Question on Contractors for Home Improvements...Why No Calls Back???

[TheHobbyist]

So, I am looking to do some updates on the farm. The new part of my home was built in 1925 and most was updated (flooring, counters, woodwork) was updated around 1995.

I have remodeled most of the upstairs, just my wife and I, renting tools we didn't have from Home Depot (<read> tile saws, et cetera).

I like to support local businesses. I know it isn't a huge project, like a new hospital, manufacturing, or other business....this is residential. However, I am preparing to spend about $5K for new floors in kitchen, bathroom, and what not.

Ok,I am paying for materials...........my wife and I are particular about what types on appliances and tiles and will buy them outright. I need help with labor.......

Four contractors called, and not a SINGLE return reply in two months. My home is nice and all I am trying to do is make the kitchen and bathroom more modern. Nothing fancy.

I cannot even get a return call or a quote!!!!!!!!!

Unreal. No rush. Nothing that has to be done now, but to not even acknowledge communication......seriously?

 

[TheHobbyist]

The $5,000.00+ I am preparing to spend is for labor--to clarify.

 

[fiasconva]

I had the same problem a few years ago. I even had two or three contractors come out, survey what needed to be done, and said they'd call me with an estimate when they got back to their offices. Not one of them called me back. If it's not a 10k or above job they just can't be bothered.

 

[pawngal]

Try Home Advisor. The 2nd bathroom renew I did I contracted thru there.
Some contractors don't like it when you buy everything.

 

[DeathGrip]

Anyone who sells flooring should know every contractor in their town. Most have their own.

 

[Onomea]

... I am preparing to spend about $5K for new floors in kitchen, bathroom, and what not.... I am paying for materials...I need help with labor......

The $5,000.00+ I am preparing to spend is for labor--to clarify.

I am wondering about the “and what not.” Is that something more complicated than flooring? Like new kitchen counter installation or carpentry work? Maybe the $5K plus doesn’t give them enough profit margin? (Although it sure seems adequate for labor for laying down new floors in one kitchen and one bathroom...)

Or, no offense intended, is it possible that your wife and/or you come off as so fussy and demanding that the contractors figure the hassle just isn’t worth it?

I like Deathgrip’s idea of asking your flooring supplier to recommend a contractor. Or Pawngal’s HomeAdvisor thought. Other ideas are apps like TaskRabbit or Angie’s List or Yelp to try to find skilled labor. Appliance suppliers do simple installs, of course, though not carpentry

 

[Faulkner]

I have a $25K+ add on I'm wanting to do and my experience is very similar.

 

[Farmer17]

Most carpet and flooring stores wants to sell you the flooring and they sub out the installation to a crew. When people buy the materials themselves to save money that cuts out most of their profit so they won't return calls for labor only. You might contact a flooring supplier or lumber yard and see if they know of any installation crews, they are normally pretty easy to find. If you buy appliances from Lowes/HD or an appliance store have them install it that way if anything is defective with the appliance they will fix it for free. If you buy the appliance and pay someone to install it and its defective you will have to pay for labor again for the person to install it the second time. By the way I've owned my own construction company for a couple of decades and I always return peoples calls promptly no matter how busy I am.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

They want to sell you materials and mark them up. If you are not interested in doing what they want to do (know how to do) with your house, they are not interested. After all, they are the professionals, it is only your house. Welcome to 2020.

 

[llowry61]

I ran into this with a bathroom remodel. I finally found a couple of guys who would do the work on an hourly basis. It wasn't easy to find them and the work was acceptable, but I did not want to over invest in the remodel based on the overall value of the home. Good luck to you. It is a pain. If you don't want to drop the 30k for a basic remodel no one wants to talk to you. I think the current shortage of new builds is giving them a lot of options.

 

[Rudi]

There is new construction everywhere I look. Could they all be busy?

 

[BC38]

I work for an electrical contractor, and I can tell you right now anyone worth hiring has already got more work than they can handle.

We weren't accepting any new work the last two months of 2019. We were booked that far out.

Damn this booming economy anyway

 

[twodog max]

I have had the same problem. The good ones are busy but there is nothing wrong with an honest answer of we are to busy right now so we cannot help you anytime soon. Instead nothing. These types go into the when h*** freezes over file. I also spread the word.

 

[Camster]

They only return calls when they need the work. Common courtesy doesn't apply.
Are you going into detail-type of job/budget/your materials, when you leave a message or just asking for a return call?

 

[tedog]

Remember...... Skilled labor is not cheap, cheap labor is not skilled.

 

[Glashaus]

You have the material so they can't buy it, mark it up and sell it to you. They may have a low opinion of the material that you bought. You see it has a $5,000.00 job, labor only, they may see it has a $5,000.00 cost with no profit margin, no point for a contractor to take on a job like that, only reason to do that would be if you had guys sitting around that needed something to do, flooring contractors don't work that way. Their workers are either sub contractors or piecemeal workers.

For this job, you are really acting as the contractor, you just need an installation crew. Or someone that is skilled enough to do the work and get paid by you an hourly wage.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I hate to tell you this, but a $5000 job is just too small for the hassles you are describing. You have removed 33% of the profit margin and the whole idea of you suppling materials creates an area of supply uncertainty! Most prefer 10 to 15 percent extra material for a job. Most people like you a willing to have 1 to 2 percent, and the things that happen on any job are to unpredictable to mess with. Bid it out by saying you want them to do it their way then negotiate the tile later and maybe they will call you back!

Personal experience: There are two kinds of people I won't work for, nit pickers and tight wads! My brother happens to be both!

The contractor my brother uses has a 50 year policy: Once a family is a customer, they are a customer for life. That company is no longer taking on new customers. Their existing customers keep them busier that they can get quality help for! They quit advertising 30 years ago! People who advertise need work! There is a reason they need work! If you didn't already know of them, you really don't want them!

Ivan

 

[ralph7]

Try Home Advisor. The 2nd bathroom renew I did I contracted thru there.
Some contractors don't like it when you buy everything.

These folks throw a lot of options at you. I have had good luck with them in the past.

 

[Telecaster]

They don’t call back because a.) they don’t want to deal with the customers who beg and plead to be put in front of other customers. “But I have a renter signed up and paying rent, I have to have it done!” Or b.) “That’s a lot of money. Is that your best price? If I pay cash can you do it for $x?”

Customers can be their own worst enemies. And so are contractors.

I do a semi-annual tarp replacement over a skylight because three people failed to stop the leak (4 if you include me), and no one else will show up to look at it.

 

[mudcat100]

I work for an electrical contractor, and I can tell you right now anyone worth hiring has already got more work than they can handle.

We weren't accepting any new work the last two months of 2019. We were booked that far out.

Damn this booming economy anyway

I am an electrical contractor also. And supposedly semi retired. Got more work than I can get to in a short time. People will call me and think I can get to their job yesterday. Currently I am 2 - 4 weeks out. And some people get mad, but I do call back.