How to find reliable contractors who actually show up
Contractors frequently fail to appear on scheduled dates, communicate delays, or return to finish half-completed projects after receiving deposits. This unreliability leaves homeowners stranded with unfinished work and unable to secure dependable help for future repairs.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Doing household work oneself
- 2Finding alternative contractors after being ghosted
- 3Waiting around all day for scheduled appointments
- 4Getting 3 to 5 quotes on every project
- 5Doing extensive independent research and watching contractors closely while they work
- 6Asking material supply shops for recommendations
- 7Checking county circuit court records to see if a company has been sued
- 8calling alternative local service providers until someone answers
- 9driving to the contractor's physical location
- 10repeatedly calling and hassling contractors to get answers or quotes
- 11hiring independent or small business contractors through personal recommendations
- 12always asking for a paper trail, written contracts, and bills of sale
- 13refusing to pay cash and demanding legitimate permits
- 14screening contractors to ensure they haven't been bought out by private equity firms
- 15Refusing to accept the contract without clarification
- 16Asking contractors to separate product warranty from workmanship warranty
- 17Requesting written explanations of what is covered if a leak develops
- 18Asking how contractors protect the roof during open-ridge weather events
- 19Getting multiple quotes
- 20Rejecting door-to-door offers claiming leftover asphalt
- 21Doing homework to find independent or specific technicians willing to install customer-sourced equipment
- 22Getting multiple quotes to find someone at the right price
- 23Buying the equipment and installation directly as a complete package from a contractor
- 24Searching local forums or social media for contractor recommendations
- 25Using an honest and fairly priced handyman who lacks specific heating system experience
- 26Trying to learn technical terms and repair strategies independently to spot inflated pricing
- 27Looking for contractors with established websites instead of relying on Facebook or Craigslist ads.
- 28searching for personal recommendations from others
- 29Getting multiple quotes from established companies before agreeing to work
- 30Refusing to hire random door-to-door solicitors
- 31Doing the maintenance work DIY instead
- 32Calling local independent carpenters instead of specialized foundation repair companies
- 33Getting multiple quotes to compare prices
- 34Snipping the cables or trying to figure out if they are active
- 35guessing whether to contact a structural engineer, general contractor, or carpenter
- 36asking online communities for guidance to avoid wasting money
- 37Troubleshooting and fixing the issue independently using YouTube tutorials and a multimeter
- 38Contacting multiple other companies or casting a wider net
- 39Waiting until peak cooling season passes or addressing emergency situations first
- 40getting multiple quotes from different contractors
- 41Working with a retired HVAC person for initial installation and charging
- 42Paying out of pocket for independent diagnostics while losing warranty coverage
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“our realtors inspector failed to find that every toliet and shower was leaking in our home.”source ↗
“hired a guy with plenty of 5* reviews to stain our staircase. horrid.”source ↗
“they used a god damn chainsaw to saw off the posts an inch from the ground.”source ↗
“The day comes and he doesn't show. When I call him he claims has no idea who I am, but can send someone over right away.”source ↗
“The problem is I was quoted a price and I wasn't told it was a cash price and then when they showed up they told me 'oh they can't do that price unless it's cash'. And then told me that they can't do a legitimate job with cash payment.”source ↗
“I hate the trope of contractors "forgetting" about you, showing up hours late, and pretending they're doing you some huge favor by showing up and doing work for the price they gave you.”source ↗
“Try being a blonde, petite female and navigating the world of contractors. They treat you like you are fkn stupid and it's infuriating and you have to watch them closely.”source ↗
“The problem is all the guys who say they'll show up and never do. Or the guys who finish half the job and never come back.”source ↗
“I agreed to waiting a month for metal fencing and paid $3200 deposit with a set date given to me of 4/7. That day came and went with no contact from the contractor.”source ↗
“I had a burst pipe and had to shut off my main. Called the number on the sticker and they couldn't dispatch anyone for a week.”source ↗
“I'm currently just trying to find a reliable handyman and its so annoying. They do one job, insist I take their number for future projects, when ghost when I try to hire them again.”source ↗
