I have been getting quotes for several items of work that need done around my home. One item is getting my front sidewalk and steps replaced since the floods have been terribly hard on the them. After putting in my wooden front steps last summer – I did a short post back then – I knew it was just a matter of time until the concrete sidewalk and the steps to the public sidewalk would need to be replaced. And I did not even kid myself on this one – I am not capable of tearing out the concrete and pouring new.
After another flood in February of this year, I decided to finally move on the sidewalk and steps. I got one estimate early on for about $650.00. I wasn’t sure if that was in line or not, so I thought about it for a while. I then called three more places and got three more estimates.
Now, I have a problem with contractors who say they will do residential jobs and then really don’t want to do smaller residential jobs. Just tell; don’t waste my time by showing up, pretending to measure the work, and then sending me a quote for four times the amount of any of the other three.
Two of the additional quotes I got were pretty close in price with a range from $675.00 to $750.00. So that meant that all three of the first quotes to come in were close in price. But wow, when I opened the final quote, it was a whopping $3,080.00 – four times the amount of the highest quote. What that tells me is that the contractor either thinks he has a sucker on the line, or he doesn’t want to do the work and jacks the quote up so high that no sane person would accept it.
I opt for the latter. The quote not only was a joke but also was inaccurate in measurements. The person who came to measure my walk added a foot to the width of the sidewalk and two feet to the width of another part. All in all, I am really ticked at Signature Concrete personnel for pulling this stunt.
Of course I won’t use the company. I have been told this is a common practice that companies use if they just don’t want to do the work. I guess rather than tell you the job is just too small or too much of a hassle, they just waste your time looking over the potential job and then write a quote they know won’t be accepted.
Don’t waste my time. Just tell me you don’t want the work.
I guess you know who I won’t call again.
