How to choose a contractor?

[jessmarimba]

I'm considering having a tankless water heater installed in my home (if possible) and I have no idea where to start on picking someone to do it, besides knowing that I don't particularly trust the Lowes/Home Depot installation staff.

I don't even know what brand of heater I want (most of them seem the same to me!) so I can't even pick from their dealer list! Where to begin?

[indysteel]

My husband and I use of Angie's List--at least in terms of finding a contractor. For big jobs, we get multiple quotes. We just went through this with replacement windows.

The Internet is your friend as well. It's rare that I can't learn what I need to learn online. It does take a lot of digging and some patience, however, to sift through all the info. There are forums on just about every topic under the sun, buying guides, reviews, etc. Consumer Reports can be helpful, too, depending on the topic. They offer online subscriptions.

Just in case you hadn't already seen it, here's a buying guide for tankless water heaters:
http://www.tanklesswaterheaterguide.com/

In researching replacement windows, I came across the gardenweb.com forums. Notwithstanding the name, there are subforums specific to the home, including one on plumbing. You might check there.

[maillotpois]

I suspect Colorado has a state contractor's license board, like California does. You need to make sure the contractor is properly licensed, bonded and insured and has no pending complaints against their license (which should be reflected by the state). It doesn't hurt to interview several, and ask for references.

[Becky]

Ask around. Every contractor that we've ever liked has been recommended by friends/family/neighbors. The licensing thing is definitely important too.

Also, I wouldn't necessarily write off Lowes or Home Depot. Find out who's actually doing the installation, and go from there... Lowes qualifies installers and contracts with them on your behalf, and they have much more leverage with a contractor than an individual homeowner often does. I don't know how Home Depot does it.

We did a front door project through Lowes, and were happy with the outcome.

[ny biker]

There's a yahoo group for my neighborhood that is a good place for contractor recommendations. So I would look for something like that in your area. It's a good way to ask neighbors for help even if you don't know them personally.

Another place I would look for advice here in the DC area is a small hardware store that only sells merchandise that is good for the enviroment -- stuff like VOC-free paint, building products made from recycled materials, LED light fixtures. They're very knowledgeable and happy to share info that will help the enviroment. So if there are any stores like that near you, it might be helpful to stop in and get to know them.

But first I would do some research on tankless water heaters. It's not always possible or a good idea, depending on your home. And there could be issues -- a contractor who lives in my 'hood installed one in his house and later took it out and replaced it with a regular tank-style water heater because he had problems with sediment build-up. And once you determine you don't have barriers to having one installed, you can learn about different brands.

I've found this site to be helpful for learning about and researching appliances:

http://www.consumersearch.com/water-heaters

[jessmarimba]

Wow, thanks everyone! I hadn't thought of Angie's list. When I tried googling for Denver I had so many responses it was a little overwhelming.

A tankless heater would be ideal IF it would work with my home, but I need to find out if the gas supply to my house could take it (and if it will fit where I want it). I was hoping to get someone to do a consultation first. If nothing else, the water heater I have is 15 years old and needs replaced so I can repair the drywall from the last hose explosion...but I'd love to turn half of that closet into a pantry instead!

[Irulan]

One of my first criteria is "do they return phone calls?

We were looking for a contractor to do a bathroom. Our number one pick was a guy we know who's reputed to do decent work. We get a return call back NINE MONTHS LATER. wtf? We were already done with it by then.

[tulip]

Rinnai on demand hot water heaters seem to be the standard; at least that's what the contractors use on the projects for my work (housing development). They make units with other brand names, so ask the plumbing contractor for their recommendation.

I investigated on-demand HW, but it would have required re-routing the gas lines and costing $4k. This was in 2008; there were no tax incentives that year. A good, well-insulated 50-gallon tank heater is very efficient, and cost $800, so I went with that.

My parents recently had two on-demand hw heaters installed, at $3k each. Each is eligible for a $1500 credit, so they ended up getting both for $3k (or they will when they file their taxes).

FWIW, my plumber explained to me that new traditional hw heaters are very, very efficient, particularly the electric ones. The gas ones require venting, which increases heat loss. The electric ones are like huge thermoses. You could do even better by installing solar thermal system to heat up the water by the sun before it goes into the hot water heater, making less work for the hw heater.

