Reno Diary #6: I Start Getting Contractor Estimates (And Build My Renovation Crew)
- nvilu7
- May 28
- 7 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
13 days to close. No pressure.
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I had my renovation project list.
I had rough numbers.
I had a timeline.
Now it was time to find the people who would actually make the reno happen—in 60 days.
Step 1: Build Your Trades List First
Before you start making calls, get clear on who you need.
Here was my list:
Electrician
Plumber
Flooring installer
Painting (interior and exterior)
HVAC installer
Cabinet supplier/installer
Mold Remediation
Chimney Specialist
Carpenter/builder/jack-of-all-trades
Tile installer
Having a definitive list would allow me to execute the reno with the right person at the right time in the process.
Step 2: Skip the “Get Three Quotes” Rule (Sometimes)
The standard advice is to get three quotes per trade. Which works—if you have time.
Time was one thing I didn’t have.
I needed to get quality referrals, and fast.
Step 3: Start With the Source Most People Ignore
I called my real estate agent.
Like many real estate agents, mine owned several rental properties and had guided other clients through renovations to ready their properties for sale. He had a list of experts that he and his clients had used successfully in the recent past. He had seen them perform under pressure and knew they would deliver.
He told me that every successful real estate agent has such a list. Having reliable tradespeople helps them close deals. Bad referrals make them look bad.
On that call I got vetted referrals for
Electrician
Plumber
HVAC
Mold remediation
Chimney
Flooring supplier (who would recommend an installer)
Cabinet supplier
Carpenter/builder/jack-of-all-trades
Over half my list knocked out in one call. Good news when you have only 60 days to execute a whole-house reno.
Alternative Referral Sources
If you don’t have time constraints like mine—or if you don’t have an information source like my real estate agent—here are other sources for finding tradespeople:
Online (sources like angi.com and thumbtack.com)
Your landlord or condo property manager
Family and friends
Current handyman
Trades you’ve used in the past—they see other trades’ work onsite
Step 4: Fill the Tradesperson Gaps Strategically
I still needed painting and tile installation services, so I reached out to family and friends.
No luck.
Then it occurred to me that I could head to my favorite paint store and get a vetted list of painters.
Duh.
30 minutes later, I was back in my home office with a short stack of business cards.
One more tradesperson—the tile installer—to find. Thankfully, tile installation was six weeks down the road, so I had time on my side (such luxury).
Step 5: When You Don’t Have a Referral, Get Creative (or Lucky)
If you don’t have a direct referral, look for indirect referrals from the local retailers who sell to the type of trade you need.
For example, for my hardwood flooring installation, I got several names from the flooring retailer referred by my agent, researched each online, and then called a few to get a quote.
Only one flooring installer called me within 4 hours of getting my request and came out on a holiday weekend to give me an estimate (extra points).
He passed all my tests, his quote aligned with the estimates I found online, and he had great references.
He got the job.
I found a painter through serendipity.
None of the painters referred through my paint store were available in my timeframe. On the last day of the flooring install, the floor installer (who was doing a stellar job) overheard me mention that I was looking for painting services.
Turned out that he also providing painting services and was available in my timeframe.
I hired him on the spot.
Absolutely no regrets.
Step 6: Use Online Resources for Verification
I validated every tradesperson referral through:
Google Reviews
Everyone passed except my agent’s jack-of-all-trades, who operated independently and had no online presence.
Step 7: First Test—the Initial Phone Call
Using my execution timeline, I began calling the trades on my list, starting with whom I would need to engage first.
Since getting the new electrical box was the #1 priority. I called the electrical services company and made an appointment for an estimator to come out to the house and scope out the work.
I looked on this process as a test for my tradesperson’s employer.
Was my call answered or returned promptly?
Was the person I talked to efficient, pleasant, and professional?
Did they take down my information without errors?
Every company I called passed that test. So far, consistent kudos to my real estate agent.
Step 8: Second Test—On Site Behavior
The estimate appointment gave me a chance to check out the person who would probably do the work.
Was he on time?
Was he clean and neat?
Was he professional, pleasant, and knowledgeable?
Did he take the time to answer all my questions?
Did he know what he was talking about?
Did he mansplain?