“I had a lawn guy come over in the fall to give me a quote. Didn’t hear from him so I texted last week. Sorry, he has a new phone, & doesn’t know who I am.”source ↗
“I’m terribly anxious I made a bad decision. Did I get screwed?”source ↗
“I was really uncomfortable with it, so I said $1,200 not knowing any better and he agreed to it.”source ↗
“Local oil/gas company had tags on everything. I had a bonafide situation happen the first winter where the boiler just died and I could not fix it. Was getting dangerously cold later that week so I gave them a call. Lady took my number and said they'd call back. They didn't.”source ↗
“A week went by and I didn’t see anything. I forgot what company even came. I searched my text to find a name or email and idk I didn’t even bother.”source ↗
“I've had guys come out to site spend 2 hours doing measurements ect then not giving an estimate.”source ↗
“I've had the same problem with maintenance on my dad's house. Offer to give people fat piles of cash to get projects done. Either don't want the work or no call no show.”source ↗
“What do I need at ask / know before hiring someone to replace asphalt driveway?”source ↗
“I am not sure who else to call to get quotes. I don't like dealing with these foundation repair companies that sound like they try to scare you into spending thousands of dollars”source ↗
“I'm not gonna lie, I worry that this "repair" will actually end up causing problems that were not there to begin with.”source ↗
“Your story mimics mine from a few weeks ago almost exactly. Same product, knock on the door, same story on two coats. Frankly, I think it was a bit scammy and overpriced.”source ↗
“I have a sliding glass patio door that is sagging down approx. 5/16" in the center compared to the sides. It's sagging enough that one of the glass panels cracked into a million pieces the other day.”source ↗
“If you were in this situation, who would be your first point of contact? A structural engineer, a general contractor, or just a carpenter? Maybe I can save a bit of money if I pick the correct starting point here...”source ↗
“i'm about to get some quotes for my garage on some concrete repair. 1 Car, I only want the small area where my garage door touches the concrete to be fixed to create a perfect seal not my entire garage. I know concrete is expensive is this going to be a lot higher than I'm expecting???”source ↗
“I heard a sound and it looks like the support of some cables that were attached to the house bent down or came unattached?”source ↗
“I wouldn't hire anyone who talks like this about his work. It's bullshit.”source ↗
“My fear is that the ridge vent or the patching will leak, and I will be SOL.”source ↗
“I am also worried about popup storms occurring while the ridge is open.”source ↗
“When it comes to the rpatching the box and gable vents, adding baffles and insulation instal, there is no Workmanship Warranty. Their warranty also specifically does not cover water damage caused by them for any reason.”source ↗
“Most companies won’t install customer purchased equipment. Most will not guarantee the equipment if it’s purchased by you or warranty it either.”source ↗
“Established business’s will not install equipment they didn’t buy..”source ↗
“I look at companies near me and everyone has 5 star reviews on Google. Not believable to me.”source ↗
“No HVAC company here will touch it because they didn't install it, but I did get one of them to at least diagnose it.”source ↗
“I think I'm screwed out of the money for the condenser because of the warranty/installer issue”source ↗
“Hello do you know a decent contractor that can replace Poly B in Quebec ?”source ↗
“I'm considering replacing mine because the system is 30 plus years old.”source ↗
“So I had this boiler installed by a guy I found out later was trying to scam me”source ↗
“Since plumbing is not my forte and want to hire a professional id like to understand terms or strategies to fix it so that when they try to add extra fluff to make the job sound harder than it is I don’t get screwed over with pricing.”source ↗
“My heat pump is not defrosting in the winter. I filled out the form for a highly recommended local company, no response. I schedule a guy to come out days in advance, he no call no shows.”source ↗
“I wouldn't hire anybody that doesn't have a website. If they're just like advertising on Facebook or craigslist, yeah fuck that. You're too lazy to run a website, you're too lazy for my business.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 3How to find and hire reliable contractors after property damage
- 27How do I know if I can DIY a repair or need a pro?
- 4How to find a contractor who actually does attic ventilation calculations
- 7How to find a trustworthy mechanic after losing DIY space
- 37How do I know if a contractor quote is fair?
- 5Is newly finished contractor work actually acceptable?