At its most benign, it’s a contractor who repeatedly asks to speak to your husband. At its worst, it’s a dishonest repair professional who overcharges for subpar work, assuming you won’t notice until the check has already cleared.
At Home Repair Lab, we’ve been in the business long enough to confirm that the “lady upcharge” (ie, the predatory treatment of women by unscrupulous pros) is very real. Although single women now lead the way in homeownership, there is still a widespread assumption that women have a knowledge gap when it comes to maintenance and repair. This reality can make it challenging to know whether or not you’re getting the runaround (or quality work at a fair price).
Arming female homeowners with the tools they need to recognize and avoid unfair treatment is one of the major missions of HRL. Whether you’re a motivated DIYer, newly responsible for a home, or just tired of feeling vulnerable, here is our best advice for being your own advocate.
Don’t ignore how a contractor or repair person makes you feel. Even in situations where quotes aren’t free, it’s often well worth it to spend some money up front to vet potential pros before committing to an expensive project.
The right person for the job should be able to explain the work they plan to do in a way that makes sense. Use your consultation to ask questions and gauge how the pro responds to them. (Unsure of where to start? Check out our essential contractor interview checklist!). If you get the feeling that they are trying to talk over your head or bury you in technical jargon, move on.
It’s not always possible in emergency situations, but strive for a minimum of three estimates for larger, planned projects.
There are a lot of factors that can impact an estimate, so make sure you’re comparing apples to apples. Repairs done after hours, during weekends, or on holidays will almost always cost more than those scheduled for regular business hours. It’s also important to be aware of what’s included — some estimates account for both materials and labor, while others have a material allowance for things like tile, flooring, cabinets, and countertops.
Control for variables by making sure the inclusions and scope of work is the same across estimates, and do some research on the local market rate. Establishing a firm baseline will make it much easier to evaluate your options and choose the right one.
One of the best ways to hire trustworthy pros is to start with recommendations from trustworthy sources.
The number of women in the trades is growing, Check out local social media groups for female repair professionals and DIYers, as well as female-focused training programs like Hope Renovations. Even if it isn’t feasible to work with a woman-led team, the experiences of others are a great compass for choosing fair, competent repair professionals and contractors.
Ultimately, your best defense against shysters is a good working knowledge of the systems in your home.
You don’t need to be an expert to develop a radar for whether or not a pro’s proposed solution makes sense, or whether they’re likely exaggerating the labor involved in a repair. While Home Repair Lab certainly has classes for people who want to learn how to complete the work themselves, our foundational labs equip you with the vocabulary and high-level understanding you need to have good exploratory conversations with pros.
Many household fixtures aren’t as complex as they may seem. Just a few hours of hands-on help can increase your confidence and make it easier to trust your intuition when choosing professionals.
We get it. Let’s hop on a quick call to help you feel confident about your next step.
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