Around the House

How much should water heater installation cost?

WillC — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 22:04:40 GMT

In your mind or experience, how much should it cost to have a standard (tank) gas water heater installed? How much have you paid?

In 1995, I paid $150 to have one installed in Atlanta. I have read a few DIY boards where they say it should take a home owner 2 or 3 hours to do the job themselves, which I won't do, and that $300 is too much to pay for professional installation. However, the few plumbers & handymen companies I've called in the Chicago area are quoting me from $900 to $2500. They use water heaters that are difficult to price check because these you can't get places like Home Depot or Lowes. Doing some digging, I have found some information on them, and they cost between $200 and $300. Which means the installation charges are $600 to $2200 -- for something that should take less than 3 hours of work!

Is it unreasonable for me to think it should cost the price of a water heater (plus markup, I suppose) and 3 hours of install time? 300 + 50 + 3*125 = $725 seems to be a reasonable maximum.

Lost--Need Advice

debbi — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 00:43:49 GMT

My beloved husband is one of the handiest, most capable people I know, and he loves doing home projects. Unfortunately, he doesn't have time in his life to pursue this as well as work, spend time with his family, and engage in his many other activities of interest. However, due to his capabilities, in the 18 years we have lived in our almost hundred-year-old house, he has never allowed me to call in ANYONE to do ANY work of ANY kind. Therefore, I have no idea how involved tasks are nor, more importantly, the cost of such things. And, therefore, I have absolutely no idea whether we can afford to have any, let alone all, of the work I'd like done.

There is a lot of work that needs to be done on our house--some of it simple (painting rooms), some more complex (finishing installing the bathroom my husband started to install, finding a leak he can't locate...). Especially in this economy, I am certain there are plenty of reliable, conscientious people in need of work who would be willing to do the less-skilled labor for a reasonable rate and I'd like to be in a position to help out people who are in need--a mutually beneficial relationship. Am I looking for a Handyman? I don't need a Picasso (I have actually painted rooms myself and know how relatively simple it is and also that it looks bad when done poorly), so do I really need a Painter? And then there are the items that I know require skilled labor, and I don't know whether it is better (& more or less expensive) to call in individual providers (plumbers, carpenters, etc) or use a contractor to coordinate all the skilled work.

I don't even know where to start, and I can't know whether or not we can afford ANYTHING until I have a place to start looking, and then can actually start DOING the looking. And again, don't have much money to play with here.

Advice, please.

Thanks!

/db

one stop solar experience / review.

james6060 — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:26:10 GMT

I live in Orlando and just got the newest swimming pool solar system for my pool. Does an excellent job and ive noticed a good increase in temperature .. making our pool usable again for this winter.. One stop solar did the work. they showed up on time and the installation looks professional.. Ill keep you posted soon as I am going back for the hot water heating savings soon.

Would recommend.

IGT Slot machine Techie

LanaInVegas — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:56:20 GMT

I need a techie that can fix an IGt Spin Till You Win slot machine that has a 3300 error code in the Winner Paid window. Can you believe I live in Vegas and can't find any service that repairs slot machines.

Stucco

Janjan — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:57:07 GMT

I have three estimates from three different stucco companies and these estimates are very different. Why so different?

CONTRACTORS OPEN HOUSE TRADESMEN NEEDED FOR TOTAL GUT REHAB, SUNDAY, 18 OCTOBER, 2009 10:00AM TO 4:00PM 2925 NORTH MOODY CHICAGO 60634

Tamara — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 01:11:08 GMT

I have just purchased a home on the North West side of Chicago. Rather than spend weeks talking to contractors, I have decided to hold an open house for tradesmen. I am looking for

General Contractors
Plumbers
Electricians
Painters
Carpenters
Demolition Crew
Roofer
Hardwood Flooring Refinisher and Installer
Heating Installation

I am having an open house so that you can come over, walk through the property and provide me an estimate of repairs. They can be emailed to me after the open house. I will want three references of recent work as well as proof of insurance. When you arrive, I will give you a fact sheet on what needs to be done and you may make suggestions as well. Bring your tape measure, you are going to need it.

The house needs a total inside rehab (and totally is empty), from replacing some floors, refinishing floors, walls, all plumbing, electrical, minor roof repair and installation of new appliances, etc. The open house is from 10:00am to 4:00pm on Sunday, 18 October, 2009. The house is approximately 6100 West and 2900 North. I am going to live in the house so I am looking for quality craftsmen/tradesmen to do the job. I am not interested in flipping this, so quality of work is very important.

If interested, please send an email to

2925house@gmail.com

remember to check your spam or junk mail for replies. I am 100% legitimate and just want to get as much information as possible without wasting your time. If your references check out and your bid is reasonable, I will hire you to do the job. During your visit, I request that you not discuss pricing with other contractors as this will eliminate you from the process.

