Since buying our house in 2004, I’ve interviewed dozens of contractors for many of the numerous projects our poorly neglected 1865 house needs. I’m continually disappointed with those few (thankfully, few!) contractors who insist on meeting with both me and my husband. I tell them that I’m the one gathering information and ultimately responsible for choosing contractors, but some are not convinced. Today I had a contractor say that “we need to consider our economic position, you understand? If we come out for a free estimate, we want to make sure we answer all of your questions.” When I assured him that I would be the only one who he need to talk to, he said he was “sorry that you have to miss out on such a good opportunity!” I wonder if such a contractor would insist on meeting with both my husband and I if it was my husband who had made the call. I think not.
On a side note, I think the entire construction industry is one major racket. It’s almost impossible to get any prices for doors, windows, siding or any other component of construction without going through the time consuming “Free Estimate,” which is really just a way for contractors to “get in the door.” You really need a thick skin to deal with these folks.
I’ve been told the cost of construction in the Boston area is approximately $175 a square foot. For that much money, they should be able to write off a few unsucessful “free estimates.” I’ll continue to work only with those contractors who don’t think I’m wasting their time.
Wow, Rachele–that’s mighty whacked. Considered publicizing the name of the contractor?
(And by the way, hi! I found this through Universal Hub, but I hope you and A and E are well!)
That is definitely weird. One of my friends told me that her insurance agent was confused by her handling the money and insurance. She gave him one explanation. When he still didn’t get it, she told him where to stick it. Turned out he was also offering her bad rates.
On the other hand, I have seen signs in hardware stores saying “Married men may not buy custom paint colors without a note from their wives.” So– I imagine there are at least a few cases where spouses have vetoed late in the game, and merchants have been burned by not getting buy-in from all adults in the household.
The simpler explanation is that they are jerks though. Grrrr.
Our *female* real estate agent seems to prefer dealing with my husband. Sigh.
The contractor remodeling our new house is obviously more comfortable dealing with my husband, but he has a healthy respect for wives, as his wife definitely runs the show at home!
The contractor did want both of us present as we finalized floor plans.
Rachele,
I found your entry while searching for sexism in the construction industry. I’ve been through three major renovations and I’ve experienced a surprising amount of sexism. My husband and I don’t fit into traditional roles in our work around the house. I am the fix-it, design-it, built-it person and he’s good with regular tasks. So, I’ve always been the point person during renovations. I’ve only managed to find ONE female contractor (painter) to work with. The rest are men. They can be quite rude, find ways to put me in my place, constantly interrupt and talk over me, and if my husband happens to be present they only talk to him. Even if I’m the only one asking questions, they listen to me then turn to my husband to answer the question! When they bring in a material to get approval for, they seek out my husband for that approval, even if we make it known that I’m the one handling the renovation. Fortunately not all of the guys I’ve encountered are like this, but a shocking majority are. You’d think that CA would be more ahead of the curve on this, but no. There are also the tangential issues, like that the construction industry, being mostly male, seem to feel rather entitled in their behaviors. This industry mostly does its work in people’s living environments, in residential areas, and therefore should exhibit some sensitivity. But instead they arrive and act as if they are in their own living spaces; they seem to feel entitled to blast their music while working on-site so that the entire city block can hear it, or to break out the 6 pack on site after hours, to talk liberally on their cell phones while logging hours at the property owners expense. I for one would NEVER do these things on a job site. They also get paid extremely well, much better, in my opinion, than jobs that are predominantly held by women with a similar level of training. We should either pay them less or pay the women more.
All of this must stop. Why hasn’t more changed in this area?! We must bring awareness to this issue, stand up to and require change when we meet it, and get better education on this into the construction licensing programs.