Before You Hire A Home Service Contractor - Get The Scoop!

If you live in a small town, you already know how important word-of-mouth advertising is and that it can make or break a company. Customers' direct experience with any product or service carries more weight than print advertising whether you live in a large city or small town but could be a bit harder to access in large metropolitan areas. If you're new in town and haven't made many friends yet, you might be stuck with the newspaper and phone book for awhile. Angie's List is a growing collection of homeowners' actual
experiences with local service companies. and is a consumer-driven service is supported by its members. Members pay a monthly or annual membership fee to access the ratings on the List.

Angie's List members submit more than 15,000 reports each month about the companies they've hired. They describe their project (including the cost), and grade the company's response time, prices and quality of work - good or bad. You'll know if a crew was conscious of children and pets, cleaned up after themselves, or just totally botched the job.

More than 650,000 members nationwide use Angie's List. The people who join Angie's List are like you - looking for a way to find trustworthy companies that perform high quality work.

Member benefits include:

* 24-hour access to the reports and reviews at AngiesList.com
* Real-live support through Angie's award-winning call center
* Angie's List Magazine
An email version will be delivered to members with complimentary memberships. Paying members also receive a hard copy in the mail.
* Access to Angie's Complaint Resolution Process
If you don't receive the quality of work that you expected from a service company, Angie's works to resolve the situation on your behalf.
* Coupons and discounts from highly rated service companies.

While word of mouth is great, it isn't always dependable. Personal opinions, grudges and feuds can enter into the equation, tainting a business's reputation.

Because Angie's List relies on its members' experiences, reviews are not submitted anonymously. Members' information is kept confidential on the List, but reports are made available to the companies who have been reviewed. Since there are always two sides to every story, companies can respond to reviews, helping make sure that members get all the information they need to make a hiring decision. Additionally, members can only report on a specific company once every six months, ensuring no one can "stack the deck" in favor of or against a company. Finally, all reviews submitted by members go through a team of Angie's List staff who look for any irregularities or red flags. Occasionally, we can catch service companies reporting on their own businesses. Those companies are reprimanded and the reports are promptly and permanently removed from the List.

Tips on effective communication with service providers from AngiesList.com.

* Clearly define your project. Before you begin talking with contractors, pick up remodeling magazines, search the Internet for information on designs and materials, and then put your ideas on paper. Even rough ideas on paper are better than nothing at all. It will give a potential contractor a better sense of what your expectations are and what you are hoping to accomplish.

* Do you need a general contractor? Once you know what you want done, consider what you realistically can accomplish on your own. For larger projects, especially those that may involve more than three different service providers, a general contractor to oversee your project may be required.

* Consider an architect. If you are eliminating walls, adding rooms or doing anything that impacts the structure of your home, an architect or structural engineer may be a good idea. Some larger remodeling firms have these professionals on staff to review possible options, finalize plans and ensure the structural integrity of your home.

* Ask around. Ask neighbors and friends who've had work done for references. If you're new in town, or don't know anyone who has had similar projects done, check AngiesList.com for references.

* Do your research. Don't just hire based on a conversation. Check the performance record of the contractor you plan to hire through Angie's List, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) and the Better Business Bureau. If your contractor balks at providing references, move to the next one on your list.

* Check references: Get names of previous customers and find out if they were pleased with the work and the timeline of the project, as well as if they'd hire the contractor again. Get the names of subcontractors and ask if they work with the contractor often and does he pay on time.

* Get estimates: Take the time to get at least a few different estimates for your job. And get it in writing - documentation is often the best ammunition you have if things go wrong.

* Where can I reach you? Be cautious of contractors who give you a post office box with no street address, or use only an answering service.

* License for hire: Some states or cities have no licensing requirements for contractors, which can make it difficult for homeowners to check up on contractors before they hire. Don't rely on the contractor's word to know whether his or her license is valid: check it out through the appropriate agency.

* Insured & bonded? Check the status of the contractor's bonding and liability insurance coverage too. Angie's List members can check for a list of sites by state and category where you can check the licensure status of service providers on AngiesList.com.

* Know your budget and payment options. Experts say the recommended pre-payment is typically between 10 and 15 percent of the total value of the project, but it can vary. Remember that even the most careful budget will change, especially if your project includes hidden problems. Never pay for a project with cash; always use a credit card so you have recourse in case something goes wrong. Before you sign off and make the final payment, check that the work is complete.

* Review all aspects of the contract before you sign. Often, homeowners assume certain specifics are included, such as appliance installation. Know the details of the contract, as well as how any change orders will be handled. Check that your contract includes a lien waiver, covering payments to all subcontractors who worked on the project.

* Confirm the "punch list" procedure. Basically, this is how the contractor will deal with the list of small items remaining to be completed at the end of the job. A good rule of thumb is to determine the cost of those items, double it, then withhold that amount from the final payment, until the list is complete.

* Prepare your family for the stress. This is one of the most overlooked, but critical considerations. How will the project change your routine, especially if it's a kitchen or bath? Where will materials be stored? What are the working hours for the crew?

By now you're probably thinking that enough information has been provided here to just do the research yourself and asking why you should pay for a service like AngiesList.com.

About a year ago, my car broke down on a late Friday afternoon too far away from home to have it towed to my usual, trusted mechanic. Due to these circumstances, I had to have it towed to someone I did not know. I was ripped off big-time and had no choice but to pay for the repairs because I needed my car back, especially after this garage kept it for a week. If a service like AngiesList.com was available in my area for car repairs, I may have been able to use their 24 hour support to find someone who did not take advantage of me. My only recourse has been to spread the word about this place all over town, and believe me, I have done so. It is interesting that you will not hear a recommendation for this garage when you ask the locals about mechanics.

As I mentioned above, there's always the chance that a personal vendetta could influence world of mouth recommendations. It would be a shame to miss out on great service and prices because Bob the Builder left Barbie for Teresa......

Home improvement and repairs are costly and affect the biggest investment you'll ever make - your home. If you had the time and skills, you'd probably be doing it yourself, right? You could feel the effects of a botched job on your well-being, your wallet and your home for years to come. When you must turn this daunting task over to someone else, the membership fee is nothing compared to the peace of mind you'll have before, during and after the job is done.

Need A Contractor? Ask Angie! Let AngiesList.com Help You Find The Best Contractor In Your Town!

I ran across SmartFlix.com How-To DVDs while searching for some do it yourself instructions on repairing my clothes dryer. I was surprised to find that SmartFlix has a wealth of polymer clay DVD's and I noticed that they have a construction category. Framing Walls, MFC: Conquering Crown Molding and Mastering Finish Carpentry are just a few of their available DVD's.

Whether you want to study up on personal finance, train your dog or learn to fly a plane, SmartFlix has a DVD for you!

The site also runs holiday specials. For Father's Day, they offered 10% off rentals. Join today and open up a whole new world!