So discouraging! (getting quotes for windows)

[Deleted]

I wish I could send my window guy down there. And I wish I could help more with real-world experience, but I've never had someone do the refurb for me; I feel like a window advocate failure if you spend all this time and effort and can't find someone!

Personally, if I found a guy that did good window work and has great ratings and was busy (i.e. was in demand), I'd probably be a little more flexible on the time for receiving a quote. Finding any good contractor is definitely hard work. We've not found the "perfect" contractor yet, but as long as their work is good and the price is fair, we're willing to forgive a little. Maybe he's a phone guy, not an e-mail guy, and maybe he is swamped with another project. On this subject it's particularly difficult because there are so few Craftsmen left who even know what they're doing with old windows.

What was the "nightmare" with the first guy?

[Deleted]

Hah, sorry about that. Once you start noticing them, you can't stop. I shouldn't spread my disease to other people.

Contractors in this area might just be so specialized that you just have to be willing to put up with some wait time. I hope the quotes come back reasonable. I wouldn't necessarily count the first guy out completely myself if he has really good references on other windows and good prices, but I can see how that might be a little annoying/risky (maybe he wouldn't do as good a job if he wasn't really into it; window-specific references/reviews might really help in that dept.).

[Susie]

I had a similar experience this spring with some specific electrical work, and again with tree surgeons. It really can be difficult to get good professionals in. It surprised me. I don't think high expectations are the problem though, at least not in the "get a quote and get back to me" stage.

[Deleted]

Wha hoo! Sounds like you might be able to get the best of all worlds. Fingers crossed. Good to know about Angie's List. I'm looking for a custom cabinet person for our kitchen to get rid of the God-awful warped plywood, maybe I'll sign up...

[FoxInFiji]

I know how you feel! I would just try to settle down and wait it out. If that guy is popular and knows his stuff he should be worth the wait. Two weeks isn't the long if you consider he's schedule is probably pretty hectic right now with his other project. In my experience though some of the best contractors aren't necessarily the best businessmen. They know their stuff and do good work but may be slow to give you quotes or return your non-urgent phone calls.

[Deleted]

Jul 2, 2012 16:24:02 GMT -5 @jimbooo said:

Jul 2, 2012 15:46:30 GMT -5 @juno said:

Wha hoo! Sounds like you might be able to get the best of all worlds. Fingers crossed. Good to know about Angie's List. I'm looking for a custom cabinet person for our kitchen to get rid of the God-awful warped plywood, maybe I'll sign up...

If you join angies list, this is how I got a good deal. I started to sign up and entered my contact info and then exited out before submitting payment. Then they will send you an email saying "oops, we meant to offer you a better deal, 40% off" and they will include the coupon code for it. Not sure if they normally do this but the email also included a 20% off if you use paypal, so I did that and got a total of 60% off, paying only $12.48 for the year.

!! Thanks

[wawa]

Jul 2, 2012 15:46:30 GMT -5 FoxInFiji said:

I know how you feel! I would just try to settle down and wait it out. If that guy is popular and knows his stuff he should be worth the wait. Two weeks isn't the long if you consider he's schedule is probably pretty hectic right now with his other project. In my experience though some of the best contractors aren't necessarily the best businessmen. They know their stuff and do good work but may be slow to give you quotes or return your non-urgent phone calls.

THIS! It's really really frustrating to deal with, but it's absolutely true. Often, particularly with speciality work like this, you have to balance those two aspects and decide how much sloppy business practice stuff you are willing to put up with in exchange for meticulous physical work.

Just make sure your line is drawn somewhere short of total hairbrained flakeyness and/or actual bullshit runarounds.

It is so annoying though. I wish you much luck!

[kaylie]

To get the Angie's List deal, you don't really have to go through the fake sign up thing. The promotion is usually offered every couple of weeks. I always search dealnews before buying anything online and they always have the coupon codes for Angie's:

Angie's List takes 40% off select membership plans, including the activation fee, via coupon code "HIRE30". (The coupon code excludes renewals.) Even better, pay via PayPal to knock an extra 20% off. That's tied with our mention from a week ago as the best pair of discounts we've seen on Angie's List membership plans in recent months. Angie's List is a user-created database with hundreds of reviews of contractors throughout the nation. Rates vary by location and term selected. Coupon expires July 8.

Of note, coupon code "HALFOFFHOME" takes 50% off new memberships of 1-year or more. It can also be combined with the above PayPal discount.