Hard NO on mansplainers.
Step 9: Give Tradespeople a Mission
Instead of just describing the work and asking for a quote, I framed my request this way:
“I need your help to save this house.”
I then explained the challenge—in 60 days, modernizing a neglected 70-year-old-house to give it a new 21st century life. I shared the home inspection list and my project list.
The response was gratifying. Sharing the inspection report and my vision for the house really engaged every tradesperson. It also drove them to think critically about what really needed to be done in their specialty to transform the house into my dream home.
For example, a new electrical box was not rated an immediate need by the home inspector—but when I told the electrical services estimator that I wanted a new kitchen, he told that I needed a new electrical box to run that kitchen.
And he asked me questions like “Where will you place your TV and plug in your laptop?” to help me think through how I planned to actually live in my new home—and how his company could make that happen.
I used the same approach with every tradesperson. They all responded with similarly thoughtful proposals for the work that needed to be done.
The chimney expert drove across town after business hours to examine the chimney.
Standing on my roof, he shouted down to me, “There’s nothing wrong with this chimney.”
After so getting much bad news, I didn’t believe him.
Rather than being annoyed at a wasted trip, he was delighted to give me some good news.
These busy people going out of their way to be helpful was a revelation.
No one assumed that I had no idea what I was doing.
No one took advantage of me and suggested work that I didn’t need.
My real estate agent recommended these providers, so I expected them to be professional.
What I didn’t expect was how much my goal to save the house motivated them.
But being part of restoring an old house and giving it new life—that engaged their imaginations, gave them a mission, and honored their expertise and craft.
Step 10: How to Evaluate a Contractor Estimate
Since I would need to deal with the tradesperson and his company, the actual estimate allowed me to evaluate the company’s attention to detail and ability to execute.
Were the estimates delivered when promised?
Were they professional-looking?
Were they clear and easy to follow?
Did the estimate cover everything that we discussed?
Did the estimate include unnecessary services?
Was the estimate amount similar to what I found in my research?
Some tradespeople do not provide written estimates. For example, my plumber worked on a time and materials basis only (although he did give me a rough time estimate). For those providers, I went directly to Step 11.
Step 11: Ask for Real References
Good tradespeople always have “live” references, not just web-based reviews. If they are reluctant to provide names, or promise to provide them but never actually get around to it, cross them off your list.
Ask references about the circumstances they used the tradesperson for. Ask them how old their home is. Ask them how the tradesperson approached the problem. The answers will give you a better idea of how effective the provider will be when working for you.
One of my plumber’s references told me how he dealt with the flooded basement in her 50-year-old house over a weekend. The gratitude and relief in her voice couldn’t be faked.
He’s now my plumber for life.
Step 12: Assemble and Schedule the Crew Before Close
With less than two weeks to go before close, I was in pretty good shape to move forward:
Estimates for electrical, plumbing, and flooring
Electrician scheduled to start a few days after close
Meeting scheduled with the Mold Guy for an inspection and estimate
Meeting scheduled with the handyman/jack-of-all-trades
Paint, flooring, and tile selected
Next on the list:
Kitchen cabinets
Appliances
Front door replacement (yes, the one with the ax marks)
Step 13: Maintain Renovation Momentum
When my family and friends walked through the house prior to close, I could tell that they thought I was biting off more than I could chew. (Actually, they were horrified.)
They also thought that I was a bit too obsessed with planning. They wondered if I was caught in “analysis paralysis”.
But, by planning my reno—down to the daily list of completed tasks—I was able to quickly identify the critical services I needed to make the reno happen.
Planning allowed me to set a mission—to save my house—with every tradesperson I worked with.
Planning gave me enough clarity to recognize good advice when I heard it—and the confidence to reject bad advice.
Planning made it possible for me to make quick decisions without second-guessing or regret, and face every setback with equanimity.
Make a plan. Solve everything you can before you begin.
Then you can hit the ground running.
Use these to stay accurate and organized:
Contractor clipboard folder, where I put all paperwork collected onsite
An accordion folder, which held every scrap of paper related to the reno
These four were my constant companions for months.
Next Up
The decision that sets the tone (and cost) for everything that follows—flooring.
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