Dear PoPville – Finding a Contractor for Expertise on Building a Fence/Deck

Photo by PoPville flickr user fromcaliw/love

“Dear PoPville,

I am a homeowner in the Brightwood area of town who enjoys doing much of work around my house myself. It saves me money and I get the satisfaction of seeing the fruits of my labor. While I feel confident doing most of the work I have tackled (flooring, walls, landscaping, etc.), I am pretty sure I have reached the limits of my expertise as I begin to contemplate my next big projects. I want to build a privacy fence and a deck in my backyard. I am no carpenter and I would never pretend to be, but I really would enjoy being intimately involved in the work. I am fairly young, able-bodied and no stranger to a few long days of hard labor. I am also relatively knowledgeable in the world of DIY and, more importantly, I am a really good student.

I am wondering if anybody out in PoPville knows any retired/disabled/just don’t want to do heavy lifting anymore contractors that would be interested in working with me to plan and execute a big project like this. I would consider them to be to the foreman and I will be the apprentice/laborer. They wouldn’t have to lift a finger as far as I am concerned. Just point and share their wisdom. I would, of course, pay this person a reasonable hourly rate for their time, buy or rent all of the materials and tools necessary for the job, and would even be willing to hire an extra laborer (or ask a friend) to add some more muscle once the building begins.

I understand there will be some commenters that will remind me that this probably wouldn’t save much money once everything is totaled up, and I am not really concerned with that at this point. Most of my days are spent behind a desk or in endless meetings. Working with my hands tends to be a pleasurable experience for me and adds some much needed physical activity to my life. I have a strange feeling I am not the only one out there who feels this way.”