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3 questions your contractor shouldn't ask

Angie Hicks, founder of Angie's List

Angie Hicks, founder of Angie's List

Date Published: Dec 07 2010
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It's not uncommon for service companies to screen potential customers, especially on larger jobs. Like any professional, a contractor's time is valuable and he or she should be confident their client will actually pay once the project is complete. Unfortunately, sometimes a reasonable request for information gets lost in translation and potential clients get scared off by what they think are invasive, personal or rude questions.

Recently, one of our help desk representatives shared a story about a call we received from an elderly member who lived alone. The member was terrified because she'd called a contractor to do some work and he had asked if she was widowed, if she'd be alone when he arrived, and if she had any savings. Instead of hiring the contractor, the frightened woman was ready to call the police!

The contractor likely was only trying to determine if the prospective client would make the hiring decision or if others needed to be present when he made his pitch, and if she seemed like a good risk for paying his bill — both legitimate concerns. However, he literally scared off her business by how he framed his questions.

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We've spent 15 years advising homeowners to investigate their potential contractors' reputations in the community before making hiring decisions. Good contractors deserve similar information about their potential clients. They'll have an easier time getting it — and winning customers — with clear communication.

Homeowners, though, should always walk away from anyone asking questions so poorly that they came across as scary. Here's a sampling of questions contractors should never ask, why they shouldn't, and what they should ask instead.

Will you be alone when I arrive?

WHY THEY SHOULDN'T: Asking a potential client if he or she will be alone when a contractor arrives may make the homeowner think the contractor has criminal intent. Also inappropriate are these companion questions: Are you married? Do you live alone? Are you widowed?

WHAT THEY SHOULD ASK INSTEAD: Will anyone else be involved with decisions about the project and payment? I want to be sure not to waste your time, so it would be best if everyone is available at the same time.

What's your credit score?

WHY THEY SHOULDN'T: Asking about a potential client's credit score can easily cause offense, as can questions like: Do you have a job? Have you ever filed for bankruptcy? How much money is in your bank account?

WHAT THEY SHOULD ASK INSTEAD: How would you like to handle payment? If necessary, a contractor can check your credit history through normal channels.

Can I see your other bids before I give you mine?

WHY THEY SHOULDN'T: Asking about other bids is sort of like asking if you can cheat off your neighbor during a fourth-grade spelling test. It should make the potential customer wonder if the contractor is offering the best bid he or she can.

WHAT THEY SHOULD ASK INSTEAD: I hope you'll give me a chance to talk this over after you review all of your bids. I think it's a fair bid; it reflects the cost of the job as well as the value of my qualifications and training.

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Angie Hicks

Angie Hicks - Founder of Angie's List

Since 1995, Angie Hicks has been dedicated to helping consumers get the real scoop on local service companies and health providers. Inspired by the frustrations her co-founder had trying to find reliable contractors in suburban Columbus, Ohio, she started Angie’s List to help homeowners find who they should hire and who they should avoid.

More Like This

Questions your contractor should never ask

Would it make you uncomfortable if a contractor asked you, "Will you be alone when I get there?"  There is nothing wrong with a company screening a potential client, but some questions, like this one, should never be asked. Learn more as Angie discusses questions that usually raise red flags.

Comments

Submitted by janitorial serv... on Tue, 2012-02-07 14:10
When you're letting a stranger in to work on your home, be sure they don't ask suspicious questions. Know what to look out for with these hints from Angie's List.

Submitted by Thom Wright on Mon, 2012-10-22 11:59
Oftentimes recommendations come from the same contractors and their friends/family that you are checking on. Negative comments oftentimes come from competitors looking to improve their own image by falsy denigrating others. There are better ways to determine if a contractor is responsible but it will require a little work on the part of the consumer, something very few are inclined to do.

Submitted by Rick on Tue, 2013-03-26 16:39
My roofer said that he will refund my subscription money if I write something good about him on Angies List . Didn't do it.

Submitted by Dennis on Tue, 2012-02-07 14:10
There is nothing wrong with asking about the other bids..you just have to word it in a way that will make people SHARE the info with you...People, for the most part, don't mind sharing something...it's in their nature! I have been asking to see other bids for years, and have great success with it. Dennis

Submitted by vince phillips on Thu, 2012-07-26 10:24
Is this a joke? If you have been asking and getting the prices of your competitors, your clients are idiots. Or you are just plain lying. It is unethical to ask to see another's bid on a project; and, for obvious reasons, I would refuse to do any work for a client who revealed such information. As Angie stated, there are ways to obtain information which does not cross over the line, but this clown has clearly not learned where that line is.

