Gas prices hurting contractors and consumers

I don't want to stir up a hornet's nest, but I feel the need to comment as a consumer, and a contractor. I don't know what kind of work you're seeking bids for, or where you are getting the referrals for the contractors you call. But, I am very sure that if they are professionals with all the licensing, insurance, and other required trappings, they cannot make a living by collecting $25.00 bid fees. I couldn't, and I don't believe anyone else could either. So, lose that idea immediately. If I divide my bid price for labor by the hours required to do the work and it equals less than $50.00 an hour, I am not covering my costs to operate my business and spend those hours doing what I just did! To a properly licensed, insured contractor $25.00 WILL NOT cover the cost of the time spent getting to your location, talking to you, and preparing an estimate. The $25.00 is a token amount used to eliminate spending time on folks that do NOT do their homework researching contractor referrals and, instead, are using a scattergun approach to find the cheapest price for the work they want done. Excellent contractors do not want, nor do they need, to waste time doing bids for folks looking for cheap prices. Cheap prices can mean shortcutting work, materials, and may indicate sketchy legality. Contractors who care about staying busy will make sure their reputation in the market is exemplary. A great benefit of this is that the calls they get are from people that want that kind of businessman doing work for them. Would you feel better if a contractor offered to waive the fee if a contract was written for the work? I do not charge a bid fee, but the contractors I know of that do will let you know when they present their price that they will refund the the bid fee if the contract is signed and a deposit is received. If I had done my research and chosen a contractor based on personal referrals and reputation, I would welcome the $25.00 bid fee. It shows me they are too busy to waste time and money running after folks looking for the cheapest price, instead of the best work performed by a responsible, professional contractor who is busy because he has terrific referrals. To use the term "highway robbery" to refer to a bid fee is very unfair, as is inferring that one could make a living collecting them. If you want the work done cheap, there is a guy down at the intersection holding a sign saying that he needs work. Go get him. If, on the other hand, you are looking for a professional job done by a professional, research all the contractor referral sites on the web, talk to people who have had the same kind of work done, and be willing to pay a bid fee. The bid fee is a sign of a busy professional. Here's a secret about contracting: if you are busy you are doing a great job and getting referrals for it, and most of your customers have an idea when they call you that they want you to do the work. Instead of being resentful of bid fees, you should make a list of all the contractors charging one and base your research on them. Also, include the contractors you find while researching the best-of-the-best who do NOT charge a bid fee, and call them too.