Comments on: A Tale of Two Estimates

By: Fence Update: Maybe Spending More Money

Fence Update: Maybe Spending More Money — Mon, 19 May 2008 12:04:26 +0000

[...] A Tale of Two Estimates [...]

By: DIY Fence Project Update

DIY Fence Project Update — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 23:52:12 +0000

[...] A Tale of Two Estimates [...]

By: Stephanie Chance

Stephanie Chance — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 20:39:44 +0000

I wonder how handyman #1 stays in business. Very smart of you to get more than one estimate.

By: Meg from FruWiki and All About Appearances

Meg from FruWiki and All About Appearances — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 01:17:21 +0000

I’m so happy that you got two estimates and didn’t just assume as so many people do. And even if the handyman had been ‘cheaper’, going with a reputable expert is usually the better bargain in the long run. I’ve seen soooooo many people get burned trying to save a buck. Meanwhile, the people who know what they are doing sometimes have to go out of business because they can’t always match the prices of those who are just out there to make a quick buck.

By: dh

dh — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 21:39:06 +0000

We got quite a few estimates on our furnace and installation, many years ago. One guy low balled it and we couldn’t figure out why it was so low, so we didn’t go with him. We were afraid he was trouble waiting to happen because it was so very low. A couple more came in at a middle price, and one sent out by a home improvement store came in very high. I had the feeling that they had enough work, and didn’t want to tell us no, so they just raised their price super high. We went with one of the middle ones, who showed up on time and wrote everything out on a contract so that we knew that was the price. I’ve learned that you need all your estimates in writing, or it may be higher after the work is done. We were happy with the work that was done as it was estimated.

By: DramaMama

DramaMama — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:30:04 +0000

I think it comes down to the same old lesson – some people just are good people, good employees, good workers. Others are not. I had my own experience w/the “Little lady, you don’t know anything about garage doors.” -type guy. Well, I do. And he didn’t get our business. Sigh. Hopefully we can all remember this lesson as our kids grow up and get jobs. I plan to teach my son basic courtesy and manners…I can only do so much to help the situation now, but I can definitely invest in the future workforce =)

By: Deborah Ng

Deborah Ng — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:22:21 +0000

Philo – I agree. Your mileage may vary. This is my tale of two handymen and unfortunately the handyman lost.

I know there are good reliable people out there. I wish some of them would have returned my call.

You’re absolutely right about the importance of getting references and estimates.

By: Philo

Philo — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:02:01 +0000

I don’t think it’s fair to cast this as “independent handyman is ignorant country bumpkin.” Let me share my two estimates for a deck:

Handyman: Showed up on time, was polite and respectful. Provided me with printed list of local references. Obviously knew his business as we talked about the deck, construction, possible setbacks, etc. Drew out the deck on graph paper, noting features such as concrete footings, moving sprinklers, where to fasten to the house.
Estimate: $6,500.

Home Improvement Company: Salesman shows up with laptop, has slicky book with lots of photos of prior work. Lays out deck in software so it looks amazing. Pressures me about financing & scheduling a date. Estimate: $17,000.

Now I still haven’t built the deck (bathroom flooding redirected our home improvement funds), so I cannot comment on the work performed. However, I have no reason to doubt they both would have produced a deck my family would be happy with.

I just wanted to contrast my story with “handyman is lazy idiot, home improvement company consummate professional, and they both gave the same estimates.”

There’s no way of telling other than getting multiple estimates and calling references.

By: Deborah Ng

Deborah Ng — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 15:51:27 +0000

@SJS – I would have had even more estimates if people would return calls.

Chris D – Interesting, isn’t it? We hear how the mom and pop businesses are losing out to the big corporations – the one thing they should have in their favor is reliability. That’s not always the case.

By: Chris D

Chris D — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 15:17:24 +0000

My parents have had several pieces of work done to their house in the last 5 years or so, including:

new room, new furnace, new water heater, fireplace, stump removal, new garage built, landscaping, and maintnance to landscaping.

The only contractors that were capable of completing the job to the contract and show up when they said they would was the tree and landscaping service. The other ones would regularly miss appointments and not meet the contract in many ways.