Are there ANY contractors who keep appointments?

I dunno. Sounds like the right approach. Is it possible he lost your number/address?? Have you called him a second time, just to be sure??

If he doesn't have a shop you can go to, he probably is a one man fabricator ... working in his garage.

There are a couple of alternatives --- under granite in the phone book, look for the "yard", the distributor. Call, ask if you can see some samples, ask if they can recommend a fabricator.

Or. talk to your cabinet supplier ... he probably knows who does good granite work.

-------

In another thread, you suggested a price of ten thousand dollars for seventy square feet of granite. For mid-grade granite, I pay $55/s.f. plus $190 for custom edging. Underslung sinks run around $300 to $500. So my cost on your countertop would be about $45 hundred. I would charge you $5,200 for the countertops, and another $1500 to 2,500 for the tilework.

These prices are Calgary, Alberta, Canada. But by casual observation, they're not too far off for the rest of Canada and much of the USA.

HTH

Ken

Reply to
bambam
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So it was a bad analogy... It was supposed to demonstrate that customers make their purchasing decisions based on information that they can only get from the person that they want to buy from.

What I get from this thread is that contractors expect everyone who calls to know exactly what they want, how much it will cost and what work is involved to get it done. Customers are expected to wait months before hearing back from their contractor if they are at all good in their trade. Contractors have no obligation to actually give their customers any idea of what their project may cost, any idea of how long it may take or even when the contractor will contact their customer to discuss the project, if they even bother getting back to their customer at all.

As I said in another post, I do not expect to get a detailed estimate for free. I don't expect to get more than 15 minutes of time with the contractor for free, and that when he has the time.

If I call a contractor and tell him "I'm looking at getting a 24'x32' garage, three door, with roofing and vinyl siding, no power or drywall. The pad is already poured" all I want to hear back is "That should be between $12,000 and $16,000 and take about 10 days to do. Right now we could start in about six weeks."... From that point I can decide whether I want to deal or keep looking. That shouldn't take more than a few minutes for someone to figure out.

Anyhow... the whole point for joining this thread was to post my experiences. I don't expect anything to change.

Reply to
Noozer

Hey Ken... It was a while ago (year and a half?) so you probably don't remember, but...

You wouldn't have happened to be the guy who referred me to Steve the plumber a while back are you? I was looking at moving a bunch of PEX plumbing in my basement.

Steve did a great job. He definately knows his stuff. One comment that is relevant to this thread. While he was here I asked him about another job - just a rough idea of what it would cost to move a floor drain in my concrete basement floor over about three feet. He gave me a ballpark figure and I said it sounded good and I'd call him if I decide to go with it. A while later (months), based on my basement finishing plan, I decided it would be good to do and called him. He said he'd get back to me in a couple of days. He never called so after 10 days or so I called him and again he said he'd call. This happened a few times and I finally gave up. I wasted over a month just trying to set a date. It could have been six months down the road and it would have been fine. If he was too busy or not interested he could have just said so.

Another item you and I discussed was me finishing my basement. I was worried about how picky the city inspectors were going to be, etc. and you encouraged me to just go for it. I did and it went fine. The electrical inspector was impressed with my wiring and the framing inspector only mentioned one item... no box for the vent fan in a future bathroom.

The basement is definately going slower than I wanted due to some major foundation cracks that my builder is dragging their heels on and that Alberta New Home Warranty won't even look at... but it is moving forward.

Just wanted to say THANKS for the encouragement. I learned a few things and I know that the installation is good.

Take care!

Reply to
Noozer

Yeah, that was me. I remember now.

That's too bad. But it kind of exempifies what we've been talking about.

Steve is an excellent plumber ... the best and the fastest I've ever seen. He's unbelievably busy ... he starts before seven and finishes well after nine five days a week, and often, six.

Because he's so good ... he has a number of large accounts ... I'm probably his smallest and I spend fifty or so ...

You'd be best to use the yellow pages .. call someone like Phil Sprung who has a number of staff plumbers and who does very good work.

Good on ya.

You can vouch for me, when I say I'm a decent enough contractor ..and that pros don't mind helping homeowners where they can.

Ken

Reply to
bambam

This is Turtle.

Yes Dave I can see your point here. When there has not been any other hvac contractor over there to tell them what to do and then the customer tells you what the other contractor decide to do. You would have no ideal of where to start and try to give a price. I guess your use to the first contractor pricing it out and you get the customer to tell you what he will do it for so you can say hey I'll do it for 20% less than that. It's hell tring to be the second bidder in this business ain't it Dave. Or are you really in the business ?