If you've any questions, don't hesitate to drop me an email. I will reply quickly and if you include your phone number, I will gladly call you back.

Thanks!

TMG

Paying a contractor

spwalker75 — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:06:04 GMT

I've come to an agreement with a contractor I found on the list to replace my roof. He has an A rating. He is asking for half of the agreed upon price up front. Is this an acceptable practice?

Thanks,

Steve

POST REPORTS AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!

paxi — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 01:52:37 GMT

Maybe this is old news to some of you but I found out the hard way. After you post negative reports to companies, Angies List directly forwards your private contact info to them. I posted a report about a company and a few days later they were calling me at home!! Then DEEP within the terms of service agreement I find that for any report you send, Angies list then sends that company your contact info:

(g) Your name and report information will be made available to the Service Providers on which You report.

This would seem to violate their own privacy policy:

We will not release any personal identifying information about you without your consent.

This really is a set up for the potential for negative retribution on the part of companies and it seems that I am not alone (A thread a few below mine make the same reports).

So Sad that Angies list is pulling the same shenanigans that it supposedly is trying to protect us from. AT THE VERY LEAST THEY COULD MAKE IT CLEAR THAT AS SOON AS YOU HIT "SEND" YOUR PRIVATE INFO IS BEING SENT TO THE COMPANY THAT YOU HAD A BAD EXPERIENCE WITH.

Sorry for shouting but this really mad me mad and our family feels violated. I am going to cancel my membership but not before I post here on a weekly basis so that everyone at least knows what they are getting into.

Loose Toilet

Elinor — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:07:00 GMT

My toilet is loose and the floor beceath it needs to be replaced. What kind of service doI need to contact? A carpenter? Plumber?

Mold Remediation/ Testing

Frank — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 07:46:46 GMT

I've heard of estimates in the 15-20k range for a 4-8 day job! Any body been hit up with this scam?

Lack of ventilation with spray foam insulation

jgdean — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:07:26 GMT

I am planning on reroofing and redoing the insulation in my home in the Central Valley of California. The spray foam insulation salesman says they would seal up the attic and enclose the attic space with insulation so that it will be the same tempurature as the interior of the house. He also says the foam will block moisture so you don't need ventilation to remove moisture to prevent rot in the roof. The roofer says sealing off the vents will void the roof warrenty. The foam insulator responds that the roofer doesn't know his technology. Where is the source that can be trusted to resolve this? The spray foam insulation seems better than fiberglass in other respects so if this could be resolved I'd go with spray foam.

Replacement Windows

edfrmva1 — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:47:36 GMT

I am not a member yet. My wife and I live in Vienna, VA. We recently had 21 windows replaced with new vinyl double hung windows. After checking the comments in Checkbook magazine and visiting a number of dealer/providers, we selected American Jewel Windows made for the American Home Center located in Beltsville, MD, The owner, Mr. Robert Willett, gave us an excellent presentation. No deals! Priced as presented. Not cheap, reasonable based on our visits to earlier dealer/providers. Installation date selected. Crews came on time and worked very well to removed all the windows to be replaced and then installed the new replacements. Crew worked quickly and well. Was misty wet and so our white carpets were not as well left as before they began. Work was completed in one day! A better outside cleanup was suggested and that the team bring a small hand vacuum to clean the small chips on the carpets. Several days after the installation, we noticed some imperfections and they were quickly taken care of. Overall, we are happy with the windows, their cost, and their installation and their response to our requests for repairs. In addition, American Jewel Windows, the manufacturer of the windows gave us a rebate of $250. Check them online before ordering the windows from American Home.

Drywall or a "plaster caulk"?

lakotahokie — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:50:34 GMT

I recently experienced rather severe water damage to my ceiling and walls in one area of my house. Two estimates so far, one using actual drywall for repairs, the other a caulk-like plaster filler (sorry, exact term escaping me). The drywall solution is much more expensive...I would love some assistance determining the better method, any safety issues if I don't chose drywall option, etc...

Thank you for those that provide assistance.

lj8

Engineered hardwood - to glue or to float?

mylo — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:18:19 GMT

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with engineered hardwood flooring. We are on a slab with no subfloor and are very confused as to which method of installation is best. The flooring can be glued down, which will not allow any moisture to penetrate but is labor intensive to repair any stains. Or the floor can be floated which does allow moisture to penetrate but is easily clicked out to replace any damage.

I'd be so grateful to anyone with any experience to tell me your thoughts.