Just some info in case on-demand doesn't work out for you for whatever reason. In either case, if you can do it by the end of the year, you can get a tax credit, so start calling. Contractors are pretty busy with people trying to get their efficient appliances installed by the end of the year for tax purposes.

[withm]

One of my first criteria is "do they return phone calls?

We were looking for a contractor to do a bathroom. Our number one pick was a guy we know who's reputed to do decent work. We get a return call back NINE MONTHS LATER. wtf? We were already done with it by then.

Well, it's kind of a catch-22 situation. The GOOD contractors are busy, and booked up for weeks or months at a time. The contractors that are really cheap, or less reliable, don't have so much work - so they will return your calls, cause they are really hungry.

For a long term project, you want a contractor who is recommended by your friends or neighbors. You need to be comfortable with him/her and you need to be able to trust him. (Yes there are lots of women in contracting but for simplicity I'll use the masculine.) He and his people will be in your house, and in your face, for a long time. You really don't want the low-ball guy who may not know what he's doing cause you may not figure it out until you have given him lots of $ and have no recourse to get it back, or get the work completed properly.

For the Rinnai - that is almost best left to be designed into new construction projects. Retrofitting into an older house is very expensive, and the system is expensive to begin with. Even with tax incentives, you are hard pressed to get your payback on the system.

[jessmarimba]

Thanks :)

Irulan, I have one too - I was calling local restoration companies about weird Victorian-sized doors, and I had one company pick up the phone and immediately hang up on me three times. I wrote a nice little email to their customer service department, not that they care!

The Rinnai could maybe work here - my main concern is the size of the gas line. The 4k they quoted Tulip is way outside of my limits, too. Fortunately since electricity, gas, and running water were added long after my house was built a lot of the utilities are much more easily accessible than in most houses. As in, all 12 feet of my intake plumbing run along the baseboard of my bathroom and kitchen :)

I'm just hoping that regardless of the system I go with, I find someone reliable to do this for me. Because sooner or later that 50-year-old furnace is going to need replaced too.

[tulip]

I replaced my hot water heater because I had to. The old one stpped working the week after I closed on the house! I had to replace my furnace a few months later because, unbeknownst to me and apparently the useless house inspector, the old furnace was improperly installed so that CO could easily be vented into the house through the ducts. Jeepers! So I had to replace both, along with a big chunk of plumbing and upgrade the electrical to handle the new HVAC. All this is to say that one thing can lead to another, so you might want to budget for the worst.

(then my roof failed and I had to get a new roof...but that's another story)

[Irulan]

Well, it's kind of a catch-22 situation. The GOOD contractors are busy, and booked up for weeks or months at a time. The contractors that are really cheap, or less reliable, don't have so much work - so they will return your calls, cause they are really hungry.


Eh, I don't buy that at all, in fact I think that is a bunch of BS: the part about not returning calls because you are too busy. A smart business owner will return a call no matter what... even if to say, "We are booked for the next six months. Can I call you when I have an opening?" It only takes a minute, and lays the groundwork for filling up the schedule down the road. My neighbor who is a super busy contractor, will always return a call within three days.

Both DH and I own small businesses. Regularly I hear, "wow, thanks for returning my call!!". As in, surprised that I did. Returning calls is called customer service. It doesn't matter what kind of business you are in.

[withm]

Eh, I don't buy that at all, in fact I think that is a bunch of BS: the part about not returning calls because you are too busy. A smart business owner will return a call no matter what... even if to say, "We are booked for the next six months. Can I call you when I have an opening?" It only takes a minute, and lays the groundwork for filling up the schedule down the road. My neighbor who is a super busy contractor, will always return a call within three days.

Both DH and I own small businesses. Regularly I hear, "wow, thanks for returning my call!!". As in, surprised that I did. Returning calls is called customer service. It doesn't matter what kind of business you are in.

Yes, Irulan, you are absolutely right. Phone calls should be returned in a timely fashion. And in a perfect world they are.

