Need a contractor?

By Lauren Fritsky
Times Staff Writer

Alex Garcia would be remiss if he said he didn’t have his 85-year-old mother-in-law in mind when he started the Web site info4hire.com.
Since those in her age group are common targets of home-improvement fraud, it’s no wonder the Torresdale resident wanted to screen contractors to ensure that consumers get legitimate help.
"I don’t want just anyone coming into my house," said Garcia, whose mother-in-law lives with him, his wife and his 20-year-old daughter.
But as a contractor himself — he owns Galileo Capitol Group Window, a window-cleaning business on the 8300 block of State Road — Garcia wanted to help out the good guys as well.
"I built this Web site from both perspectives," said Garcia, 46.
His interest in promoting the site peaked after the Times began reporting on the case of Santini Contractors. The roofing company, run by twin brothers Mark and Gary Trager, 51, is being criminally investigated for allegedly scamming at least 15 people across the city.
The Times found that while entities like the Better Business Bureau and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office give advice and take consumer complaints, no central source existed to educate people on what to look for when hiring a contractor.
Garcia also thought that consumers needed better guidance so that they could avoid being scammed.
He found his clients hungry for referrals to contractors for other home-repair jobs, but felt reluctant to recommend just anyone.
It took eight months to develop the site before Garcia and his small staff launched it in mid-March. So far, it has received more than 150,000 hits.
"You have everything at your fingertips," Garcia said. "You don’t have to get out of (this site) to do the research. We did it for you."
Since rules on licensure vary from state to state — for instance, in Pennsylvania, contractors do not need to register with the state, but in New Jersey they do — info4hire offers a state-by-state listing of resources and laws.
Consumers also can click on links to agencies like the Better Business Bureau to see if a business has complaints against it, or scan a list of licensed contractors on the city’s Department of Licenses and Inspections Web site.
Consumers gain access to info4hire for free. Garcia believes that those who don’t use the Web themselves will ask Internet-savvy relatives to research the site for them.
But it’s not just consumers who benefit — contractors do as well.
For a yearly fee of $59.99, legitimate contractors can register and get a listing on the site. Contractors without proper licensing and insurance are not admitted.
Registered companies can also take advantage of online resources like timesheets and calculators for their business paperwork. Info4hire also sends e-mail reminders to clients when their insurance is going to expire.
"I want (contractors) to know that this not just puts their name in a directory," Garcia said. "It has all of these other benefits for them."
Nine local contractors have registered on the site, while others are interested but are still in the application process because they need license or insurance renewals, Garcia said.
He recognizes the strain of operating a contracting business and can see how some companies fall into the downward spiral of deceit.
He has seen customers in his business offer his workers cash to perform repair jobs unrelated to window cleaning. When workers start taking those offers, Garcia believes, they often become unable to handle their regular client base.
"When you start doing everything, everything goes down," Garcia said.
Garcia, a native of Spain who previously worked for JPMorgan in New York until the terrorist attacks of 9/11, stresses that he wants to refrain from becoming like Angie’s List, a referral Web site, or a complaint database like the Better Business Bureau. While he does have a referral system for consumers, he will not add any businesses to the list until he fully screens them.
Garcia also does not list any criminal-background information on the site. And even if he gets a complaint about a contractor listed on his site, he will not necessarily remove them.
"We’re not a legal office," he said.
But Garcia does want info4hire to become a nationally known brand name. He hopes to expand the site to include information on other businesses aside from contracting companies. He also wants national companies to advertise on the site.
"I’m excited about this Web site," he said. "The goal is to be a recognized household name. This is just the first phase." ••
For more information, log on to www.info4hire.com
Reporter Lauren Fritsky can be reached at 215-354-3038 or lfritsky@phillynews.com

Tips to find
the right contractor

With frequent accounts of customers claiming they have been victimized by home-improvement companies, Edward Fehr, the president and owner of City Wide Roofing in Philadelphia, said there are precautions that homeowners can take to hire reputable companies.
Fehr, commenting on those in the business who take advantage of customers, said, "It’s guys like this who give the honest, hardworking contractors in the industry a bad name."
Fehr recommends these preventive steps that consumers can take to ensure they are hiring qualified contractors in any facet of home improvement.
• Make sure the company is licensed in the county where you live.
• Make sure they are insured.
• Make sure they obtain the necessary permits before starting the work.
• Ask for at least 10 references.
• Make sure the company is a Better Business Bureau member and find out if it has either excessive or unresolved complaints.
• Ask for a written contract detailing a description of the work that will be performed. Make sure that you and the contractor sign the agreement.
• Do not give any deposits. An established, reputable contracting company should have accounts set up with its area suppliers. The terms for their billing by those suppliers are usually 30 days.
• Make sure the terms of payment are outlined in the contract. Companies that are confident of their ability to do the work should ask for payment upon completion of the job.
• Either take or ask for before-and-after photos of the job.
• If a contractor tries to add on hidden costs during the course of the work and you suspect something is not right, request that a municipal building inspector come out to evaluate the situation.
• Make sure the company has workers’ compensation for its employees, as well as general liability insurance.
• Get more than one estimate to compare. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
• Get an estimated start and completion date for the project.
• If a contractor cannot meet these conditions, do not hire him.
Consumers also can find information at an online reference guide called Angie’s List. Visit www.angieslist.com to check out any type of contractor in your area. ••