Why does it seem so hard to find a good contractor?

I haven't been a homeowner for that long and I've already gone through a cavalcade of disappointing contractors. And many of them came recommended!

Typical issues I keep running into:

  • Terrible communication skills. Can't reply to an e-mail. Can't return a phone call. Last-minute cancellations with suspicious excuses, or I have to call them asking if they plan to show up today.

  • Project takes 2-3x longer than proposed.

  • Lack of note-taking + refusal to ask for clarification, leading to mistakes. No that's not what we agreed on and yes I want you to redo it...

  • Lack of attention to detail toward the end of the project. Did you think I wasn't going to notice the shortcuts you took because the timeline was running over?

  • LEAVING EVERY GODDAMN DOOR IN THE HOUSE OPEN ALL DAY (True story, I once lost a cat because a contractor couldn't be bothered to close the doors)

So my main question is--why are these the stereotypical issues with contractors, and why can't there be a better way? Why isn't there more pressure for contractors to perform better?

At this point I almost exclusively hire through major companies (Lowes, Home Depot, etc.) because I at least know I have a parent company to complain to when their guy screws up, and they have to fix it to my satisfaction because they don't want social media criticism. But with private contractors, it seems impossible to hold them accountable.

/r/AskReddit Thread