NYC Contractors: General Contractor Search — take three
After nearly exhausting the list of contractors found on various industry association pages, it’s time to try a different approach.
ReliableRemodeler.com is an online referral/search site that pairs the right contractor with the job a web user submits. Contractors that are listed are charged a monthly fee, which could help to eliminate many of the hobbyists that might have an ad in the yellowpages. After submitting job parameters and answering some additional questions, contractors that respond can provide Free Estimates
.
National Contractors.com is another project contractor matching online service that’s available free to Project Owners (aka the ones that need the work done). Those looking to “Find Quality Contractors” at National Contractors.com
enter in contact information and project parameters which are then sent out to the contractor base for bids.
Job parameters used:
Property was extensively rennovated last year by prior owner. Upon inspection, the chimney was determined not to be built to code. The chimney is currently being re-built, however the company doing that does not repair any damage to walls surrounding the chimney work area.
The project scope deals directly with repairing the damaged areas of the drywall to the point where detecting damage related to the chimney project is no longer detectable.
Qualifications:
- Respondents must be licensed by New York City (please provide license number in your response)
- Must be fully insured and bonded (please provide the name of the bonding agency).
- Membership in an industry association (NARI, NAHB) while not required is preferred.
The interview process: Ask the contractor:
- How long has she or he been in business, and at what addresses?
- Does the contractor subcontract, or use in-house staff?
- At what telephone numbers can you reach the contractor during an emergency?
- When will the contractor be on site?
- How many other jobs does the contractor take on at the same time?
- Does the contractor have certifications from remodeling and contracting industry organizations?
Oo oo! Do the contractors go by any other company names?
Which contractors? The sites listed above are a bit like headhunters/employment agencies. I’ll be researching the companies that respond to my project postings, so far I’ve only postedn them to ReliableRemodeler. RR called this afternoon to confirm the project details before sending them out to the contractor pool. I’m hoping I’ll receive some email from contractors by tonight — if not, it’s on to NationalContractors.com.