Draper, UT · Member since 2026 · 2 posts · 0 votes
Hello,
I own 2 duplexes and one SFH that needs a clean up. I'm looking for recommendations for a reliable general contractors or handymen. This is a small home that was treated rough by the last tenant, it needs interior painting, doors fixed, electrical outlets updated etc. Maybe some tree trimming as well. I had the current property manager give me a price, but I feel like it was high and I felt like my hands are tied to my property manager..... so I am trying this route.
I would say try Thumbtack. It's an app for getting professional plumbers, handyman, gardeners, electricians etc. It's available in Salt Lake City Area.
I would say try Thumbtack. It's an app for getting professional plumbers, handyman, gardeners, electricians etc. It's available in Salt Lake City Area.
Doug, before you shop for a new contractor, it helps to turn your PM's price into something you can actually compare. A few steps:
- Ask the PM for the quote broken out line by line: painting (which rooms), how many doors and what's wrong with each, how many outlets and what "updated" means (swapping covers is very different from replacing outlets or adding GFCIs), and the tree work as its own line. A single total is hard to judge.
- Have the PM or a tenant-turn crew send you a full set of photos of every room, every door, and the outlets in question. That lets you see whether the price fits the work.
- Then send that same written list and those photos to two or three St. Louis contractors or handymen. When everyone bids the same list, you can see who's high and why.
- Watch the electrical line. If the outlets are ungrounded two-prong ones in an older house, the fix can be more than a quick swap, and that may be part of why the number looked high.
That way you aren't just stuck taking or leaving the PM's price.
I would start by turning that single price into a clear scope of work before hiring anyone new. Ask for the work broken out by item: which rooms are being painted, which doors need repair or replacement, what exactly is meant by updating the outlets, and what tree work is included. Then ask for photos of each room, door, and outlet so you can see whether the scope matches the price.
With that same list and photos, get two or three bids from local contractors or handymen so you are comparing the same work, not different guesses. For a rental, I would also keep finishes durable and simple rather than over-improving, and have the safety items checked properly, especially older electrical work. A clear written scope usually makes the right bid obvious, and it protects you if the work changes partway through.
Thanks, I just copied what @Ametria Chaney said and what @Kyle Jones said and put the estimate into Google Gemini. Gemini wrote me an email that I sent that to my PM. The house is small and I just cannot believe a "make ready" quote could be 15% of the value of a home, especially when it's basic painting and repairs. (on top of a yearlong non paying tenant with Deca as the previous PM) Thanks!
Doug, I’d ask the property manager for the quote itemized by line, then price the same lines yourself. Paint, door repairs, outlets and tree trimming are different trades, so one lump number is hard to judge. Have a painter bid the paint by room, a handyman bid the doors, and a licensed electrician bid the outlets. Give each the same written scope so the bids compare. Tree work is its own bid from a tree service.
Also read your management agreement. Some managers add a markup on maintenance work, and some let you use your own vendors, so you may not be as locked in as you think.