Home center execs call them profit centers — parts of the wide-ranging business that make the most money. One of the hottest, even in tough times, is installed sales. You select the washer and dryer in the appliance department, then hook up with a project manager for the installation. It’s convenient. But there are pitfalls.
One-stop shopping saves the hassle of finding contractors, comparing their estimates and drawing up a contract. And it can be reassuring to deal with national chains — either big-box stores or product showrooms of national manufacturers. They aren’t about to go out of business as abruptly as some contractors may. But the service is so lucrative that it’s also offered by some lumber and hardware chains, and even local suppliers. Some have a better track record than others.
Manufacturers
National manufacturers in several home improvement fields have showrooms where you can see their plumbing fixtures, windows and other products — and find contractors to install them. Some of the installers may be full-time employees. More often, persistent questioning will reveal that the installer is a local contractor and “affiliated” with the manufacturer.
Why would a local contractor do that? In some cases, because he isn’t booked solid as almost all the best contractors are, and can’t find enough work on his own. The retailer, in a way, becomes a job referral service. A full-time employee of a showroom who installs nothing but the manufacturer’s products will have it down pat. Not that the plumbing for one brand of washing machine, or gas lines for one brand of stove, is radically different from other brands. But it’s a plus when installers have been trained by the manufacturer on their specific installation procedures. In a recent survey by Consumer Reports, readers reported better results overall with installers recommended by product manufacturers than with installers from major chains selling a variety of brands.
Major chains
To become affiliated with one of the big-box stores, contractors should have to pass a stringent review process that looks at licensing, financial history, customer service and customer satisfaction. For safety, the vetting process should also include background checks. Home Depot, for example, conducts a seven-point check that includes social security number validation, and national and county criminal searches. To keep abreast of the affiliate’s performance, the chain should have a program for surveying clients and conducting on-site inspections. A major chain with a complete program should be spreading the news. If you have to hunt for details of a compliance program, or get runaround answers to questions, take your business elsewhere.
Potential pitfalls
•From any source, the one-stop convenience of installed sales may have some other built-in drawbacks. If you were hiring a private contractor, checking into two or three plumbers, for example, you could walk through the job with each one, point out the drain that always clogs, get their recommendations and prices, compare their written estimates and pick the best one. With installed sales, you get the contractor that the retailer selects. Home Depot says that in some cases it may be possible to ask for and get an installer who has worked on your house before. But their system, like most others from large retailers, has to account for many installers and jobs, and they generally can’t be shuffling them around to make a match.
There is also the possibility of a disconnect — about costs, starting dates and job details — with so many people involved in the process. Installed sales often require a product salesperson, in-store project manager, possibly an estimator who visits your house and an on-site contractor assigned to do the work. An estimator who works for the retailer may price the job low to close the deal for his employer — the retailer, not you. The installer may be surprised by on-site details that the estimator glossed over. And if questions arise, the installer may have to check with the estimator who has to check with the project manager, back and forth while you’re stuck in the middle.
•Each installed-sales source will also have its own type of paperwork. It may be more complete than a sketchy estimate from a private contractor. In any case, it should include more than basics like names, addresses and prices.
To avoid disconnects, any contract should include details of the job. Specifics prevent problems. You may not know the step-by-step procedures of plumbers and electricians. But you can insist that the contract says the installation will be made in a professional manner according to all manufacturers’ specifications.