Submitted by George E. Fleis... on Thu, 2013-04-04 18:16
Mr. Phillips is correct, I have been a professional Registered Architect for 20+ years, and have been a professional estimator with General Contractors, Sub Contractors for many of those years and it is unethical to request an owner to reveal a competitors quote. Any client who reveals a contractors quote and allows "shopping" of the price is not worth the time or effort to submit a quote. Any legimate contractor will review, prepare a comprehensive bid to the best of their abilities (an accurate quote requires a set of contract documents including the drawings, with MEP drawing, and specifications) and submit the bid. If they are low they should receive the contract, if not move on.

Submitted by A. Andrews on Sat, 2012-08-04 12:46
you are either ignorant or a crook. if you bid on government jobs it will be called rigging of the bids and is a criminal offense subject po monetary fines or jail. you are fortunate you have not bid on government projects, you might be behind bars now.

Submitted by Bruce Emory on Wed, 2013-04-03 22:05
I have been a public works contractor for over 30 years, the government and public agencies generally open bids publicly and all the bidders including the public can see the bids of all the other competitor's, they generally take the lowest responsible bidder or re bid the project if it comes in over the engineers estimate. it is not bid rigging to review your competitors bids, it is collusion if bidders conspire to submit sham bids in order to distribute jobs outside fair and open competition. bid result feedback is no different than grocery stores checking their competitors prices in order to remain market relevant.

Submitted by Michael Taylor on Wed, 2013-01-30 16:23
If a contractor asks me what others are asking, I would ask them why they are asking such a question unless your bid is not your "best offer".

Submitted by Michael Lawson on Mon, 2013-04-29 08:33
We typically ask for a budget range so that we have an idea of what a customer is thinking. This is particularly important with kitchens, bathrooms and custom work (cabinets, patios, etc). It helps us to understand what level of work the customer is willing to pay for; granite vs solid surface, stamped and colored concrete vs. poured and stained. We have also been so bold as to ask a customer for a range of bids if they continue to refer to their "other bids" when talking to us. You folks (here) need to keep in mind that there are far more customers than contractors and most of them are looking to get the most work done for the least amount of money possible. Many of them would not care if a contractor lost money or broke even on their job,as long as they get what they want. Our company is inundated with "free bid" requests and roughly 50% of them have no intention whatsoever of having us perform the work- they are simply getting bids to justify having their mother, brother, father or friend do the work. Those "free bids" aren't free and that money needs to be made elsewhere, hence why we ask odd questions some times. We are trying to gauge the customer's intentions, willingness to be fair, honesty, ability to pay all while trying to get the details of the job; cut us some slack for being "cagey" sometimes.

Submitted by Paul on Thu, 2013-02-21 22:51
Any contractor who asks me to share a competitor's bid is shown the door. That is an incredibly dishonest tactic, and I don't want to hire a dishonest contractor. I always tell contractors that I will be getting three bids, that price is a factor, but not the only factor, and that I am willing to pay a fair price for quality workmanship and materials. Some won't even offer a bid if they know there will be others bidding. If I catch them lying to me about the job, that's a disqualification as well.

Submitted by JFS on Mon, 2013-02-25 22:25
For Pete's sake, there are things that governments have to do, because they hold the public money in trust, that a homeowner has no moral or legal obligation to do. One of those is making bids secret, or sealed. Contractors are curious. They are human. And they are also a source of good information. If someone tells me, "the only way that other guy could have given you a bid that low is if he's using [product XYZ], which is no good because [cogent explanation of why XYZ is not right for the job]," I know to email guy number 1 back, and ask for more information on the product, and where he's used it before. Guy 1 might actually get the job, and for more money, if he quotes a better product, once he knows that I care about quality. Guy 2 might get the job, for giving me the heads-up. I might even learn enough about the process to do it myself...but more likely, I will figure out how to ask for a better, more on-target quote, with quality of materials, process and type of workmanship properly specified. And it's not just about materials. Chatting about quotes has stopped me from hiring someone who would have been willing to have his nephew work down in a 6 foot deep trench, with no bracing, in an area where the hill was subject to slides, convinced that if something went wrong, he could "just jump out fast." If I hadn't chatted about this with another contractor, the nephew might be dead, and the uncle and I would both have blood on our hands. Talking is good. It leads to clearer expectations, more reasonable expectations, better work, and safer workers.

