Handyman or Business Person?

Ms3r4ISU

Me: Mea culpa. Also me: Sine cura sis.
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Ames
We've lived in our home for nearly 17 years and have done some renovating, adding on and roof/door/window replacement over that time. We worked with three different people for these jobs (first went to work for someone else, second is either retired or not doing this work anymore, third is retired) and now need someone or some people to do complete re-siding/gutter, dirt work to take care of compaction and wrong slope, and perhaps some new patio work.
While it would be great if you have worked with reputable folks in the Ames area and want to share your stories, what I'm more interested in now is whether you think it's money better spent with an individual handyman/person or self contractor with a personal touch and reputation to uphold OR a larger company who can do it all, probably faster and maybe less costly, but not as much of a personal touch?
 
We've lived in our home for nearly 17 years and have done some renovating, adding on and roof/door/window replacement over that time. We worked with three different people for these jobs (first went to work for someone else, second is either retired or not doing this work anymore, third is retired) and now need someone or some people to do complete re-siding/gutter, dirt work to take care of compaction and wrong slope, and perhaps some new patio work.
While it would be great if you have worked with reputable folks in the Ames area and want to share your stories, what I'm more interested in now is whether you think it's money better spent with an individual handyman/person or self contractor with a personal touch and reputation to uphold OR a larger company who can do it all, probably faster and maybe less costly, but not as much of a personal touch?
If I were you I would reach out to some contractors that do specifics. Some do a wide spectrum anyways. You can go with a bigger company and get the same results too, everyone can refer you to good people in the industry as well.
 
Dirt work, go with experience. Siding and gutters......any slappy can do it.

As someone who has sided houses for the last 18 years, I can easily differentiate between my work and that of just about anyone else. Also, if you're installing Hardie or LP there are certain rules that are required to be followed in order to have any sort of warranty. I've seen a big builder in Ames/Ankeny have to buy back a custom home due to a lawsuit from a **** siding job. Anyone can do it, but not everyone has the know-how to do it well.
 
Chances are, like anything else, you're going to get what you pay for. If someone tells you they can get started on it right away, run. Anyone doing good work should be relatively busy.
 
I would recommend finding a company to do the siding/gutter work. Not a contractor, but the company that will actually do the work. I got some quotes for people to do some gutter work for me. One person I talked to said that all the big companies that sell vinyl siding in the area outsource the actual work to his and other smaller companies. From what I have seen, companies that do siding also do gutter and window work.

Same thing with the yard work, find a landscaper to do that. Again, try to find a company of people that will actually do the work.

By seeking out companies to actually do the work, you will save money on general contractor fees.
 
As someone who has sided houses for the last 18 years, I can easily differentiate between my work and that of just about anyone else. Also, if you're installing Hardie or LP there are certain rules that are required to be followed in order to have any sort of warranty. I've seen a big builder in Ames/Ankeny have to buy back a custom home due to a lawsuit from a **** siding job. Anyone can do it, but not everyone has the know-how to do it well.

Yeah that's not good advice. There's a lot of things that can be done wrong during installation. Things that lead to major problems down the road.

Maybe if you're siding a 4 sided garage with no windows or doors. Then the installer doesn't matter as much. :confused:
 
  • Agree
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I’ve had terrible luck with handymen. Most turn out to be drug addicts that can’t get a job at an actual company.
 
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We've lived in our home for nearly 17 years and have done some renovating, adding on and roof/door/window replacement over that time. We worked with three different people for these jobs (first went to work for someone else, second is either retired or not doing this work anymore, third is retired) and now need someone or some people to do complete re-siding/gutter, dirt work to take care of compaction and wrong slope, and perhaps some new patio work.
While it would be great if you have worked with reputable folks in the Ames area and want to share your stories, what I'm more interested in now is whether you think it's money better spent with an individual handyman/person or self contractor with a personal touch and reputation to uphold OR a larger company who can do it all, probably faster and maybe less costly, but not as much of a personal touch?

School yourself a bit on the jobs you want done so when you ask questions of the perspective contractor so you can weed out the fly by nights. And if you aren't worried about making the Guiness Book of World Records on fastest remodel ever......then IMO the little guy is the best bet. Especially if there is custom work. Find the guy whose business card is his last job and it's hard to go wrong.
 
