask lots of people and maybe get lucky, but your best bet is to do what I did: align yourself with real estate professionals who have something to gain via your successes, and use who they use.

Randy Schell · Answer

Doing this homework before you buy is such a kind thing to do for your future self. One idea you may not have thought of is to ask the neighbors and the folks at a local hardware store, since they usually know who actually shows up.

Randy, Bunklow

Willson Dinayen · Answer

Ask for a current COI before the first job, not after. That one step filters out most of the no-shows and bad quotes. Then start every new vendor on a small paid test job — how they show up for the little stuff is how they'll show up for the big stuff.

Richard (Ryszard) Cieplechowicz · Answer

I would start with referrals from landlords who have used the contractor more than once, then call the references yourself. Get a written scope and ask how they handle a callback if the repair does not hold. The low quote is not much help if nobody answers when something goes wrong.

Twin Cities landlords: How are you actually finding good contractors?

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