Submitted by Mark Thacher on Wed, 2013-03-06 17:35
While generally I agree with what Angie is saying, however I think we need to look a little deeper in to these qualifying questions that your potential contractor may be asking. First: Salespeople entering into homes of people responding to an advertisement also need to know what kind of people they are dealing with. My sales people have told me many horror stories of making a presentation to a wife at home alone and the husband comes home unexpectedly-there is a real uncomfortable moment where your not sure what the husband is going to do. Also it not uncommon for 16, 17 year old girls to answer the door, being left home to let the salesperson in and invite them for refreshments, parents think a little before you haphazardly ask your underage children to cover for you. Of course it's every salesperson dream to get the 4:00 PM appointment in the inter-city, where street gangs control the area. Second: Has far as taking a look at the other estimates; while on it's face may seem a bit unethical--we are not talking about government bids where the recipient is well qualified to make an apples to apples comparison. Most reputable larger Home Improvement Contractors have margins they need to adhere to; with competition the way it is there is not much wiggle room to just drop the price significantly. In looking at the competitors bids the Contractor can assist the homeowner in making sure they are getting what they are paying for, as far as brand, and installation. The red flag for the customer would be after looking at the competitive bid they drop the price considerably--If there was so much profit in job, why didn't they give you the best price in the first place? As a customer I would feel like they were trying to take advantage with such a large drop. My overall point is start investigating a company prior to them coming out. You should be asking your qualifying questions: How many employees do you have? What is the name of the person that will be coming out? Will he be in a company car/truck that is marked? Then plan on being home for the appointment (including your spouse); if you are just going to be relaying the information to her/him they have no way to make an intelligent decision without being at the presentation-the spouse not home is the one who always complains they did not get what they bargained for in the deal. Of course talk to friends and see if they have had any good experiences with contractors. Check Angie's list, confirm licenses and insurance. Also, DO NOT PAY 100% OF THE WORK WHEN YOU SIGN THE CONTRACT--it's not good for you or the contractor. You will start to feel you got ripped off anytime they are 10 min late; and they will regret getting all the money upfront because you keep calling afraid that they will not finish the work.

Submitted by Frank Mondana on Thu, 2013-03-14 17:21
It is not OK to ask. I've been in construction estimating and if it gets around that a company has access to other bids, the other companies usually drop out. All this would do is allow the bidder to "buy" the job by undercutting everyone else (then hopefully making it up with change orders).

Submitted by sandie on Fri, 2013-04-05 12:48
I have asked frequently to see other bids, and explained that I am trying to insure that we are quoting comparable products and services. I think it is a reasonable request. But I typically ask after I have already presented my price, so they don't get the impression that I am adjusting my price to meet my competitors. Consumers are often not aware of what the fine print means in a contractors bid. I like to help educate them, and help them to make an informed decision. I rarely have a client who is not happy to have me explain what the previous contractor has left out in his presentation.

Submitted by Nick on Fri, 2013-04-19 22:47
I have 28 employees (not subs, real employees), have expanded to service 6 states, I am a second generation owner for the last 11 years, company as been in business for 30 years. It is fine to compare bids, actually it is your duty, to ensure your customer is getting the correct solution and installation for their project. Price is always justifiable, unless your a crook, or unqualified. These days IF the architect specs are vague, which they often are, many less scrupulous companies will bid the cheapest, crapiest product. A lot of them do it anyway, even If the spec is clear. Some of the things I've seen GC's do is repulsive, a shame to a trade profession and it seems to becoming more evident everyday.. TO BE CLEAR, I provide my pricing BEFORE any discussions takes place. THEY KEEP the competitors Pricing to themselves. I want to see the SCOPE OF WORK, in detail. I will show my scope to anyone. Apples to Apples is the MOST important item when reviewing scopes and taking contractors into consideration. Speaking of which, make sure you have a real contract, with an explicit scope of work, detailing products specified, schedule, terms etc. Ive seen 500,000 contracts that are half as long as this post. What your buying is more important than how much your spending. I'm not saying you have to use the most expensive option, but know what you are getting, price is one of several factors.