Thanks so much!

love seat

alligator — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:19:54 GMT

I bought a love seat from Creative Leather, when it was delivered it was damaged. I have been dealing with them and want them to pick it up and return my money. They just want to fix it and want me to keep it. Does anyone know who I can turn to to get them to return the love seat and my money?

small area of water damage - who do I call?

Ricka01 — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:40:07 GMT

Hi Everyone,

I have a small area of water damage in my house. It is adjacent to a bathroom (plumbing), an outside wall, and roof. I know there is a water leak because the siding inside the cabinet is wet. I just don't know if the water is coming from the pipes or from water coming from the outside through the wall or ceiling. Who should I call? A plumber, handyman, someone like ServPro, or someone else?

Thanks,

Rick

AL Question

Fix-it — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 17:06:10 GMT

have just joined AL and have a few questions. Reason for joining was I am in the process of building a house and it has been a NIGHTMARE. Some how we managed to find every crook, jack leg and just non craftsman in the county. The saying " you get what you pay for" is one BIG Joke. It is most likely true when you purchase an item, Higher end will be of better quality than the cheap, but it should never be applied to WORKMANSHIP. We paid top dollar and received sloppy, completely wrong work. Quality of work that was so bad my daughter and I (Mother) have had to rip out and rebuild. We have done every thing from re framing, roofing, sheet rock, siding, wiring, yes we have done it all. After speaking with others I realize that most in our area are high priced non professionals who ran out to Home Depo and purchased a tool belt when the building business was booming here in my area. I realized we need a local website where people can post their experiences, good or bad, to help others find decent qualified workers.

I am working on that now and joined AL to get ideas. I decided to file a report on our latest disaster. I asked for help resolving the problem. I think I might have done something wrong as I have not received any acknowledgement of whether they can help or not. Does any one know how this works. I have emailed AL twice to find out what I am suppose to do, if any thing and what steps they take to help resolve this issue.

I am sure AL is a great site but since I am the first to join in my area there are no reports. I could give them a long list of people TO STAY AWAY FROM but a lot of the work done a year ago. One other thing I live in an area where those needing services might have to hire workers out of the area, and being restricted to one area doesn't make it good for us. A lot of work done here is done by people from Virginia and there would be an additional charge to see reports on them. (we are in a NC Chapter). People who live in big cities would benefit more from AL than those in rural areas.

One other thing some might think because we have MANY disasters it has to be OUR FAULT, we have pictures and all the paper work to prove how we have been taken for a BAD RIDE.

Tips for hireing carpenters and others

Fix-it — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 17:57:40 GMT

I am going to list a few things we learned the hard way when trying to build a house.

1. Try to purchase all materials your self and pay for labor only.

2. DO NOT pay any type of deposit up front on Labor only jobs. Have you ever been paid in advance for work not yet done.

3. DO NOT pay until work is completed and done to your satisfaction.

4. Write down EVERY THING you exspect to be done and the amount to be paid for work. Have it signed. Pictures and detailed drawings of work exspected is also good. Take before and after pictures.

5. Have them show you their work in other homes if all possible.

6. If you do pay installments as the work progresses, have them sign for the payment and include balance owed.

7. If you see they do not know aht they are doing or doing non quality work it is beast to let them go before it is to late.

8. If you have someone come to give an estimate and they put the pressure on to SIGN NOW or they will not be able to fit you in, RUN FOR THE HILLS.

9. Contractor comes to look at job and he starts pointing out the mistakes of others, RUN FAST, this is their way of covering their defective work. When it becomes evident they aren't all that they will blame their errors on some one else.

10. Know as much about the job as possibe. Example Installing Hardi Plank Siding, go to their site and read all the directions, and then when the contractor put a field cut edge jamed down to a deck, you will KNOW it is WRONG.

11. When you have a signed contract and have kept your part of the bargain, job is not finished or not done correctly DO NOT now allow them to intimidate you by threating a lien. Don't waste your money on Attorney fees. If they do go to court, take your contract, pictures ect. and present your case.

12. Someone rips you off contact your Attorney Generals Office, they helped us get money back for leaking, non draining gutters.

13. Have your worker sign an agreement that they will be responsible for damage to materials. We all know mistakes happen so be resonable. We just had a worker, so called 25 year trim man cut up over $300.00 worth of azek, just because he didn't know how to measure 2 cut 1./Only one example of wasted materials.

14. If you hire one man and he sub contracts the job to someone else, make sure you have the actual person who did work sign off that they have been paid, before the contractor is paid all the money.

All for now but I am sure I will think of more tips and will post them later.

