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

[pawngal]

One of the good things about HomeAdvisor is they do background checks and check for licensing before a contractor can be included on the site. Angie's List does not do this.
Also, when going thru their process it is asked if you are providing the materials or the contractor is.
In addition to the bathroom redo I also used them for a roofing contractor.
In both cases I bought most of the materials needed myself.

 

[Muddyboot]

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.

All true, add a severe labor shortage, especially a skilled labor shortage to most areas of the construction industry, and jobs are backlogged far into the future.

 

[Farmer17]

Blame Trump for this dang booming economy.

 

[Marine Corps Air]

Many possible explanations have already been posted. However, from my knowledge and experience, additional explanations may be:

1. Skilled labor, that are reliable (come to work on time, don't have drug or alcohol problems, etc.), have a strong work ethic, etc. are hard to locate these days;

2. We are now at "full employment" (~ 3.5%). It's now a "seller's market" (Employees can call the shots in some trades and professions). I see "Help Wanted" signs everywhere;

3. For a contractor, I believe that the best "Mark Up On Cost" profit opportunities are for materials (see #1 and #2 above). Not so much on labor;

4. The best businesses are literally swamped with new jobs and projects. Our irrigation company owner wants to retire, but can't. He is very loyal to existing customers;

5. Our home project contractor is "13-months Out" on new work. If we have a new project, we have him bid it today, pay him "X %" for an earnest money deposit, and he'll start work in 13-14 months;

6. Really good contractors are too busy completing projects to return calls, although some are deficient in this aspect of their business operations. "Bidding and Estimating" requires contractor time. As has been explained to me by a few contractors- "This bid is free to you, but it's not free to me!";

7. Most contractors cannot afford the risks of material deliveries delay. Past experiences may have burned them. The materials absolutely have to be "on site" a few days ahead of the scheduled project "Start Date". If not, and weather or other projects cause them to be available to start earlier, and a customer does not have the $$$ yet, has not picked them up, or if there are delivery issues from the material seller, it will cost the contractor $$$.

8. Really good contractors are smart and astute. If they sense that a new project is from someone who may be "Shopping The Bids" for the lowest project bid, they may not want to try to be the "Low Bidder". See #6 above;

Bill

 

[Farmer17]

Like I say I always return phone calls, texts, and emails promptly and not sure why other contractors don't but I will tell you what contractors go through. I had a lady call me to do a room addition and remodel to their house and it was a 35 minute drive and she no-showed the meeting so I meet with her another day and spend an hour and a half going over all the things she wanted done. She kept talking and adding things and I asked her "when are you wanting to do this work" and she said "my daughter graduates college in Florida in a year and a half and we're planning on moving to Florida then but just wondered if we DID decide to stay here at that time what this work would cost". Really?, that wasted almost half a day of my time and there's a 99% chance they won't ever have the construction work done and people wonder why construction costs so much.

 

[LVSteve]

Sometimes the question is do you need a contractor, installer or handyman.

 

[Funflyer]

Hang on for a while there OP, the housing market is soon going to head down again as history repeats. During the last boom, I got quotes to install granite in my kitchen and both baths that ranged from 8k up to 15k. Soon after the bubble popped, I had it done for under 5k, with more expensive granite to boot. Around that same time my BiL needed a new roof and went through the same fiasco. After the bust he had a hungry roofing contractors begging for the job, and eventually paid less than half the lowest original quote.

 

[BC38]

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.

Yeah we always return calls too, but not everyone does. I chalk it up to more work than they can handle - since they pretty much all return calls when they are hungrier.

 

[gjgalligan]

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

I tried Home Advisor last fall to get some eves troughs (rain gutters) and even though I gave permission for contact not a single contractor contacted me.

For such a common job request Home Advisor failed in spectacular fashion!

 

[Camster]

Years ago, we asked a very local roofer for an estimate.We then decided that we wanted to expand the job with soffit trim. He was busy,"weekends were for his family",etc.etc.,and he wasn't making time to run over again.
We hired a larger local firm who did the job right away.
A few weeks passed, and the first guy shows up on the doorstep. He's now in need of work and his attitude is different.
Due to recent snow, he didn't see that the job had been done.
The look on his face was priceless,when I told him that it had been done already. Hey, he had his chance-As a self employed person myself, I would have preferred to give it to a smaller operator. However in my biz, I never had the luxury of such independence. If someone was a prospect, I was there with no excuses.

