How to Find a Good Carpentry Crew (And Giveaway!)

This month we're talking about the book Be Your Own House Contractor. Today, we'll discuss how to find a good carpentry crew:

A personal visit to a few lumberyards or building supply houses (especially smaller, locally based ones) to ask for recommendations will give you more than enough leads to find a good carpentry crew. Asking friends and acquaintances who have been through the building process or a major renovation is another way to gather names of good carpenters (and to avoid bad ones). If the first carpenter you find is too busy, ask him to recommend another. But usually another house can be worked into the first carpenter's schedule, and it is worth waiting for a good crew. Your carpenter will be one of your best sources for finding many of your other subcontractors.

After selecting a good candidate for this job, but before hiring him, check him out. He should give you a list of four or five jobs he's handled. Talk to the owners. Look at the work he did for them. Other sources to check for references with are building suppliers that have dealt with him.

If I decide to build my own home, I already have my carpenter picked out. He has worked on several homes of friends and comes highly recommended. I've also met him and he's a great, personable, honest guy.

Want to know more? You can win a free copy of Be Your Own House Contractor. Here's how it works:

1. Leave a comment below -- any comment.

2. Sometime tomorrow, I'll stop by the post, stop the submissions, and name the winner.

3. It will be that person's responsibility to check back to see they are a winner and then email me their contact information.

4. I'll send all the winners their books in one mass mailing going out the second week in September.

A few rules for these giveaways:

1. You can not win more than one prize.

2. I will be the complete and final judge.

3. Legal disclaimer: I can not guarantee safe delivery of the items. I'll send them via US Mail, so it's likely they'll be fine, but I can't control it and won't be held accountable if the mail system messes up.

4. If you win something and do not contact me within a week of winning, I reserve the right to give your prize away to another winner. Note again: I won't track down the winners -- it's your responsibility to come back and see if you won.

Good luck! Post a comment below for a chance to win this book!

Comments

[Katharine]

haha, first comment :D

Seriously though, how many copies of this book do you have??? o.O

[FMF]

Katherine --

One for every week day in August. :-)

[Scott Moonen]

I'd love to win a copy of this book -- my wife and I are considering building a house several years down the road.

[Sestos]

Free is good.

[Chad D]

This is the one!

[Internyet]

Good is free.

[Harley]

gotta win this time!

[lrjurgen]

Could have used this over the past year, we just finished building our new home.

[Richard M.]

Please enter me again.

Thanks.

[Karan]

Hi FMF,
This is my 2nd response; I responded yesterday to you notification that I had won your generous offer. I am wondering if you received my email. Looking forward to hearing from you.

[FMF]

Karan --

I did not. Use my alternative email. It's gmail and always works. ;-)

[Thad]

giddyup

[Scott Kustes]

In for the win.

[Cherly]

This will be my lucky day!!!

(Dont you feel it FMF?)

[Esther]

one more try.... :)

[Matt G.]

Free book and no wammies!

[Lily]

try and try until you succeed

[Brian]

Please give me the book...

You want to give me the book....

You are getting very sleepy....

[Familyfinanceguy]

If I don't win, I will press my luck and vote for Matt G. Free book and no whammies, very nice!!

[Blaine Moore]

Looking forward to another attempt at the book!

[Eric G.]

what do I have to do.

[Cam]

Another shot!

[Dee Whit]

I love that we have all of these chances to try to win an interesting book!

[Richard]

Now if I could only find a good painter.

[Mike H]

Thanks for all the good articles FMF.

[Squeezer]

i'd recommend you work w/ habitat for humanity on a house, it will give you a lot more insight into building a house.

[J Baba]

Keep up the good work!

[Jay]

I am here.

[Rosielyn]

Theres no harm trying it AGAIN.....:->

[Seth H]

Trying again!

[JMS]

I still want to be my own contractor...

[Victoria]

What a good way to get people to check back on your blog everyday FMF!

[Dave]

count me in, thanks

[juanny]

one, two, three, four

[Daniel]

Third time's the charm! :D

[Armel]

think positive, think positive... I'm back for the book!

[Cory]

Forth time's the charm!

[lianne]

trying again...

[Fred]

Come on lucky 7!!

[JH]

.

[Hemal]

today

[Own Your Own Decisions]

pick me!!

[Brad]

here's my comment

[guniadi]

this is my lucky day.

How can I know who have won so far? I don't see any notification..

[Cindy M]

Me, me!!!

[Reto]

Yepp, me again...

[Rich Schmidt]

re: Guniadi's question...

You have to check back tomorrow. He'll close the comments on this post, with his as the last one, announcing the winner.

For example, I just now checked yesterday's post... and I won! :)

Good thing I checked it first before leaving my comment here, huh? :)

[FMF]

This giveaway is now closed. The winner is Blaine who posted at 9:37 am pm yesterday. Congrats!

Blaine, please email me (see: http://www.freemoneyfinance.com/2005/04/free_money_fina_4.html ) and we'll arrange to get you your book.

To the rest of you, stay tuned. I still have plenty of copies to give away!