c/local-contractors-yeg

Hired a crew to pour my driveway last month and realized I never checked their insurance

I got three quotes for a new concrete driveway in Edmonton and went with the cheapest guy, $4,200. He showed up with two guys who looked like they just got off a bus from somewhere, no hard hats or safety gear. Halfway through the pour I asked for his liability papers and he got real quiet. Turns out he was a sub working under a buddy's license and I had zero coverage if something went wrong. How do you all vet contractors before you hand over a deposit?

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grayperez•9d ago

Finally figured out why my concrete patio kept cracking after 2 winters

Turns out the guy I hired didn't put in control joints deep enough so I had a local contractor cut new ones for $150 and no cracks since, anyone else have this issue with their driveway or patio?

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emmap16•9d ago

Hired a "budget" painter and ended up spending DOUBLE to fix his mess

I thought I was SAVING money by hiring a guy who quoted me $800 to paint my living room and hallway in Edmonton. He said he could do it in 2 days, but it took him 5 days because he kept "fixing" mistakes. The paint was dripping down the walls and he got latex on my hardwood floors that I STILL can't get off. I had to call a REAL contractor to sand and repaint the whole thing for another $900. Now I know that cheap quotes mean you're paying for their learning curve, not your paint job. Has anyone else been burned by a lowball bid like this?

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jamiegreen•17d ago

Just realized I shoulda gone with the flooring guy who did the subfloor prep right

So I had to pick between two contractors for my basement reno in Edmonton last fall. One guy, Bob, quoted me $4,200 for laminate and said he'd level the concrete first. The other guy, Mike, was $3,100 but told me straight up he'd just lay it over the bumps and call it good. I went with Mike because I'm cheap and wanted to save that grand. Big mistake. After three months, I got these hollow spots near the doorway where the floor dips, and the locking seams are popping apart. Now I'm looking at another $800 to have Bob come back and rip it out properly. Has anyone else dealt with a floor that failed because they skipped the prep work? What did it cost you to fix it?

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noahpark•17d ago

Went with the cheapest concrete guy for my driveway, surprise it actually held up

I needed my driveway repoured last spring and got quotes from 5 different contractors in Edmonton. One guy was $2,800 and everyone else was over $4,000. I figured he must cut corners or use bad materials but my neighbor said he used him for a walkway 2 years ago with no cracks. So I took a chance and went with the cheap bid. The crew showed up on time, prepped the base properly with gravel, and poured 4 inches thick with rebar mesh. Now over a year later through two freeze thaw cycles and no cracks or sinking. I think sometimes the smaller guys just have lower overhead instead of cutting quality. Anyone else roll the dice on a budget contractor and get lucky?

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jason958•17d ago

Just caught my electrician using speaker wire for a 20 amp circuit in my basement rewiring job

I walked in on him mid-splice after I noticed the wire didn't have the right gauge markings and asked to check his box, and he just shrugged and said it would 'probably hold up' which made me realize I should have been spot-checking every contractor from day one in Edmonton.

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sandra916•19d ago

That contractor who quoted me $200 for a job ended up costing me $1,200

I was skeptical when a local handyman said he could fix my fence for just $200, seemed too good to be true. Turns out he used untreated lumber that rotted in 4 months, then my whole section collapsed during a storm. Anyone else have a cheap quote turn into a nightmare with another contractor?

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xenan64•19d ago

Had a water heater blow on me last Tuesday, total nightmare

I was doing laundry around 9pm and heard this weird hissing from the basement. By the time I got down there, there was about 2 inches of water on the floor near my old 40 gallon tank. Called a guy from R&D Plumbing in the morning, he said the bottom rusted out after 14 years. Cost me $1,200 for a new install, plus having to rip out the soaked carpet in my storage room. Has anyone here had luck with those leak detector pans under their units?

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mitchell.nancy•20d ago

Just realized I was overpaying for electrical work for years

I used to just call the first number I found on a Google search for any electrical job around the house. Last summer I needed a new panel install and got a quote for $3200 from one guy. My neighbor suggested I get three quotes and the final one was only $1800 from a smaller outfit on the south side. Same work, same materials, just a difference in overhead I guess. Now I always ask around on this forum first before booking anyone. Has anyone else noticed big price gaps between the big name companies and the solo guys?

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evangarcia•20d ago

Finally figured out why my basement floor kept getting wet after rain

Had a guy out last month from a company on Whyte Ave to check the grading around my foundation. Told me the previous owners had flower beds built right up against the house with the soil sloping toward the foundation. He ripped out the beds and regraded the whole thing with a 6 inch drop over 10 feet. Two weeks later we got that big storm and the basement stayed bone dry. Has anyone else had to fix bad grading from previous owners?

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patriciar49•2mo ago

Looking for a reliable painter in Edmonton?

Hey everyone, I'm doing a bit of a basement remodel and I absolutely hate painting. Does anyone have a recommendation for a solid painting company in the Edmonton area? Looking for someone who won't leave roller marks everywhere and actually preps the drywall properly.

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