Submitted by B Thompson on Tue, 2012-02-07 14:10
I learned the hard way not to pay cash for a house. Finance first then pay off after knowing that the house is acceptable. After moving in I learned that most of the work was shoddy and unacceptable. He had my money so refused to work with me. That even included only 1 inch of insulation, used faucets, bad wiring. I could go on and on. The inspector turned him into the state which did no good because he was friends with the powers that be in the capital. Never pay in full until you have lived in the house for a year. Interest on a loan is far less expensive than redoing so much

Submitted by David on Sat, 2012-08-04 15:54
For $200.00 you can get your home inspected by a licensed professional. This cost less than the interest a bank will charge you. duh

Submitted by Leslie on Thu, 2012-08-09 12:57
Don't count on a home inspector unless you've visited a bunch of his references, not one or two. In my experience they will eyeball but not go on a ladder or lay down to look at the underside of a cabinet or sink connection. Everything is "in my opinion" or "serviceable". Make sure he's taking notes and pictures of everything. Take your own pictures - looking through the lens of a camera makes you focus on details, not the big picture. If there's a septic tank involved demand to see a recent inspection report from the company that pumps it. After you get the Home Inspector's report, re-tour the property looking at everything he noted after reading up on these types of items first. I've learned the hard way and know that if I ever buy again, I'm taking a reputable general contractor along with me after I've got the home inspector's report. I could have saved myself much money and heartache if I had paid for good contractor rather than a "professional home inspector".

Submitted by Cheryl Thompson on Mon, 2012-08-27 15:12
THIS: "I could have saved myself much money and heartache if I had paid for good contractor rather than a "professional home inspector". Exactly. The home inspectors in my town are totally worthless, would never trust one again.

Submitted by Nancy Tropoli on Tue, 2012-08-28 15:41
There is a wide variety in expertise among home inspectors. If you use an engineer rather than some guy who has only passed his state's inspector's exam and is probably a contractor who couldn't make a living, you will probably get good information. They cost more, but it will be the cheapest money ever spent. Here in Houston, an engineer's inspections for both structural and mechanical run about $550 depending on square footage of the home to be inspected. Well worth the extra couple of hundred.

Submitted by Victoria Olson on Mon, 2012-08-27 16:24
We had our home 'inspected' by a so-called professional 3 years ago, and we are still discovering blatant things he missed that we could see, from non-standard plumbing and wiring of switches and outlets, crimps in air conditioner pipes, caulking that mildews used instead of tile grout, lack of proper drainage and more. The inspector died a year after messing us up, he came recommended by friends who are discovering problems with their houses, too. Some people should not be inspecting homes.

Submitted by Konakathie on Sat, 2013-05-11 19:43
When I sold real estate, I always recommended the client go with the inspector. They get their questions answered and explained.

Submitted by gualm on Mon, 2012-09-03 18:28
That can be a racket within itself and depends on if you have a good inspector. I felt on my first house their were things the inspector missed that should have been evident. One my electric meter was not up to code and my wires that were improperly grounded which eventually lead to a somewhat costly water line replacement.

Submitted by Powerdog on Sat, 2013-06-08 00:00
B Thompson makes a good point as to why the scope of work MUST be defined before a home owner or a Contractor decide to get into bed with one another. If you had taken a couple of days, weeks or even months before jumping into this deal to define your scope of work and what exactly you wanted in your house, and exactly what you expected the contractor to provide, and you got him / her to sign off on it; then it wouldn't matter if your contractor was best friends with Obama or Holder, the scope of work becomes the division of responsibility in the contract. He wouldn't have a leg to stand on in court, and your rework costs could have been recouped fairly quickly. Everybody reading this thread, both home owners and contractors (if you don't already do it) should take more time reviewing the work scope before submitting and deciding on bids. IF you are a home owner, your work scope details exactly what you want; i.e. brand "Super-Posh 10000" installed around X, with flooring type Y that includes a drain. Whatever you plan to do, write it down on paper and have the contractors come in and review it with you. These contractors know (the good ones anyway) what works and what doesn't and the best way to get it squeezed into your house. You might find after reviewing the scope with a couple of reputable companies that "Mom & Pop Store product A using specialty item X" not only saves you time and money, but gives a better, LONGER LASTING and RELIABLE end result than going total Big Box Store Display. This gives a better result in the end for everybody. One, all the contractors bid to Apples to Apples so there isn't a reason to share bids with other companies. Two, the homeowner is protected because there is no doubt as to what was supposed to be done. Work agreed to outside of the scope, (Change Orders) are billed at a T&M rate that doesn't leave any doubt as to what the final invoice looks like. If you do change the work scope based on another contractors advice, then take the time to communicate the changes to all of your other bidders. This keeps things Apples to Apples. Mr. Thompson, I feel your pain on a crappy built house. I really do think shady contractors (and there are more and more coming out of the woodwork) totally take advantage of people and situations. Take your time people and really define what you want to accomplish at the end of the project, put it down in ink and have the successful contractor sign it!!!

