Found him on Angi. The “free estimate” became a $4,800 invoice on a $1,900 quote. The extra line items? “Job conditions.” That's it. That's the explanation.

Three pros from Thumbtack, three quotes for the same fence: $2,200, $6,500, and $11,000. Not one of them would say their hourly rate out loud. What am I comparing?

One request on HomeAdvisor and six contractors were calling within the hour. The one I finally hired took a $3,000 deposit, tore out the shower pan, and stopped answering his phone.

The quote doubled the day he saw my street. Same water heater, same crawlspace. My neighbor two miles over got the original price. Funny how that works.

$1,875 for “materials” on my invoice. Same water heater at the supply house: $649. No receipt, no explanation, no callback. I checked because I got suspicious. Everyone should check.

Quoted two weeks. It's week nine. Every Friday there's a new surprise charge — $350 here, $600 there. I've paid $8,100 on a $5,000 job and my kitchen still has no counters.

He finished the job, then handed me an invoice $2,300 over the estimate with one new line item: “misc.” Twenty-three hundred dollars of misc.

Paid in full up front because he “needed it for materials.” The punch list never got done. My back door still doesn't latch and he's posting lake photos.