[4sight]

I recently purchased a home in Henderson. While the home is in great shape, there are things that we would like to do to make it "our home".
Back in NY, it took years to finally assemble a group on contractors (electricians, plumbers, etc.) that we trusted and that did good, clean work at reasonable prices. Because we are new here, we are rolling the dice with anybody we call.
We signed up for Angie's List, but the results so far are not great. We had one electrician come out for an estimate, spent an hour taking down all of the specs of our job, taking notes, and they never got back to us. Never even returned our calls. I'm not chasing anyone down to spend my money.
If anyone has an electrician or plumber in the Henderson area that they can recommend, Any suggestions or experiences good or bad would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by 4sight

Never even returned our calls. I'm not chasing anyone down to spend my money.
If anyone has an electrician or plumber in the Henderson area that they can recommend, Any suggestions or experiences good or bad would be appreciated.

This has been my experience as well. And even the tradesmen who seem to have their act together often flake out in the middle of the second or third job. Getting people to actually do what they say they're going to do in Las Vegas is about as feasible as herding cats.

It's one of the big reasons I DIY just about everything. My homeowner's insurance says I'm not allowed to DIY electric, so most of my exasperating dealings with tradesmen have been electricians. One of them lives 400 feet from me. HE flaked out. I see his truck parked by the house every evening. But he won't even answer his door after skipping out on a job.

[Kitchen Witch]

Originally Posted by 4sight

I recently purchased a home in Henderson. While the home is in great shape, there are things that we would like to do to make it "our home".
Back in NY, it took years to finally assemble a group on contractors (electricians, plumbers, etc.) that we trusted and that did good, clean work at reasonable prices. Because we are new here, we are rolling the dice with anybody we call.
We signed up for Angie's List, but the results so far are not great. We had one electrician come out for an estimate, spent an hour taking down all of the specs of our job, taking notes, and they never got back to us. Never even returned our calls. I'm not chasing anyone down to spend my money.
If anyone has an electrician or plumber in the Henderson area that they can recommend, Any suggestions or experiences good or bad would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Oh boy, that's gonna be a tough one!

These contractors are so over booked with work, them and landscapers. They're all flaky it seems! Even the ones who come highly recommended will flake on you.

I am just so thankful that I got my house refurbished and the landscaping redone years ago and don't have to go through all that again. Very stressful, it took so long to refurbish the house interior we had to stay at a friend's house for a few months. The highly recommended and well checked out contractor we used would send workers one day and the next they'd be off at some other project leaving me with bathrooms and a kitchen with no floor, no running water, half electricity, no appliances, etc. Ugh!

Any contractor you DO hire, check their license with the Contractors Board, you might be surprised what you find.

I wish I could help you, I really do, but getting burned once big time was enough for me. Granted, the interior job in my house was a big one and the work came out beautifully eventually and I was pleased, but it took months to do when it should have NEVER taken that long at all. Same thing with the landscaper, flaked out and a 4 day job turned into 2 week job!

[winter-rabbit]

Make sure they are absolutely bonded.

Otherwise, in any dispute, good luck getting your money back.

Originally Posted by Kitchen Witch

Oh boy, that's gonna be a tough one!

These contractors are so over booked with work, them and landscapers. They're all flaky it seems! Even the ones who come highly recommended will flake on you.

I am just so thankful that I got my house refurbished and the landscaping redone years ago and don't have to go through all that again. Very stressful, it took so long to refurbish the house interior we had to stay at a friend's house for a few months. The highly recommended and well checked out contractor we used would send workers one day and the next they'd be off at some other project leaving me with bathrooms and a kitchen with no floor, no running water, half electricity, no appliances, etc. Ugh!

Any contractor you DO hire, check their license with the Contractors Board, you might be surprised what you find.

I wish I could help you, I really do, but getting burned once big time was enough for me. Granted, the interior job in my house was a big one and the work came out beautifully eventually and I was pleased, but it took months to do when it should have NEVER taken that long at all. Same thing with the landscaper, flaked out and a 4 day job turned into 2 week job!

