I'm looking to replace half the windows in my house—half of them are from an addition built in 1997 and are in terrible shape, while the other half are about 10 years old. After two years of searching and dealing with outrageous quotes, we finally found a contractor. During our recent conversation to finalize dates, he mentioned that when he started in the business 24 years ago, he was taught to charge based on the neighborhood and the cars people drive. I had my suspicions about this but is it really a common practice? We live in a nice suburb, but most of our street is made up of blue-collar workers, while a small portion of the area is upscale. It's frustrating for us, as we feel penalized for the wealth around us when it comes to basic home improvements. I'm venting a bit, but I really want to hear honest opinions from contractors on this issue.
1 Answer
From my experience selling windows in a well-off area, it’s not uncommon for contractors to try to make a bigger profit when they think they can. It does feel good to see you have a decent contractor lined up. It’s essential to get a good referral, which can really save you from those wild quotes.
And it’s good to hear that you appreciate a reasonable quote—those are hard to come by, especially in competitive markets!
Exactly! Getting referrals is key. It can help you find fair pricing without the crazy markup.