Good help can be hard to find, especially when it comes to maintaining and repairing your home. When you own a home, it may seem exciting to be able to work on projects and make updates as you see fit. When you need assistance affordable local home repair help maybe just what you need.
Unfortunately there will be some repairs that you need to make and you don’t know how to DIY. That’s where the experts come in. Finding the right contractor is often easier said than done.
Ideally, you want to find someone who can do their job well and on-time while charging a reasonable rate. Luckily, there are some credible sites you can use to find affordable local home repair help.
1. Home Advisor
Home Advisor is one of the most trusted sites for affordable local home repair help around. They provide basic information on different types of home projects, cost guides, and recommendations to local contractors. There is also an app you can use for convenience.
Just use their ‘Find Pros‘ feature to local contractors for your next project. Then, choose what type of project you have whether it’s carpentry, a remodel, gutters, flooring, foundation etc. From there, you’ll enter more information like your zip code, and specific details of the project. Once you add all the details, it takes just 10 seconds to get matched with pre-screened contractors through their network.
Initially, you’ll get up to 4 quotes from contractors and you can learn more about their experience and availability. It’s up to you to decide who you want to work with but you can ask additional questions to narrow down your selection
2. Angie’s List
Angie’s List has a network of local contractors willing and able to take care of your next home project. All of their contractor’s are experienced and top-rated. In fact, contractors are paying for your leads. That’s right, most of the sites on this list allow contractors to get connected to homeowners like you and bid on your projects. This just shows you how serious and capable these businesses are.
Angie’s List of available in most major cities across the U.S. Just like with Home Advisor, you’ll search for contractors based on your specific project needs and gather quotes.
The one thing that’s tricky about this site is that it only lists major metropolitan areas to choose from when searching for a contractor. This may lead you to think that there aren’t any options in your area if you live in a smaller city. However, once you select the nearest big city, you can narrow down your search to your city by entering your zip code.
Angie’s List works with millions of contractors so it’s more than likely that you’ll find plenty of options in your area.
3. Houzz
Houzz is a home renovation and design site that also sells materials and provides tons of inspirational content and photos of real projects if you’re looking for ideas and inspiration. Houzz is a great place to start your affordable local home repair help.
Whether you’re looking to remodel your bathroom or replace a light fixture, you can search the site to find products and materials you like and order them online. Just fill out a brief survey on their pros page to get connected to a local contractor who can help with your repair or remodeling project.
Another feature that I like about this site is that you can browse through contractors’ profiles to see their work and message them through the platform. For example, say you’re looking for landscaping work and you find a contractor you’re interested in. Their Houzz profile will show reviews, their phone number, and more details you may need to make a decision.
Good help can be hard to find, especially when it comes to maintaining and repairing your home! Click To Tweet
4. Thumbtack
Thumbtack helps you connect with local professionals who provide a variety of services. One of the main areas of focus on the site is contractors for home repairs and projects. Just enter your zip code and type in the type of project you need help with and dozens of local businesses will pop up.
You’ll be able to see their area of expertise, reviews, and pictures of past projects. No job is too big to too small for contractors on Thumbtack. You’ll need to request a quote but this site is probably one of the best for finding dependable and affordable local home repair help.
5. Referrals
Of course, word-of-mouth referrals is going to be one of the top ways to find an affordable contractor in your area. Consider asking friends and family for referrals and generate your own list of contacts. You can also post in local social media groups to connect with businesses.
Avoid hiring a referral on the spot without doing proper due diligence. Ask to see samples of their work along with 2-3 references. Actually call the references when you collect them and ask them questions about their overall experience.
Also, feel free to ask the contractor more specific questions as well to help you make a confident decision.
What to Avoid
Working with a bad contractor is the worst. Doing home projects can already be hectic, so you want to avoid a bad professional experience at all costs. Avoid working with contractors who have not been personally vetted either by you or one of the sites listed above.
You’ll also want to avoid contractors who ask for all of the money upfront. Usually, you can expect to pay a deposit initially then the rest once the project is complete. Consider it a red flag when a business asks you to get permits for a project – most companies will do this on their own to make it more convenient for you.
Another important thing to note is that you want to compare bids for a project and question any bid that seems too high or too low. For example, if you get 3-4 quotes that are all around the same price but another contractor quotes too low or too high, be willing to investigate this.
Summary
Finding the right contractor for your next project doesn’t have to be a pain. The process can be smoothed out by using these resources and tips to locate affordable local home repair help.
Remember to put all your research to good use by developing your own list of trusted contacts and resources that you can call on for future projects as well.
