Sometimes finding a dependable and affordable person to do work on your home can be very challenging. There are most likely plenty of quality people out there who will do a good job at a fair rate, but how do you find the right one for your household job? This challenge becomes even more daunting when you move to another city. There should be quality local pros in your area and here is how to find them.
Recommendations from friends
This is the best way to find a handyman, electrician, plumber and any other service provider in your area. Asking friends, relatives and co-workers for recommendations is a great place to start. These are people who have had first-hand experience with others working on their homes. Focus on people who have had similar projects to yours done for the best recommendations. You may even be able to see the work that was done and if your family and friends trust them and approve of their work, then that’s a pretty good indication that they will most likely do a good job for you.
Check Yelp
The Internet can really help you find some great reviews. Visit Yelp to find a handyman and other local service providers. It’s a popular crowdsourcing website that posts user reviews and recommendations for everything from services, shopping, and entertainment and restaurants. All you have to do is enter your location and the services you are looking for. You get the search results of different service providers near you all ranked by star ratings. From here, the ball is in your court and all you have to do is select the best service provider depending on the location and your budget. Be aware that some of the providers listed here are advertisers, but many are not. The advertisers are labeled so that you know they are advertising.
Online reviews
Today, different service providers have websites. On these websites, customers post their reviews after using the company’s services. Don’t simply read the first few amazing reviews and decide this is the service provider for you. Take time and go through as many online reviews as possible online to see if other customers overall were satisfied with the contractor’s work. If most of the customers were happy with the job, you are most likely going to be happy and content as well.
Check licensing
Many contractors as well as subcontractors have to be licensed. The licensing procedures vary depending on what state and county they are in. There are local licensing requirements for different service providers as well. Check that the service provider you choose is licensed and insured. Whoever is involved in your project should be insured and have the right tools as well as experienced in that field.
Finding a dependable and affordable contractor should be guided by the above factors. Word of mouth is the best as it comes from people with firsthand experience of the service provider’s work. Your local hardware store is also an amazing spot to get good local contractor recommendations.
