- Good points, but I'd also ask directly about pricing upfront.
- Smaller networks can sometimes mean better deals...but not always.
- Definitely worth a quick price comparison before committing, saved me a few bucks last time.
Good advice on the price comparison, saved me some headaches too. Last year, I had a roofer recommend a smaller contractor network I'd never heard of. At first, I was skeptical—figured bigger names meant better reliability—but decided to give them a shot anyway. Glad I did, because they ended up being super responsive and actually came in lower than the bigger guys I'd used before.
But you're right, it's not always the case. Had another experience where a smaller network quoted me way higher than expected...so yeah, definitely worth asking upfront and comparing quotes. Also helps to ask around locally—neighbors or local groups usually have good insights on who's reliable and reasonably priced.
"figured bigger names meant better reliability—but decided to give them a shot anyway."
Yeah, bigger isn't always better, but honestly I've had the opposite happen. Went with a smaller outfit once because their quote was way cheaper, and it turned into a nightmare—delays, missed calls, you name it. Ended up paying more in the long run to fix their mistakes. So now I'm cautious about smaller companies unless someone I trust personally vouches for them... price isn't everything, unfortunately.
Ended up paying more in the long run to fix their mistakes. So now I'm cautious about smaller companies unless someone I trust personally vouches for them...
I totally get where you're coming from with this. When we bought our first house, we had a similar situation—our roofer recommended some smaller contractor network we'd never even heard of. Like you, we were skeptical at first because we assumed bigger names would be safer bets.
But after doing a bit of homework, here's what we did: First, we asked the roofer directly about their experience with this network—how many jobs they'd done together, whether they'd had any issues, stuff like that. Then we looked for reviews online—not just on their own website (those can be cherry-picked), but third-party sites or local community groups. Lastly, we asked the contractor for references directly and actually called those past clients to see how things went.
Honestly, it took a bit of extra legwork, but it paid off big-time. The smaller network turned out fantastic—they were responsive, professional, and did quality work without breaking the bank. So yeah, bigger isn't always better—but small doesn't automatically mean risky either. Just gotta do your homework first.
Yeah, I hear you—once you've been burned by a smaller company, it's tough to trust again. We had a similar issue with a plumber who came highly recommended but ended up causing more leaks than he fixed. Still, I've also had big-name companies mess things up too...so size isn't always a guarantee. Like OP said, checking references and reviews makes a huge difference. It's all about doing your homework and trusting your gut, I guess.