As someone who has sided houses for the last 18 years, I can easily differentiate between my work and that of just about anyone else. Also, if you're installing Hardie or LP there are certain rules that are required to be followed in order to have any sort of warranty. I've seen a big builder in Ames/Ankeny have to buy back a custom home due to a lawsuit from a **** siding job. Anyone can do it, but not everyone has the know-how to do it well.

Thanks for mentioning Harding’s plank because that’s what we have and likely will use.
Want to come to Ames?
 
Thanks for mentioning Harding’s plank because that’s what we have and likely will use.
Want to come to Ames?


We just re-sided with Hardie plank. It is great. Don't get it pre-painted. There are plenty of things that need to be painted after installation. Also, look into the Hardie trim boards. They look fantastic.
 
Thanks for mentioning Harding’s plank because that’s what we have and likely will use.
Want to come to Ames?

I'd love to, but too damn busy. Also, I don't generally work on redos unless they're for a friend. Mostly new construction.

As far as the Hardie goes, I'd call a local rep and see who they recommend, and who is under their certification program. Take their recommendations into consideration and price compare with different companies. You may pay a bit more for a contractor that can get Hardie certification after the job is complete, but it's up to you to decide if you think it's worth it. All of my Hardie work is certified at completion by a Hardie rep. Basically, they come out and look at my work. They decide that it meets their standard. Once it is certified, all workmanship warranty is then taken over by Hardie for 10 years. The builder and the contractor I work for are no longer responsible for the project after certification. This incentivises the contractors to do better work, but there are still differences in how things are done. In my opinion, they are a bit lenient with their certifications to stay in the good graces of contractors.

As for the product itself, I would personally stay away from pre painted. I don't think it is a good product. It just has a good warranty. If you do go with pre painted, don't cheap out on the contractor. It will show in the finished product due to it being a giant pain in the ass to install properly and keep clean in the process.

I would also stay away from smooth finished trim or lap siding. They come from the factory with imperfections and EVERYTHING shows on smooth. The smooth finish on panels like 4x8s is usually pretty good.

Also, make sure whoever is caulking isn't an idiot. Proper caulking can make or break a siding job.
 
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Any slappy can do siding? No...gutters yes but you don't want any slappy putting up LP siding.

I also disagree with the original comment that any slappy can do siding and gutters! We had our gutters installed by a professional well-known roofing company in Ames a couple years ago, and they continued to leak between the soffit and the gutters until I just had my neighbor handyman come in and fix it. He was great, but obviously not any slappy can do gutters either!

My experience with the well-known / larger roofing company soured it a little bit for me. I definitely recommend going with someone you trust and others you respect trust as well.
 
Any slappy can do siding? No...gutters yes but you don't want any slappy putting up LP siding.

Haven’t done LP but did vinyl and that was easy. Next I will get told that roofing requires a specialist. Didn’t other people’s dads put them to work when they were growing up?
 
Thanks for mentioning Harding’s plank because that’s what we have and likely will use.
Want to come to Ames?

I have HardiPlank on my house, and I am satisfied with it. However.....if L/P SmartSIde had been available when I built, I would not have hesitated to use it. It's longer (so fewer joints), much easier to handle and work with, and is far more impact-resistant. Cost and warranty length are nearly identical.

We rarely sell cement board siding anymore. The engineered wood siding is a better product, hands down.

Also - I would definitely try to get references, and talk to people the builder/contractor has worked for. This might keep you from getting involved with someone shady.

In my experience, the smaller guys are slower, but generally less expensive (less overhead). If I were there, or you were here, I'd offer to do it myself. ;)
 
  • Agree
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One other thing - L/P SmartSide with DiamondKote prefinish is the bomb. It isn't cheap (but neither is good paint) but it has a 35-year warranty, and after having installed a few jobs, I can tell you it is extremely durable. DiamondKote is a trade name proprietary to Wausau Supply Company, most lumber companies buy from them. (A tip - our yard in Grimes sells it, and they deliver for free.)
 
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Reactions: CYEATHAWK
Haven’t done LP but did vinyl and that was easy. Next I will get told that roofing requires a specialist. Didn’t other people’s dads put them to work when they were growing up?
I doubt it, luckily when I was in high school my dad built some custom homes and showed me quite a bit. Most of this stuff is very easy to learn it just takes time and care. LP siding is much different but in my opinion the gutters is childs play. Putting on a roof is tough to screw up as well but then again I've seen people completely ruin someones garage that they were painting just because they didn't prep it properly.
 

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