TURTLE

Reply to
TURTLE

The old rule of thumb is "get three quotes". If, and that is a big IF, you know the contractor, his reputation, and maybe did work with him, you don't need three quotes.

I have a plumber, electrician, welder that I can call and give them a job. I don't usually ask the price because I have a feel for it and I know they do good work, fast, and show up. Fair price and we pay them on time. Typical homeowner does not have that luxury.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

Good thing. The only thing lower than a HVAC contractor is a lawyer.

Yesterday and today I stayed home because a "HVAC contractor" said he was coming to give me a bid on work I need done. I need a new system installed, not just a minor service call or tirekicking collar jerker.

Well, no show. But that's okay. I'm laying for them now, and hope they DO show up. I'll speak my mind, and won't mince words.

But I will do the worst thing I can do to them. I will give my money to someone else.

HVAC contractor! Harumph! A turd with a high sounding name is still a turd.

Steve

Reply to
SteveB

This is Turtle.

Just about every do it yourselfers will have to get 3 bids for they don't do business with any of the crafts and have to search green with no hint as to what prices are. I have a electrician , Plumber, and Carpentner and all three sub contract to me in my HVAC business and we have a business relationship already. The Do it yourselfers are just lost when tring to bid out a job for price is all they have to go by.

TURTLE

Reply to
TURTLE

That just isn't what happens in real life. As a consumer of contractor services, I expect those I do business with to have INTEGRITY, to respect me and my time as I do theirs. I expect them to br e competent and to do what they say just as I expect to do what I say, (pay on time, have premises in stated condition when they arrive, etc.). In the main, I have had excellent results from the ones I actually hired.

Of course I shop for price, just like you, Mr. Contractor, do when you shop for a car. I do not always take the lowest price. Each of the last two times I hired an HVAC contractor I went with the highest of three prices because they convinced me they had a better, though more expensive, solution.

If you think I am bad for wanting to know your price up front, for wanting to compare that price with a couple of others, then you don't want to do business with me, and I am glad not to get stuck with your doing it to me.

Reply to
NoSpam99989

That just isn't what happens in real life. As a consumer of contractor services, I expect those I do business with to have INTEGRITY, to respect me and my time as I do theirs. I expect them to br e competent and to do what they say just as I expect to do what I say, (pay on time, have premises in stated condition when they arrive, etc.). In the main, I have had excellent results from the ones I actually hired.

Of course I shop for price, just like you, Mr. Contractor, do when you shop for a car. I do not always take the lowest price. Each of the last two times I hired an HVAC contractor I went with the highest of three prices because they convinced me they had a better, though more expensive, solution.

If you think I am bad for wanting to know your price up front, for wanting to compare that price with a couple of others, then you don't want to do business with me, and I am glad not to get stuck with your doing it to me.

Reply to
NoSpam99989

Hey, if he won't show up to give a bid for a job, what makes you think he'll show up to do the work? AND do you think he'll be in a hurry to do any warranty work you need after you've paid him?

I show up. If I'm going to be late, I call with a revised ETA.

Sorry about your problems. I can't do anything about the idiot not showing up.

Reply to
HeatMan

i NEVER end up with the crappy incompetent bozo.

if you cant be counted on to return a phone call, you cant be counted on to do ANYTHING. end of discussion.

now go back to digging cans out of dumpsters. that child support payment is due soon...

randy

Reply to
xrongor

are there any doctors who keep appointments (on time)?

lol

Reply to
effi

"HeatMan" wrote

Is it tough being a genius?

What makes you conclude from my post that I would consider hiring anyone who wouldn't even show up for a bid? I merely stated that when and if this person does show up to give a bid, they will get a shot of truth serum.

BTW, I would say exactly, "Why would I hire someone so undependable they won't even show up for a bid?"

Steve

Reply to
SteveB

yes.

and your point is????? oh. i see. you want to fight. you have nothing to say. i think ive already covered that in this thread.

now go away.

randy

Reply to
xrongor

Good heavens! Get off your high horse!

Maybe I didn't read the sarcasm you tried to imply in the OP. Maybe I thought you'd go with the guy if he did show up. Maybe I don't really care.

Your choice.

Reply to
HeatMan

No, they don't.

Reply to
Stephen King

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