 

[mtgianni]

The contractor will be expected to warranty their work and with you providing materiel that only adds to the problems. Any sub-quality materiel now becomes their problem for the next year. It doesn't matter if the mfg warranties it to you, they have to come back and tell you the door is warped then pull and replace it.

 

[islamoradamark]

Maybe run an add in the local paper needed good carpenter will pay cash. Materials are cheap, good labor is expensive

 

[delcrossv]

Only way we got quick service doe a new service drop and panelboards at my MIL's building was that we knew the contractor (did the electrical work at our church).

Even then, he had to squeeze us in between bigger jobs. Everyone is really busy. Encourage your kids to go into the trades- not everyone can be a college educated barista.

 

[TheHobbyist]

Thanks everyone on the replies so far; it has been very helpful and appreciated.

To clarify, this from my perspective was just to pay for labor for install of flooring only in a bathroom and kitchen.

My wife and I are humble people; nothing fancy needed, just trying to update. I didn’t tell any contractor my budget and $5K is just the number rolling around in my head. Should it be less great, if more but done well, that’s OK. I don’t like to talk about these types of things with folks because I am a very reserved person, but I just found it shocking that the local contractors I called didn’t have the courtesy to return a call. Some stopped out to quote it, some did not. I could go either way in terms of them buying material and having a good finished product/solution without my wife and I have to do it ourselves....just too busy. I understand if they are busy, but then please just give me the courtesy of letting me know. I guess I’m old school when I contact local companies to give them the business, mom and pops, and then when I’m prepared to spend they don’t follow through. Sad, really. They are good companies and good people. Just wish there was more follow through and again, my expectations and my wife’s are not outrageous....... Here is a job, if interested let us know. We simply want to update flooring.

I have done this work in the past but am old enough and smart enough to realize that there are folks way more knowledgeable than me in many skill sets and that our free time is limited and I owe it to my family to make the most of it.

Not sure what to do. Will reflect and consider.

 

[thebolt]

I would not use Home Advisor

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

We are currently dealing with home advisor and having nothing but trouble. We had an appointment with the 1st contractor and he called saying he was late but he didn't have the materials anyway. He went on and on with excuses and we cancelled him. We dealt with many, many, contacts with home advisor and they asked for another chance and apologizing profusely. We scheduled another contractor for the job and gave him a couple days lead time. He called the night before he was supposed to show up to confirm he was coming. He asked about the supplies and said they don't supply the materials and we are responsible for those and the quote we have is only for his labor. Never using home advisor and this is my explanation.

 

[coltle6920]

Many years ago there was a sign at a local gas station that read...

"You wouldn't bring eggs and bacon to a diner and ask them to cook them for you so don't bring your car parts to me and ask me to install them."

 

[LVSteve]

I've got a handyman type guy coming tomorrow to look at doing some work prior to a major insulation upgrade project. I'll report in on success or otherwise.

 

[DeathGrip]

Don't be to quick to rule out a flooring store. They usually know their product and also know what the box dealers are selling. At the end of the day the smaller guy might beat the big box. All things considered.

I don't have a license on either end, Do you? I used to but really, What I could save with the tax credit and such wasn't worth the hassle.

Shop around, Take it easy.

I've contracted with the big box thinking they would be double warranty. Their sub contractor really really sucked and they didn't help one bit. Never again.

 

[TheHobbyist]

Hey DG,

Hope all is well. I have no 'pony in this race'. Just trying to reach out to local contractors to perform a job. Not looking for cheapest, not looking for the most expensive. Just trying to do some simple updates.

I am hopeful that someone will be able to execute. Service and quality are most important and then costs.

I always try to put myself in the 'other person shoes' and not judge. I just am surprised that when a potential customer wants to work with someone, they stop out, and then there is no reply. I could do this work myself.................I just would rather (and my wife would) spend our free time enjoying life and not worrying about the hassle is all. Best wherever this message finds you folks, TH

 

[DeathGrip]

It's all good TH.

Are you dead set on a specific flooring product that can only be had from one specific source? You gotta know that contractors don't like messing around with customers that order their own. It's not just profit in their markup. It can be loss of profit due to any number of mistakes by the customer.

I had some flooring work done and the salesman missed the measurements by a country mile. They lost money and tried to up the cost to me. I said "No Way". The job was almost done and they sure didn't want to take the whole job back. That woulda been a huge loss.

Shop around and find someone that's been in your local for a good long time.

Best of luck to you.