Question about homeowning. I'm thinking of buying a house.

[raccoon]

I had one some years ago, but sold it.

Anyway, my question to you is, if you hire somebody to do some work, how can you tell if they're overcharging you or not? I don't know of anywhere I can look to find charges for various odd jobs.

I'd like to hear your thoughts on this.

[shraby]

1. Depends on what area of the country you live in, and what part of that state.

Rural areas will be cheaper where urban areas are probably going to be higher.

What state are we looking at?

[raccoon]

6. SC but urban area. nt

[Cattledog]

2. Get multiple estimates. Ask neighbors. Check sites like Angie's List.

[we can do it]

5. You're recommending right wing angies list?

[dameatball]

3. Just ask my brother. He knows everything....:)

[CottonBear]

4. You might try posting this OP in the DIY & Home Improvement Group.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1158

[procon]

7. You can't, its entirely subjective.

It's not like they all charge the same, and someone with skills and experience will cost more.

Here's what I did:

Write out specifically what you want done, in detail. Include drawings or photos of your ideas, also paint chips, measurements or dimensions. Spell out brands and model numbers if that's important. Set a start and end date. Call the local handyman services and ask about their skills in doing the work you want. Give your project specs to the workers you think are qualified and then compare their estimates. Checks online reviews like yelp. Pick the top 2 and call their references. Then pick one and discuss hiring him.

[angstlessk]

8. Do research on the net of any one you consider hiring

Based on the three you considered

[Demsrule86]

9. Get more than one bid but don't take the cheapest neccesarily...also I had people do

something somewhat minor first and see how it went. I got a guy who know plumbing, electrical and roofing etc...general contractor retired and he is great! He is reasonable but not cheap and does a great job...did the whole house reno of the home I am selling now and will do the kitchen reno, basement reno and bathrooms as well. in the new house..he has guys who work under him too for big jobs. We have over the years become friends. When our furnace broke in the middle of winter, S came over and figured out it was a $3.00 part and fixed it...charged us very little as he knew we were broke. Had we called a furnace company, I am sure they would have said we needed a new one. So start small with anyone...multiple bids and don't pay until job is complete until you know the person really well.

[SCantiGOP]

10. Raccoon: Columbia here

I used to use Angie’s but didn’t like them. Now I just ask around or do some google research and then check the people out in Yelp and BBB, both of which are free.

[mythology]

11. DIY

Cheaper and you learn things along the way. I've found generally the staff at hardware stores, even the big box stores, are happy to help walk you through something that you can then do at home.

[FuzzyRabbit]

14. And don't forget YouTube.

You can learn how to do most small repairs and maintenance on YouTube, and even how to do some big projects. Doing it yourself costs only about 20% of what a repair service will cost. Most jobs are pretty easy to learn if you take you time and are thoughtful.

I have added electrical outlets, light fixtures, replaced the hot water heater, fixed faucets, patched drywall, replaced a picture window with french doors, and painted my house, all by myself (with occasional help from friends). And built my deck for thousands less than my sister paid for her similar deck.

If I can do this stuff, almost anybody can.

[mercuryblues]

12. first

decide how much you are willing to pay someone to do the job. Get a few quotes.

If you want someone to paint your whole interior, hire them to do 1 room and see how you like their job.

[OldHippieChick]

13. I've used both Homeadvisor and

thumbtack for recommendations. Each gave me a minimum of 3 names. They all come w/ referrals and bios. Very helpful. Most have been very much worthwhile. Once I chose a handyman and they worked well for a while, but then screwed me on a disposal. My loss was less than $100, so don't feel too badly. Have used for lawn care, housecleaning, fence-building, gutter-cleaning and handyman. My son uses them to advertise his services as a tutor.

[Caliman73]

15. I had a cement slab poured recently.

I looked up "prices for cement slabs" and came up with a bunch of resources.

The trick is to do your research, use multiple sources, and average them out. It should give you a pretty good estimate of prices in your area.

[LuckyCharms]

16. I use the following site a lot:

https://www.homewyse.com/

[ProudLib72]

17. Best advice: Ask your realtor

We were lucky in that our realtor was a builder in a past life, so he knew all the right people. If you have a realtor you trust, then I would ask that person. Even if the realtor isn't into building him/herself, I bet they know someone in their office who is. The next step from a realtor is the inspector. Again, you find a good home inspector, and they will know all the right people.

[NCTraveler]

18. Overcharging in the field of handymen is difficult to quantify.

If a person does the job just as good, twice as fast, and charges double the other guys rate.....

Does the person charge for drive or shop time?

Depending on state regulations what license does the person have? A GC should be charging more than a state or county licensed handyman.

What is the nature and scope of work? I’ve found in areas whith really old plumbing that you are looking to repair and not replace it beneficial to have someone more old school.

If the job is large enough they should be able to give you an estimate. Most of them are pretty honest and accurate.

Best way to find one? Ask your trusted friends.

I pay between $30 and $75 per hour depending on the job. That’s in Florida. My main person is awesome and charges $40/hour.

You really need to outline the scope of your work and get more than one to look at it. One of them is likely to make a new client. Trust and callbacks are their game.

If you want to send me quotes or tell me what they are telling you I would be happy to give you my thoughts.

[CaptainTruth]

19. I'm a contractor, when I do my estimates I double-check Homewyse.

For me Homewyse is my "reality check" to make sure my estimate is in the right ballpark. Based on my experience checking hundreds of estimates for a wide variety of home improvement projects, Homewyse is on the mark.

[TheBlackAdder]

20. After 25 years, it's not the American Dream. Watch the Adam Ruins Everything on homeownership.

You can find good handymen for $15-20 an hour. Neighborhood kids are cheaper for odd simple tasks.