Submitted by C Cox on Tue, 2012-02-07 14:10
B Thompson should know that whether a financial institution has financed the purchase of his house or he paid cash for it, he is the owner of the house. The only way for him to not pay for the house is to go thru foreclosure (and lose whatever downpayment he's made). A far better approach is to hire a professional to do a house inspection prior to taking possession (which is a good idea no matter what the situation is when making the largest, most important purchase that you make in life.) Note: I am not in the house inspection business or in real estate either.

Submitted by Barbara on Tue, 2012-02-07 14:10
Thank you. This was valuable info.

Submitted by michelle on Tue, 2012-02-07 14:10
Dennis should understand that wording a question in a certain will NEVER MAKE anyone share info with anyone. I guarantee that no matter HOW you word anything will FORCE ME to GIVE YOU any kind of information. However, I MIGHT be willing to tell you if I am considering other bids than YOURS and WHY. THEN we can negotiate YOUR bid.

Submitted by Lana Shelton on Tue, 2012-02-07 14:10
Good information. Thanks

Submitted by Janee on Tue, 2012-02-07 14:10
Even if a contractor asked, I would not share the amount of a bid with him. I am always upfront about telling people that I get multiple bids. If the contractor is making a fair bid, it will be a fair bid. And even if the bid is monetarily fair, there are other things I look for in a contractor: courtesy, whether we can work together on the design, and his experience with the type of work I'm having done. Finally, does he love what he's doing? If he doesn't like the line of work he's in, he's not going to do a good job even if the bid is a "fair price."

Submitted by Alex on Tue, 2013-03-12 13:39
Share and be prepared to be rewarded. Friend asked me for opinion on finding inexpensive a/c compressor because mechanic said it was bad (sometime cold / sometimes not) I advised replacing the slipping serpentine belt ($18)...problem fixed. Friend asks about a/c "leak" inside car; because service station was quoting $1200...$5 vent tube...problem fixed. Friend asked about installing new home a/c unit because company quoting $4500...$18 start capacitor...problem fixed (still running 3+ years). Neigbor pays free-lancer $9000 for new fence (braces intstalled improperly / too short, no gate brace / corners not properly supported)...needs to be completely redone... Friend gets new carpet installed...installer does not include cleaning of subfloor...new carpet ruined... Home inspector claims roof x number of years old because "that is what realtor said" / inspection reveals previously re-roofed and must be removed to rafters in order to meet code. Share information, you may be suprised at what you learn. And no, I am not a contractor etc. Ex-military, ex-mechanic, and all friend.

Submitted by Don on Tue, 2012-02-07 14:10
L recently had a contractor who stated he would do the job for the insurance estimate made by the Adjuster. Figuring the man would charge me somewhere in the neighborhood of the amount charged for the walls (Square Feet), the worker stood flat footed on the floor and painted the ceiling (Appx.442 Sq. FT.). He then charged me $2,800.00 over his original bid. The original bid was $0.76 per Sq. ft. and he charged me $6.33 per sq. ft. It was an expensive experience for an 85 year old person. On top of it all, he did noit do all of the work contracted for in the beginning.

Submitted by Elaine on Tue, 2012-02-07 14:10
One caveat about using a home inspector: Make sure you use someone who is recommended by a friend NOT the real estate agent who is trying to sell you A HOUSE. Our "inspector" missed all kinds of major problems that we were not looking for being from another area and not knowing what to look for. We do not buy real estate often and this was our first time moving to a totally different part of the country.

