Consumer Guide to Hiring
Step #1 Get Free Quotes
Get multiple FREE quotes from qualified local service providers.
Cape Cod Homeowners:
Call (508) 470-1184 or fill out our quick work request form to get free quotes on your project from our network of qualified pre-screened Cape Cod service pros and construction experts.
We will have one of our experts contact you and get you the best price quote on your project. Save time and money. Take advantage of our experience, knowledge and qualified local connections.
Online Resources for Free Project Quotes
For the best results submit your requests to all the applicable sites below. This way you can be sure you will get the best price quotes for your project.
1. Service Magic – Up to 4 Free quotes on your project – Free
“Service providers are thoroughly screened before being included. If something goes wrong, we’ll help you communicate with your service professional.
Service Magic has helped make more than 12 million matches between consumers and service professionals in more than 500 home-related services.”
Click Here for Free quotes from Service Magic!
2. CalFinder – Free Quotes on Home Remodeling Projects – Free
“CalFinder is a free service dedicated to making your remodeling project as simple as possible. We connect you with respectable contractors, give you pictures of our work for you to get ideas from, oh and of course provide free remodeling estimates..
CalFinder was developed by homeowners for homeowners.
3. MiNeeds – List, Compare, Choose Your Favorite – Free
“Broadcast Your Need. Free & Non-binding. Compare Offers. Pick the offer that accepts your terms. Have service professionals come to you with competitive bids rather than you searching for them. Post your service need, and the appropriate local service providers are notified immediately. While you relax, service providers will place bids and send you messages regarding your need. For your convenience, you’ll get email notification anytime interested professionals respond to your request.
4. CraigsList – Free Services Wanted Ads – Free
Post your needs in a free classified ad and receive responses via email. Craigslist is a very popular site and you never can be sure who you are dealing with at first.
Here is the right way to hire a service provider off Craigslist: Post a services wanted ad and just receive responses. No browsing through ads or searching. Just post your ad and get responses. Never post your email address or phone number in your want ad. Use the anonymous email address feature to hide your real email address. Any professional service provider that responds to your services want ad will include their contact info in their email response. This way you can research them before you decide to reply.
Click Here to post a Free services wanted ad on CraigsList!
Step #2 Research
Thoroughly researching the service providers information is always a good idea. Most of the quote responses we get from the providers will be from providers that are “pre-screened” by the matching services listed above (with the exception of Craigslist), but we still definitely want to check them out before we reply.
About Angie’s List: Angie’s List is a highly regarded service and works the opposite way as the sites above. Customers can either hire and review someone from the reviews on the Angie’s List website itself, or they can add reviews for services they have hired from other sources.
They do charge a small membership fee, but considering the potential headaches and money you can save for about $15 a year it’s a great deal. You can also try it out for a month for a little more than $5. Plus you can use the promo code LOCAL to save 15%.
1. Angie’s List – Get the inside scoop from your neighbors – $(membership)
“Companies don’t pay to be on Angie’s List. No anonymous reviews. Companies respond to reports, so you get the whole story. The Complaint Resolution Team will intercede if a home repair or health experience goes bad. Low membership fees considering the headaches and money you can save.
More than a million members use Angie’s List to find high quality service companies and health care professionals in over 500 categories. From plumbers and painters to dentists and
dermatologists, reviews come directly from homeowners in your area.
As seen on: CNN, The Washington Post, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Redbook, Real Simple, USA Weekend, Parade magazine, Good Housekeeping, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, Money and the Wall Street Journal.
2. Google -Thorough Googling of providers info – Free
Complete search of every detail you have from any of your potential service providers.
This means we are going to search for business name, person’s name, phone numbers, email addresses everything you have. Run an independent search for each piece of information. This is key. If there are any online complaints, reviews or other information that we might like to see about our subject, Google should find it for us.
3. State Requirements – Mass. State License search – Free
Find out if a license is required for the person we are going to hire. If a license is required search for the licensee by city, zip code and name. When contractors register with the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, they must make a contribution to the Guaranty Fund. Consumers may be eligible for reimbursements through the fund should something go wrong during the construction process. The State of MA Consumer Affairs Office handles consumer inquiries and licensing for most of the services that require the service provider be licensed.
4. US Search – Run Background Checks – $
Complete background check search includes current address, phone number, address history, bankruptcies, civil judgments, liens, criminal background records and more.
If you are going to be putting a lot of trust into your service provider and it’s going to be an expensive job, you may want to dig a little deeper by running a quick background check. US Search’s Intelligent People Search & Background Check solution accesses billions of public records, returning only the most accurate and relevant results available online today. US Search is your trusted people search and background check resource.
Step #3 – Hire the Right Service Provider
We have submitted our project. We received some quotes. We did our research and we have narrowed down our field of potential service providers.
Now it’s decision time. Here is a quick checklist:
*Make sure that if the service you need requires a license that the company you hire is licensed to perform the work. Your best chance at recourse if something goes wrong is by hiring a licensed professional.
*Always ask for local references from real customers with phone numbers, do not rely solely on reviews from the internet.
*Make sure the provider carries the necessary insurance. If they use subcontractors, make sure the subs are licensed and insured as well.
*Use your best judgment at this point. Who do you like and who do you think is going to do the best job for the best price?
*Remember when choosing a provider based on price, most times you get what you pay for.
Good luck!
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