[Kitchen Witch]

Originally Posted by winter-rabbit

Make sure they are absolutely bonded.

Otherwise, in any dispute, good luck getting your money back.

Why would anybody choose any workman or contractor who is not licensed, insured and bonded?

Unfortunately, here in Las Vegas, that really means nothing too much at all. Even with all the licensing, bonding and insuring, any contractor can flake out and skip out.

If they skip out, you can file a claim with the Contractors Board, but you won't be getting your work done and you certainly won't be getting all the money you gave as deposit, 1st payment, 2nd payment, etc. from the recovery fund.

[winter-rabbit]

For a large project, I usually have well defined tasks with definite scope.

I will subcontract out each granular step. The more granular the less chance for disagreement.

No one gets a prepayment before any job is ever done. If they require prepayment for initial building material supply, then I rather pay the building supply company straight and have them deliver materials to my property. But even then, sometimes contractors over order things so they can use it stealthily in another project.

It's tough to be your own contractor for sure.

On the other side of the coin, homeowners can be demanding and change things up or want extras done for free.

Originally Posted by Kitchen Witch

Why would anybody choose any workman or contractor who is not licensed, insured and bonded?

Unfortunately, here in Las Vegas, that really means nothing too much at all. Even with all the licensing, bonding and insuring, any contractor can flake out and skip out.

If they skip out, you can file a claim with the Contractors Board, but you won't be getting your work done and you certainly won't be getting all the money you gave as deposit, 1st payment, 2nd payment, etc. from the recovery fund.

[Kitchen Witch]

Originally Posted by winter-rabbit

For a large project, I usually have well defined tasks with definite scope.

I will subcontract out each granular step. The more granular the less chance for disagreement.

No one gets a prepayment before any job is ever done. If they require prepayment for initial building material supply, then I rather pay the building supply company straight and have them deliver materials to my property. But even then, sometimes contractors over order things so they can use it stealthily in another project.

It's tough to be your own contractor for sure.

HA HA! You can be your own contractor all you want, even with those safeguards, contractors can and will flake out.

Doing your own work is really the best way to ensure timely and quality work. For those of us who don't have the ways and means to be your own contractor, we are at the mercy of the contractor flakes who continually flock to the Las Vegas valley, lol

[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by Kitchen Witch

and you certainly won't be getting all the money you gave as deposit, 1st payment, 2nd payment, etc. from the recovery fund.

I make sure that my first payment is for materials only, which I have sent directly to the house. If they flake out, I at least have the materials. And then subsequent payments are only after progress is made. When the job is half done, they get half the agreed price, and so on. That way if they flake out I'm only out time, not money.

A few people balk at this. But mostly they go for it.

[Kitchen Witch]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

I make sure that my first payment is for materials only, which I have sent directly to the house. If they flake out, I at least have the materials. And then subsequent payments are only after progress is made. When the job is half done, they get half the agreed price, and so on. That way if they flake out I'm only out time, not money.

A few people balk at this. But mostly they go for it.

A great safeguard for sure! If you can find a contractor willing to accept this mind you.

I remember so clearly, having my materials sent to the house, and them sitting in my living room and garage for days and days, while the contractor flaked out and sent his crew to start another project. Oh, how stressful it was to go to the house every day, see all the materials sitting there ready to be used, but no workers to use them. And a month long job turned into a 6 month job. Ugh!

[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by Kitchen Witch

A great safeguard for sure! If you can find a contractor willing to accept this mind you.

I remember so clearly, having my materials sent to the house, and them sitting in my living room and garage for days and days, while the contractor flaked out and sent his crew to start another project. Oh, how stressful it was to go to the house every day, see all the materials sitting there ready to be used, but no workers to use them. And a month long job turned into a 6 month job. Ugh!

I've had this happen as well. (Not quite as long, but the same basic flake-out.) At least the flakazoid contractor doesn't get to skip town with the materials this way. It's something, at least.