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View Full Version : How do you know if you are getting a good estimate ?



Clarence Martin
06-17-2014, 6:39 PM
When you put a job out for bid, how do you know if you are getting a good estimate ? Take plumbing , for example. Say you wanted an old cast iron drain pipe on the 1st and 2nd floors replaced with PVC , new toilet installed and shower fixtures fixed or replaced. The bid comes in at just a little under 2 Grand. Is that fair for the amount of work to be done ? Should a 2nd estimate be taken at that price ?

Rich Enders
06-17-2014, 6:53 PM
Clarence,

For your own piece of mind you should get a few estimates.

Also please take into account that PVC DWV is noisier than cast iron. Depending on where the drain is relative to your living/sleeping areas you may want to stay with cast.

Mark Bolton
06-17-2014, 7:11 PM
The way to tell if your estimate is good is to compare it to the two others you got.. ;-)

Duane Meadows
06-17-2014, 7:17 PM
And check references... the lowest estimate may well be the worst deal!

Brian Elfert
06-17-2014, 7:24 PM
And check references... the lowest estimate may well be the worst deal!

Where do you find an unbiased reference? What contractor would give you anything but good references? I struggle with this any time I need to hire someone to work on my house.

Raymond Fries
06-17-2014, 9:49 PM
We always get at least two estimates from the best ones on Angie's List or referrals from people we know well. May you find an excellent contractor. Call Holmes. LOL

Duane Meadows
06-17-2014, 9:58 PM
BBB, Bonding/Insurance, quick Google search? That would be a minimum I would check for someone I don't know. And you are right, Brian, references are not always reliable.either.

Angie's list seems to me to be just a money making, well hate to say SCAM, but... Don't think there even is any Angie's list to look at here. Wasn't the last I looked, and I didn't want to spend the money they wanted to look into it further:(

Brian Elfert
06-17-2014, 10:32 PM
Angie's List seems to deny it, but many people say that Angie's List will remove poor reviews if a business pays them. I've also read that a lot of businesses will pay for accounts just to post good reviews.

Raymond Fries
06-17-2014, 10:37 PM
Angie's List seems to deny it, but many people say that Angie's List will remove poor reviews if a business pays them. I've also read that a lot of businesses will pay for accounts just to post good reviews.

Good tip Brian. I have never heard this and we have always had good luck with the list. Maybe we have just been lucky.

Brad Adams
06-17-2014, 11:05 PM
Angies list isn't all it seems. As an hvac dealer, I know what goes on with them. You can pay to get higher up on their list. We have dealer meetings and the advertising they want is ridiculous. Get a quote from someone you trust, or from a friend that has had a good experience. Don't forget to actually see an insurance certificate. If they balk at it, walk away.

Jim Matthews
06-18-2014, 7:22 AM
I poll my neighbors to find someone competent in a given field.

I use the references provided by contractors in different fields.
My electrician has been an excellent resource.

It is a fair question when signing on to ask how much
experience the person assigned has, before beginning the work.

My latest plumber sent someone so green he couldn't use a propane torch.
Only after calling the fire department did I discover how much
of the work had been botched.

They wanted to charge me the same "Professional rate" for a newbie that
had not even attended a VoTech school.

I get a minimum of three quotes for work done on my home.
The middle quote tends to be quality work at reasonable prices.

If there are new homes going up in your area, ask at the job site.

Brian Tymchak
06-18-2014, 7:41 AM
I've had pretty good experiences with using Angie's List. Only 1 of many contractors I've hired that had a high rating turned out to be a disappointment. I figure that's way better an average than I would have finding contractors on my own.

Art Mann
06-18-2014, 12:33 PM
Where do you find an unbiased reference? What contractor would give you anything but good references? I struggle with this any time I need to hire someone to work on my house.

True but call the references anyway! I have done just that and had a former customer tell me they would never do business with the company again. As a hiring manager, I have heard similar things from personal references of prospective employees many times. Apparently, contractors don't always have a good idea of what their former customers think of them.