Submitted by Jo on Tue, 2012-02-07 14:10
Elaine..our story exactly. I will never the mistake of relying on the real estate agent's inspector.

Submitted by R Ggonzales on Tue, 2012-02-07 14:10
Very useful information.

Submitted by Kevin Klepper on Tue, 2012-02-07 14:10
Love this article..I am a General Contractor on Angieslist.com ,and one of the top rated by reviews in tri state..I have won many service awards and my 35 years resume goes on...I ask alot of questions to potentail clients,it's my right to,as it's your right to ask me a ton of questions..I have 10 qualifying questions that need to be anwered,or I am out the door,or even better,we don't go back and forth with e-mails as a lot of people e-mail me from start. And usually I get the questions answered...There is a lot of reason for this questioning, it qualifies if I want to 1-work for this person 2-See if they are same page as budget for job their size.And the list goes on...It's very important to find out if people are realistic, in NYC the average building requires million insurance, workmens comp, building permits,and paying everyone off from doormen to super..So I need to find out where they are at,you can't do bathrooms in NYC for $10,000 as a lot of people think...Bathrooms gutout start at $20,000...And I let people know that on phone or in e-mail right away,so we are on same page..Thank you Kevin Klepper A-1 Home Improver Constr.Manhattan,NY

Submitted by Shel on Tue, 2012-02-07 14:10
Never share a competitors bid with another contractor. First if a contractor asks for the bid of another he just told you he is willing to be dishonest. Second if you give him the other bids you just told him your are willing to listen to someone who may be dishonest. Honest contractors are willing to do the work to generate a bid. chose the contractor who is willing to listen to your needs and to deliver on them.

Submitted by Phil on Tue, 2012-02-07 14:10
What's this whole 'sharing bids is dishonest' nonsense? You aren't a municipality going through a SEALED BID process, you are just a home owner trying to get the best deal. If I like a particular contractor but his bid is not the lowest, I will ALWAYS share the lowest bid with him and ask if he can match it. That way I get the best guys at the best values. And if he can't match it, I know the other guy might be cutting corners. Do whatever saves you money and gets you the best work!

Submitted by Zan Richards on Sat, 2012-08-04 13:40
Don't be so sure. Let's say this contractor "matches the low bid" what makes you think a corner won't get cut on your installation? If a contractor is willing to match another contractors bid then something is off, either he doesn't know his true cost of doing business, or he'll use a lesser quality material etc etc. I'm curious where it became the status quo to jack contractors around on their price. Bargain shopping is for garage sales...When dealing with a contractor, reputation, job portfolio, references and warrany policy is the ticket, your not winning by asking a contractor to drop his price and a good one would walk away from a prospect like you

Submitted by Tom Corrigan on Tue, 2012-08-28 13:14
As a contractor with 40 years experience, I appreciate the opportunity to match a bid. I do not have to and many times won't, but I put a lot of time and effort into preparing a bid and appreciate the opportunity to tweak it if necessary.

Submitted by Roger on Tue, 2012-08-28 15:47
There are plenty of reasons to consider matching a lower bid, including the prospect of additional work/projects for the client, potential referrals, or the fact that the job is unique in some way and you would really like to do it for your portfolio. Lowering your profit on one job to secure much more work is a compelling reason.

Submitted by Mary on Tue, 2012-02-07 14:10
Great article, thanks! As much as the contractor wants to qualify ME, I ask certain questions and expect certain things to come of the visit to qualify THEM to do the work! It most certainly goes both ways and is empowering. For example, I had a bidder on a 2 bath remodel job give me a quote. Why didn't I use him over another? Not because he was the highest quote, but because he failed MY qualifying tests. He had no need to peek into the crawlspace when I asked him if he wanted to see it, and he didn't spend more than ONE minute reviewing the 2 already demo'd baths. Also he didn't offer any suggestions about materials to be used or asked me what I planned. I am very happy with the company that is doing the work. The other guy was a disappointment at the bid process!