In a less than perfect world there may be any number of reasons that a contractor may not return a call: overbooked, reduced staff due to injury, proposed work incompatible with abilities, location too far... well I could go on. Or maybe he just didn't like the tone of the message(s). The reasons are immaterial.

It all comes back to hiring a contractor with whom you feel comfortable. Someone whom you can stand to have working in your house several days a week for the life of the project. You want to have a good relationship with your contractor. If you have to fight him from the beginning, then he is not the right one for you. Good contractors can pick their clients the same way.

I'm not saying it's right not to return calls. I'm saying you have to like the guy you hire to build your bathroom. If he can't return calls, that's a big red flag that you've called the wrong guy.

[indysteel]

I replaced my hot water heater because I had to. The old one stpped working the week after I closed on the house! I had to replace my furnace a few months later because, unbeknownst to me and apparently the useless house inspector, the old furnace was improperly installed so that CO could easily be vented into the house through the ducts. Jeepers! So I had to replace both, along with a big chunk of plumbing and upgrade the electrical to handle the new HVAC. All this is to say that one thing can lead to another, so you might want to budget for the worst.

(then my roof failed and I had to get a new roof...but that's another story)

That all sounds vaguely familar. :rolleyes:

[indysteel]

Eh, I don't buy that at all, in fact I think that is a bunch of BS: the part about not returning calls because you are too busy. A smart business owner will return a call no matter what... even if to say, "We are booked for the next six months. Can I call you when I have an opening?" It only takes a minute, and lays the groundwork for filling up the schedule down the road. My neighbor who is a super busy contractor, will always return a call within three days.

Both DH and I own small businesses. Regularly I hear, "wow, thanks for returning my call!!". As in, surprised that I did. Returning calls is called customer service. It doesn't matter what kind of business you are in.

I'm with you. Certainly, I'm willing to give somebody a reasonable amount of time to return my call, but after that, I start to suspect bigger issues. Showing up relatively on time for appointments is another issue for me. Again, I get the exigencies of this line of business, but the good ones understand the importance of being prompt.

[Stephanie_Owen]

With being restricted to electric, you mainly just have 2 primary options. resistance (standard electric) or hybrid (heatpump). Tankless are commonly impossible because of exceptionally high energy necessities.

Cross breed WHs is utilizing a warmth pump, same sort as a cooling unit. In the event that you live in a more blazing atmosphere and the waste cool air is attractive, they are something like 3x as proficient. They cost more forthcoming, however you ought to have the option to more than recover that cost over the lime time of the unit. Drawbacks are they make a slight piece of commotion (like a small scale ice chest), you have to have a spot to deplete the condensate, and they are taller, as the heatpump is introduced on the highest point of the tank.

In the event that any of those drawbacks don't work, get a standard electric unit.

https://tanklesswaterheaterexpress.com/electric-tankless-water-heater-reviews/

As to relax mode, you should investigate purchasing a water radiator clock. They are less expensive than getting one coordinated into the water radiator, and can kill on and the heater dependent on a timetable or you can only straight up flip the switch if taking some time off.

Is there an explanation you are supplanting the unit? It likely simply needs another anode pole on the off chance that you are just stressed over its period.

[Messmariazing]

I have no idea where to start on picking someone to do it

You need to create a big list of contractors and weed them out. Start the list from:

Word of mouth recommendations
Google Reviews
Angie’s List
Yelp
BBB.org
Home Advisor


They're not all good contractors here though. Word of mouth is the way to go. Chances are your friend or your neighbor or someone of your relatives recently had a similar problem. Just ask people.


I don't even know what brand of heater I want (most of them seem the same to me!) so I can't even pick from their dealer list! Where to begin?
As someone said in this topic, Rinnai is a good brand. Rheem and Navien are great too. We chose Rinnai for our place from this great guide on how to choose the best tankless water heater (https://tankless.review).
They review propane and electric tankless water heaters too. Check them out.

[Freelifestyle]

Lots of tips! I also have an issue with my current heater, thanks a bunch!

[GiantTraveller]

wow, this thread really helps me a lot. thanks, guys for sharing your brilliant ideas. it's greatly appreciated.