You’re pretty handy around the house, and you can usually fix your own problems. But what about a leaking roof? Are you prepared to invest time, energy, and money into doing a job that may not withstand the test of time before needing more repairs because maybe one step got left out?
You’re lucky to live in this day and age, because there are qualified contractors who would love to help fulfill your needs.
But, finding a quality, trustworthy contractor is hard… Isn’t it?
Actually, no! It’s easier than ever to find a contractor to do everything from fixes, to updates or total remodels for you and your home!
First off, you can find them in the same place you found this blog post! [The Internet]. But where should you look for qualified craftsmen and women in your area? Check out below:
Here are 5 places to look for contractors in 2019:
While you’re scrolling through your news feed to see what kind of politically fueled arguments are stewing; you could make use of the time by searching for a contractor. If you’re on a mobile device you can do the following:
- Navigate to your Marketplace
- Search at the top “Contractor Near Me” [This search will return a screen that shows a “FIND PROS” button]
- Tap that button and you’ll be prompted with “What service do you need?”
- Follow that through with the anything from “Exterior Home or Structure Painting” to “Kitchen Remodeling” or even outside of contractors, you could search for “Family Photography”. Whatever you are looking for; Facebook should return some search results meeting your criteria.
You’ll be greeted with a list (perhaps 1-2 results or hundreds depending on your area) with businesses who have been reviewed on Facebook. From there you can contact the business owner and schedule for your needs.
Angie’s List
Angie’s list is relatively new (if you consider since 1995 as “new”). But you can go right to their website to see what kind of contractors are in your area. [Contractors who are fully bonded and carry the right insurance to perform the job you need done].
The benefit of Angie’s list is that the reviews are real, so that people know who they are hiring and their reputation with previous customers.
Craigslist
While some encounters on Craigslist are not exactly warm and comforting, there are certainly good people on that platform who are looking for work.
You’re more likely to find smaller businesses on a site like this; you’re not looking at a contractor with several crews out there working 365 days out of the year. You’re probably going to find a smaller operation with less than 12 people working for the company.
There can be some very qualified workers who just aren’t set up to advertise in the “big leagues”.
You’ll find these workers under the “Services” menu on Craigslist, and then under “Skilled trades”.
I know this one sounds a little far out, but hear me on this.
Instagram is one of the fastest growing social media platforms in 2018 (and now into 2019), and they’ll continue to pick up speed. A lot of companies are realizing the importance of social media exposure these days, so you’re likely to find a great contractor (who is in the 21st century) on Instagram.
All you have to do is load up your app, and hit the search bar. Search “Contractor” (or whatever professional you are in need of), and then click the “PLACES” tab to the right, just under the search bar. This will filter the results to places nearby you (if your location services are enabled on your device; if not, then enable them for this step).
You get to SEE which contractors are in the present day, who have a social media account. [Some will even have customer tagged posts of work their customers want to give them credit for]
Yellow Pages (In your Phone Book)
That’s right, the US Postal Service still delivers phone books to mailboxes today! So, I know you probably have one somewhere.
Just grab your yellow pages and flip to the index. Search for the worker you’re looking for.
Contractors, Roofers, and more. You’ll find them all the old fashioned way.
Chances are, if you’re taking this route, you probably wouldn’t be the type of person reading this blog anyway, since most of the US is online these days, regardless of age.
It’s good to try things the old way sometimes. Who knows, you might find the best contractor you’ve ever met in your entire life.
This can even be just one more way to double check you’ve found the most qualified business to do the job for you. It’s good to have options
So, when it comes to your home, if there is a job you know is beyond your reach (or if you just don’t have the time and resources to get it done efficiently), reach out to a local contractor and give them a chance to come out and assess the job and present you with an estimate. Who knows, maybe you’ll hit a home run!
The Handy Writer 