Contractors willing to work for less

INDIANAPOLIS – Weighted down by the poor economy, contractors are often willing to do the job for less, according to a survey by Angie’s List.
The provider of consumer reviews said that nearly 80 percent of builders, remodelers and home improvement contractors surveyed in 2009 said they would be willing to drop their prices to secure a job. In 2008, just 43 percent of contracts said they would do the job for less.
“More than half of the companies willing to cut prices tell us they’d limit their discounts to 10 percent, but nearly a quarter of the others would cut up to 20 percent,” said Angie Hicks, founder of Angie’s List. “While this might sound like great news, consumers should never hire based on price alone. Finding a reliable contractor who meets your particular needs will give you a better return on your dollar every time.”
The survey results released last week came during the same week where the Associated General Contractors of America reported that Massachusetts and Rhode Island lost jobs in December in year-over-year comparisons. Massachusetts shed 15,700 construction jobs in December 2009 compared with December 2008, a 13 percent job. Rhode Island lost 1,300 jobs, marking a 7 percent drop from December 2008.
“The impact of the stimulus is clearly being overshadowed by the sweeping downturn in overall construction demand,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Without those public investments however, a bad employment situation will only get worse during 2010.”