You can find a home service pro in five minutes. You can also spend five months regretting it. Most bad hires have the same beginning. Someone got recommended in a comment thread, you needed help fast and the details got skipped.
This checklist keeps the speed of Nextdoor and Facebook while adding enough due diligence to protect your money and your house.
Where to Find Good People
Start where real neighbors talk, then confirm with proof.
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- Nextdoor and neighborhood Facebook groups... best for recent experiences and quick replies.
- Google Business Profiles... look past the star rating and read the newest reviews, especially the 2 to 4 star ones. They usually tell you what went wrong and how the company handled it.
- Facebook business pages.. check recent posts and comments. Look for how they respond when someone complains.
- Better Business Bureau... useful for patterns, not one-off drama.
- Angi, HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack... good for getting more quotes fast. Treat them as lead sources, then do the same vetting you would do on a referral.
- Yelp... helpful for photos and details. Also full of strong opinions, so use it as one input.
- Your street... the best referral is a neighbor who will show you the finished job and tell you the price range.
The Neighbor Checklist
Use this in order. Stop when a step fails...
1) Define the job in one sentence
Example: "Replace 20 feet of fence and haul off old panels" or "Install a new water heater and bring it to code." Clear scope of work gets you clear quotes.
2) Ask for photos of similar work
Two or three photos from the last few months. Same type of job. Same type of house if possible.
3) Confirm license if the trade requires it
Electrical and HVAC often require licensing. Plumbing can, depending on the work. If someone dodges this question, move on.
4) Confirm insurance
Ask for proof of liability insurance. If they have employees, ask about workers comp. A real company can send a certificate.
5) Get a written scope of work before you compare prices
A one-line quote creates fights later. Ask for a written scope of work that lists what they will do, what they will use, who handles disposal, and whether permits apply.
6) Ask for a start date and a finish date
If they cannot give a window, you are buying uncertainty. Good pros stay busy, but they can still tell you how they schedule.
7) Ask how they handle change orders
Stuff comes up mid-job. Ask how they price changes and how they document them.
8) Use a simple payment rule
Avoid paying in full up front. A deposit can make sense for materials. Tie the rest to milestones you can see.
9) Watch for pressure
If someone pushes you to sign today, asks for cash only or will not put terms in writing, treat that as your answer.
10) Check timely responses on communication
If they take two days to reply while they are trying to win the job, support after the job will get worse.
A Quick Message You Can Copy And Paste
"Can you send a written scope of work, proof of insurance, your earliest start date and how you handle warranty work. I am collecting two quotes and I will decide by Friday."