Amerisave and Baron Mortgage

Uresh — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:51:44 GMT

I am looking at attractive mortgage rates from Amerisave Mortgage (nationwide, does business through internet) and Baron Mortgage (based in Salem, MA). Has anyone had any experience with them and can share? I saw mixed reviews on Amerisave at some mortgage review sites, and practically nothing on Baron.

plumbing

karin — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:36:47 GMT

All Star Plumbing owner Jack Stodola was gracious when he showed at my house and I was not home. I called to apologize about my failure and he was great. He has my business in the future.

Above All Construction - Indianapolis/Greenwood, IN

IU Hoosiers — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 16:58:12 GMT

Has anyone used this company before? I am possibly going to use them to do some roofing work. Any positive or negative feedback would be greatly appreciated. They handle insurance claim work.

Soundproofing a condo floor

Ippo — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 08:13:36 GMT

I live in a top-floor condo that was converted from a 1979 apartment building. Unfortunately, throughout the condo sound is coming up through the floor (mostly carpet) more than I'd like. Specifically, I can hear loud music/TV, and in certain parts of the unit, I can hear them talk and even sometimes make out conversations. I've spent the last month-and-a-half searching for a solution that I could do to my floor that would solve or greatly alleviate the problem, and while I can find many manufacturers selling soundproofing products, I can't find any accounts of anyone in a similar position actually solving the problem. Has anyone out there solved this problem? If so, what specific steps and products did it take? Any suggestions on finding a contractor/company to do the work would be appreciated to, as unfortunately, not even The List is able to help me find someone.

I'm aware that there are actions that could be taken in the neighboring unit (e.g. insulate ceiling, create a floating ceiling), but the owner isn't interested in having work done in their unit.

Ippo - Seattle, WA

Customers Treat Your Contractor, like you would like to be treated.

balboa — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 02:01:52 GMT

I tell you, i read these posts (complaints) by customers, it's crazy! We all know that there are bad, unreliable contractors out there. But, as customers we cannot treat all contractors as if they have all wronged us. There are more good contractors than bad. Customers often worry about being taken by contractors, and write about there experience like a places like angie's list etc, and vent.

What we don't read, see on tv is, how many contractors are getting taken by customers, much more. That is what us customers do not understand, many more customers out there are threatening bad reviews (with no merit at all), theft of services, passing bad checks, wasting the contractors time, just to get the information to repair the problem themselves, and much more.Come on people, this is there livelyhood. How would you feel if a contractor called your boss and told them false info about you. Or what if your boss decided not to pay you for working a full week, just because.Or how about this, he payed you with a bad check, or called the credit card company after paying you, and reported that the job was not done to his satisfaction(just because he did not want to pay). All this and more is happening out there, and customers are not being held responsible.

Contractors: Theft of services is fraud, and stealing, every customer that does this should be reported to the police, and hopefully get held accountable. If you have a signed estimate, and complete the job by estimate standards, and the customer does not want to pay you, call the police for theft of services.

The moral of this is, customers are not alone, the contractors do have to be very careful with the caliber of customers out there now a days. Treat your contractor with respect, and respect that this is how they pay the bills, by providing a professional service to us.

You treat them right, they will treat you right, that can be garanteed!

Wells Fargo home appraisals investigation information

Meredith — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 20:25:46 GMT

Hi All,

Are you a homeowner who used Wells Fargo and their subsidiary Rels Valuation for your home loan?

I work with a law firm investigating claims that Wells Fargo is involved in an appraisal rigging scheme. Reports say independent appraisers are forced to work for below market value while Wells Fargo’s in-house appraisal firm Rels Valuation charges homeowners an inflated cost, generating huge profits.

A recent lawsuit against Countrywide cites similar allegations and claims homeowners pay up to a 200 percent markup for the appraisal.

If you’ve had your home appraised by Wells Fargo, this case is worth checking out.

For more information, please visit the Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro website and select Wells Fargo Home Appraisals under ‘Investigations’.

Asbestos Removal

loki791 — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 07:12:42 GMT

I have a feeling that there is asbestos in my home and I was wondering if anyone has experience in getting professional asbestos removal? And if so, what is the price range? I've read that cost of asbestos removal starts at $800. Does that sound about right? Also, is it absolutely necessary to remove asbestos even if it's a very small amount? I know it's a carcinogenic material, but apparently, we've all been exposed to it to some degree in our daily lives, since it was used pretty much everywhere in the past. I am thinking about getting a do-it-yourself asbestos testing kit from Pro-Lab. It seems like Pro-Lab is a decent company, as they are affiliated with ASHI (The American Society of Home Inspectors) and NYSDOH (The New York State Department of Health). But I really have no idea. Has anyone done something like this (the home kit) and is it effective? I am weighing doing the testing myself of getting a professional home inspector to do the job. I'm just not sure if the pro job would yield better results. Thanks!