Home Depot - Home Services Experiences

[Frank]

I am strongly considering doing some major projects with Home Depot: new roof, replacing exiting windows, and vinyl siding on a 2-story dormer.

My initial experience (home visit to provide estimate and timeline) has been less than encouraging in that they sent out a gentlemen who was short on details. He left with a list of questions to be answered and has promised to get an estimate/timeline to me "soon".

I decided to check out Home Depot with the BBB Online which only told me that they were a BIG organization with a number of compliants, many of which they have addressed. So I thought a message to this group might be more insigthful.

Has anyone had HD Home Services install windows? What window did they install (the sales person was pushing model 6500 and 6100 which I can not find on the HD website)? Based on your experience, would you use their installation services again?

Also considering a new roof with Timberline 30 architectural shingles and some vinyl siding. Apprciate any HD Home Services experiences that you are willing to share.

TIA Frank

[RBM]

The good thing about contracting through HD, is that theoretically, they stand behind the work. If you get a bad job, they'll send a rep out and do what he can to smooze out the situation. All manor of contractors sub through HD, some good , some bad. I'd probably want to interview the particular contractor that's going to do the work. Some years ago a customer of mine, contracted with HD for siding, windows, and a new kitchen. When she was unhappy with the kitchen and windows, HD sent a rep who knit-picked the job and tried to clean up the rough edges. When she was still unhappy, she called manufacturers reps for both the window company and the cabinet company. The reps from each company determined that the jobs were done so poorly, they had to be ripped out and started from scratch. A new contractor did both the new window and kitchen job, and did a beautiful job of both, and the customer, despite additional gray hairs, was completely satisfied. Another customer of mine had a kitchen renovation done by HD at about the same time. As an electrical contractor, I'm involved in lots of kitchen renovations, so I see the good and the bad. This job was about as piss poor as the first one I describe, but these folks loved it and were completely satisfied. Go figure

[KLS]

Why HD? It's a huge company with absolutey no vested interest in satisfying individual customers, unlike independent contractors whom you ought to be able to find by asking your friends, colleagues, and relatives whom they've hired.

One of my best friends was stupid enough to hire Sears to do his roof, and boy, he realized what an idiotic and expensive move that was after he experienced repeated leaks (and they didn't even replace the front porch roof at the exorbitant price they charged him!), so he was very pleased with the independent roofing contractor I sent over to him, who repaired the leaks and ripped off and replaced the front porch roof.

Do yourself a favor and find a good independent contractor to do this kind of work for you. HD will hire the cheapest contractor they can find, and they'll pocket the profit while you hope for quality work, the likelihood of which you'll get being very low.

[KLS]

None of these anecdotes are convincing me that HD is worth contracting with. I mean, who the hell wants to go through the trauma of getting a job done right that should have been done right the first time???

Get a good independent contractor through word of mouth; such people would never survive without quality workmanship, unlike HD, who can absorb those kinds of losses.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Looks like you already know the answer. Do a search on this group and you will find many stories about problems with HD contracting. I'd never use them. There are plenty of good independent contractors. Ask around the neighborhood who has done work in the area.

[Mike Dobony]

How many times do you have your roof redone or have new windows put in or redo the entire kitchen? Many a garbage independent contractor survives many years ripping people off with shoddy workmanship.

[willshak]

on 8/7/2007 9:56 PM Edwin Pawlowski said the following:

I had a HD rep come in and plan a new kitchen remodel. It was a woman, so I figured it would be better than having a man come in and plan room for a motorcycle. :-) After she gave us some ideas, and left the specs, we went ahead and bought the cabinets and I did the work myself.

[edee_em]

Read August's Consumer Reports magazine. They have some ratings on just this subject. You'll find that Home Depot and Lowes both score the lowest.

[George]

Your best bet by far would be to ask your friends for references and directly deal with a reputable contractor.

[RickH]

With this housing slump there are plenty of skilled tradesmen willing to work on time and materials instead of fixed bid. I did a new bath in my home last month with the help of an "on the bench" union guy. I paid him $30 an hour for 3 weeks and I came out way ahead on getting a luxury bath over seeking a fixed bid, which would have been around $15k to $20k for the same bath on fixed contract basis. I got a new bath and he got to keep working, and I was able to help out and be closely available for design questions/problems, it was a win-win. If you dont know somebody in the trades currently on the bench, call a local union and check out getting a worker on a time and material basis, I couldn't be happier with the T/M arrangement I got. Fixed bids often lock the bidder into situations where they will cut corners on you to keep profit, or they will be unhappy with changes unseen problems, etc. so they bid high and nobody is really that happy in the end. With hourly basis wages and a dependable hard worker(s) you are in control.

[The Reverend Natural Light]

I've seen their work on a house with new windows and a new roof. No problems. No complaints. I will consider them for a new roof on my own house when the time comes.

They did send subcontractors, of course. In this case the subcontractors did fine work. Your mileage may vary.

[Jackson]

">I am strongly considering doing some major projects with Home Depot...."

That's all I had to read, you are out of your mind.