How do I find a reliable contractor in Sac? (Sacramento: insurance, Home Depot)

[Takie]

I just moved here from the the East Coast, and am totally stunned by the intensity of the Sun in Sacramento. I am now looking for a general contractor to tile the kitchen, paint the house, and put in a shower enclosure. I am wondering if there are reliable sources in Sacramento for me to find a good general contractors?

[kim racer]

First talk to your neighbors. Most neighborhoods in this region were built out at the same time and a lot of the same maintence issues come up at roughly the same time. If you talk to your neighbors, you can see what type of work local contractors did and how well they handled calls for follow up.

If that doesn't work, both the Pennysaver and the Sacramento Bee offer classified ads from various contractors. Call around and ask for references and then talk to the references. Make sure that the contractors are licensed by the state. Look up their license and see if there are any complaints.

Lastly, it might make sense to contact some of the big stores. I know Costco offers some services like redoing kitchens and I believe that some of the large stores like Home Depot offer this service as well.

[hydro]

Best bet for quality control is checking the state license board to make sure license is current with no complaints, and that they carry enough insurance/bonding.

Word of mouth, craigslist, and verify license should take care of avoiding flakes or hacks.

I can recommend a good contractor who does work for major home improvement stores as well as independently if you would like. The prices are great, work is great, nice guy.

[ferretkona]

My brother in law worked for Sacramento Builders Exchange. They might have some suggestions.

[Shope]

I would ask your neihbors, yellow pages, also the blue book is excellent for looking up contractors. Round up maybe 3 or 4 guys, get some prices, also feel free to ask for refrences and call there previous clients, etc etc