I meant he is also on angieslist :-)

Angie's list is the best source. We bought a house just like yours which needed structural repairs and a lot more (more than we thought). http://www.angieslist.com was the best $50 I spent (1 year membership). We have had met our share of crooks from craigslist - I can tell you that a bad contractor is worse than no work being done at all. So make sure whoever you hire knows what he is doing and has references. Btw, we had an incredible guy do structural work for us - had it not been for him, we would have probably had to go bankrupt. His name is Jeffrey Spiby and his phone number is 508-454-7627. He is very very reasonable and really knows his stuff (he is also on craigslist).

I have just finished with total (gut) renovation of my 2 family house in Cambridgeport and for the first time been totally happy with the crew.. the general contractor, the electrician, plumber, painters, architect,..etc.. neighbours loved them too as they were so respectful of life on the street.. you can call me for more info 617-775-2777 and come to see the work they did for me

All good answers, but I would suggest one more - try BNI - Business Networking International. Link is below, competition is fierce to obtain a spot in these chapters. To obtain a seat an applicant must have a positive interview, multiple references and a business plan. There are often 2 or 3 people competing for open seats as they are exclusive. Once a member, any issues with ethics, customer service, or failure to meet the attendance requirements of the chapter and a member can face expulsion. Happy Hunting! Stacey

I would strongly suggest getting a personal referral from a friend, family member or neighbor. take a look around the neighborhood. If it is anything like my neighborhood I can spot several different projects going on. Most have signs out side. Knock on the door or call the homeowner. Folks that are renovating are usually prod if what they are doing and love to talk about it.

I suppose that word of mouth is your best bet. Ask friends and relatives. Once you have some names check them out with BBB at
http://www.boston.bbb.org/WWWRoot/SitePage.aspx?site=27&…
Angies list does require membership with a fee involved.
Best of luck

You might also try Angie's List, although I've heard good and bad things about it.

Min,

Just a suggestion that has worked well for some of my clients:


Go to the local permitting office and ask them to give you the names of several tradespersons in each category.

The recommendations from them will probably be the tradespersons who properly pull permits and do the quality of work that pass their inspections.

From that list, get written quotes and time frames from each tradesperson in each category.

Best of luck