Many Sacramento home contractors have a dog in the race.

You would think that a busy Sacramento Realtor could easily locate Sacramento home contractors who don’t have a dog in the race, but that’s not always possible. It’s been a challenge at times to find reliable and honest tradespeople to even work on my own home. In part, that’s due to the Bell Curve, and just like with real estate agents, some are much better than others, but it’s also because of the way the system is set up. Say, for example, that you ask an insulation contractor to inspect the insulation in your attic. What are the odds the insulation contractor will state the insulation should be upgraded or replaced? Fairly high, I’d say.

Same goes for pest companies. Pest companies not only inspect but they complete the work, plus they hire third-party vendors and mark-up the repair estimate to include a padding for them. This practice is legal and sanctioned. It’s really difficult for homeowners to trust Sacramento home contractors to prepare an inspection when they also stand to gain compensation to replace or repair. In fact, many contractors are not hired to issue an opinion. They are called out to homes typically only for repairs. When was the last time you heard a contractor say: everything looks perfect, don’t change a thing.

About Sacramento Home Contractors

Buyers and sellers have a hard time knowing whom to trust. Especially when they do not fully understand the work of tradespeople. Although, I once represented a seller who was an electrician by trade. The buyer’s agent had hired an out-of-area electrical company representative; among the dozens of Sacramento home contractors he could have selected, he chose a company near his own residence. My home seller stood outside with the inspector, talking with him about the electrical panel, and the electrical inspector allegedly reported everything was A-OK. Next thing you know, the buyer’s inspector issued a report asking for thousands and thousands of dollars to rewire the yard, dig it up, I dunno, and stated the panel was, of all screwball things, burned out.

Wow, as you can imagine, the seller was livid and later filed a complaint against the electrical company. The buyers, without providing a specific reason, canceled. Fortunately, given our market conditions and the beauty of that particular home, we went back on the market and quickly sold to a more fortunate buyer under identical terms. The new buyer reviewed the reports and arrived at a different conclusion. It doesn’t matter to me how many times I need to resell a home for my sellers.

Even Vet Clinics Play The Game

Like another example? We switched to a local vet because our vet in Davis grew so successful that they no longer have time for us. I can’t bring my cats in for a routine rabies shot, though, without the staff trying to upsell products:

Oh, you need to give your cat monthly medication to prevent a disease that has been found in 5 to 25 cases a year in Sacramento but we feel it’s an epidemic. If you don’t, your cat will DIE. It’s so sad when that happens, you filthy beast. And here is a $78 bottle of mouthwash to prevent plaque buildup. Sure, we used to charge $30 to clean teeth but that involved listening to the cat scream, and we’ve found it’s more financially rewarding and much easier for us to charge $500 and put your cat out.

I’m not making this up. How many cat owners in Sacramento can afford to pay $500 a pop to clean their cat’s teeth?

Everybody is trying to make a buck. Especially the Sacramento home contractors. It’s the American way. Just don’t be surprised if you ask for an opinion and they return with an estimate. Also, ask your Sacramento Realtor for referrals. She has probably worked with enough contractors that she can supply names of reputable contractors. There are good guys (and women) out there. They’re just hard to find.