Submitted by Dennis on Tue, 2012-02-07 14:10
Very Well Put Kevin Klepper!!I'm glad to see that I am not the only one that wants to qualify potential customers.I'm not trying to be funny, but some people can not afford the pictures that they see in their minds.All I'm trying to do is help the customer get the best for what they can afford

Submitted by Neal on Tue, 2012-02-07 14:10
Will everyone agree that poop does not run up hill? The contractor who installed my septic tanks did! Worse, the COUNTY inspector agreed with him and passed the job. The whole system installation was against code,state and county!We had to have his system completely pulled out and a new system installed.At this point we found out it was not the system we purchased to start with.Let me tell you, going to court over poop is not fun!! Neal

Submitted by Chad on Tue, 2012-02-07 14:10
I would be concerned if a contractor asked to see the other bids BEFORE giving his own - that smells like he's just going to undercut whatever lowest bid you already have, and I'd be worried he might cut whatever corners necessary to do it. On the other hand, if he gives an independent bid that isn't the lowest, THEN you might share the other bids with him; maybe there's a reason. Maybe this guy was assuming more expensive materials than you really had in mind, or maybe the OTHER guy is cutting some corners. I had two bids recently, and when I expressed sticker-shock at the price on the second one, he asked about my other bids. I told him what the first guy had quoted; the second one said he couldn't even buy the materials wholesale for what the first guy quoted on the entire job, which made me wonder what the first guy was up to. Also agree with C Cox; whether you pay cash or finance makes no difference, the builder has his money either way. Insist on a thorough, independent inspection before taking possession, or better yet, before making the final payment to the builder.

Submitted by Regula on Tue, 2012-09-11 02:17
The fact that your second contractor said he couldn't even buy the materials at the first contractor's price doesn't mean that is actually true. Before engaging in a renovation, remodel, replacement it would be good to choose what products you want installed and what they cost including installation costs. This info is on the internet for many products. To know whether a contractor is in the ballpark for the work he bids on, it may be worthwhile to look up in one of the Mean's estimating handbooks. Even if that may not result in the exact price, it will inform of the magnitude or price region into which the work falls. Thereafter, talk to the contractors, ask them how they will go about solving some of the trickier aspects of your projects to find out if they actually know what they are talking about. A good idea is to specify what products you want and make it clear that you will not accept substitutes without your express authorization. Otherwise contractors will substitute with products that are similar but may not be as good as what you chose, but on which they get a higher contractor's discount. It is also a good idea to make a drawing, even a hand sketch, of what the outcome should be. Like that you know you are talking about the same thing with the contractor. From the contractor's standpoint it is often difficult to guess exactly what the client had in mind and it leads to dissonances if the final outcome doesn't match the inner image of the client. Always ask if there are any difficulties with what you want done or if the contractor has a better way to suggest. By doing this with a number of contractors to get a choice of prices, you will learn a lot about what your project actually takes to build.

Submitted by eeee on Sun, 2013-04-07 01:06
It would never occur to me to think that a contractor asking to see the other bids, before presenting his own, is angling for a way to UNDERcut. Seems far more likely to me that he'd be looking for the angle to maximize his profit. "Hmm, I can do this for $500 in materials and eight hours of labor - my bare minimum cost would be $800, but how much will this client pay? Can I charge $1000 instead? Can I bump it up to $1500? If someone else is offering to do it for $1300, I could set my bid at $1200 - the client thinks s/he's saving $100 but I'm actually making $400 extra profit." Sharing information is well and good. Sharing pricing information, especially before the asker has submitted his own estimate/bid, is dicey.

Submitted by MountainMike on Tue, 2012-02-07 14:10
I would agree that asking "what the other BIDS are before giving you mine" is the sign of a DIShonest contractor. So what if it's not a sealed BID process? It is still wanting to know what others have figured out before taking the time to do your own homework! Yes, this is probably the same person that cheated in school!

Submitted by Don on Tue, 2012-02-07 14:10
I was taught many decades ago that in the world of marketing or selling, that we are "architects of words", and that our success is predicated on what we say and how we say it. This article clearly points out contractors who have not yet learned how to use words to sell their services.

Submitted by Tony on Tue, 2012-02-07 14:10
I would agree 100% that a contractor that asks to see a competitive bid prior to giving the homeowner is really sending out the wrong message. I have asked to sit down and compare bids to make sure the customer is getting an apples to apples comparison and the majority of the time they aren’t. The one gentleman that likes to share the low bid with his preferred contractor and ask them to match it, I think is being very selfish and unfair to the preferred contractor. You most likely preferred them because of how they worked with you, their level of knowledge etc. and now you’re asking them to match the price of someone who didn’t leave you with that same feeling.

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