Hi Angel, I have used their services and have found them to be pretty good in the contractor department.
A secret the person told me was that the contractor has to do a good job, as their position is on the line. You see, if they don't do a good job, it's Home Depot who has to foot the bill for repairing it, and then the job isn't worth doing. Even if you come back to them and say you don't like the colour on a paint job, they will try to accommodate you on the follow up job. It's their customer service policy, as the company can't afford the bad press. In any case, they are pretty good at doing the job, and really professional. The only down side is that you don't know how much the job is going to cost until after you've shelled out the 45 or so dollars for the estimate cost, although they don't call it that, as that would be illegal in most states, as most consumer protection laws say you can't charge for giving an estimate, and if you do, you must give the cost up front. In any case, they call it a measurement cost. In other words, you're paying for some guy to come out and measure the job out so they can give you a proper quote on the job. If, and, only if, you agree to go with the price, they will discount the measuring cost from the original price, but if you think the job is too outlandish, you lose the measuring money. One thing I would recommend is that you get a couple of quotes. Don't just get a quote from Home Depot, get one from Lowes also, and from a private contractor. One thing you will find is that the private contractor will always give you the cheaper price, as Lowes and Home Depot have to charge you retail prices, where as the contractor has connections to suppliers that will only charge him wholesale prices, allowing him to provide for a lesser quote. The biggest benefit to going with the big box stores is their reputation, and their assurances that the job will get done. With a contractor, you have to get references and the like, and there's always the time problem, as the contractor is small, and therefore has other projects on the go, so you never know how far in the pecking order you are. Either way, you should mention to the contractor that time is of the essence, and, for God sakes, get a contract with a clause mentioning what will happen if you're not happy with the job, warranty conditions, how long it will take to complete the project, and what happens if the job isn't completed in the time allotted. Oh, and don't forget to make sure there's a clause for what happens with unexpected working conditions, as they may tear up your floors, only to find that they have to completely remove the sub-floor and re-do it, something that will up the price completely. Hope this helps. Victor Co-moderator Blind Movie Buffs List Guidedogs List
