Friends don’t let friends use HomeAdvisor and Angie’s List. Contractors don’t refer their clients, friends, and family to these sites. Realtors don’t either. If the professionals who are in the know wouldn’t dare, neither should you.
HomeAdvisor and Angie’s List spend large sums to position themselves as the best matchmaker between homeowner and paying contractor. The unsuspecting homeowner provides their information and project need, which generates a lead. Contractors then compete for that lead by being timely and outbidding their competitors — poor criteria for measuring merit. Many of the worst roofing companies in the greater Portland area can’t survive on reputation alone; these lead services are their lifeline. It should surprise no one when such companies go out of business the moment the market shifts, their budgets can’t compete for leads, or the platforms quietly change the rules.
Does this mean every contractor on those sites is terrible? No — but it’s hard to spot the minnow among a swarm of sharks.
So where should you go to find a trusted contractor? How do you secure three quality bids, let alone one? Do you post on Facebook community pages, only to be flooded by people promoting themselves, their friends, or their family? Is Google reliable — and how many of those reviews are even legit? Finding three quality bids can be daunting, especially if you’re new to the Portland and Vancouver areas.
Here are two solid tips for finding quality contractors:
- If you’ve had a positive experience with a contractor on an unrelated project, reach out and ask who they’d recommend. There’s a lot of truth to “birds of a feather flock together.”
- If you know a sharp realtor, ask who they’d recommend. Good realtors are in the business of collecting the best resources to bring value to their clients — they’re a great resource for all things home-related.
Team Jobin is here to help. If you need a trusted plumber, HVAC tech, electrician, remodeler, mason, and so on, I’ve got you covered. Email me at Brendan@jobinroofing.com and I’ll connect you with several friends who own reputable companies in our area.
I hope this helps. Happy hunting!
Sincerely,
Brendan Jobin
