Baltimore Area Contractors

[Jade N.]

Hello All,

I am seeking advice and a referral if possible. I appreciate that this group is not flooded with contractors, but experienced REI. I have some random repairs that need to be done including minor electrical work. I was hoping to find a general contractor that could complete everything, but haven't had luck finding someone licensed that is responsive. The house is pretty old, so I thought it would be best to be cautious and get someone licensed. My questions are:

Has anyone ever considered an unlicensed contractor for repairs including for electrical work (adding lights etc)?

Does anyone have a general contractor referral that they are willing to share?

For small projects do you find that its cheaper using a general contractor or individual contractors based on each project?

Any feedback is appreciated. Thank you!

[Alan C.]

In my opinion, if you are doing a rehab in the Baltimore-DC area, you need to pull permits. First, if an inspector catches you unlicensed crew doing work, you will get shut down and face fines of $1,000s of dollars. Second, if you are planning to retail the property to a homeowner, the agent and/or buyers are going to do an inspection and ask to see the permits (and they can be checked online). If you plan to rent the property, you now need to have an inspection done to get a rental license and again, that may open the permit can of worms. 

When it comes to minor repairs, you can go with an unlicensed handyman, but you should get lots of references, put everything in writing and as has been said, no money up front.

I’m currently a full-time wholesaler in the Baltimore-DC area and president of MAREIA, a local investor association. I've also done many rehabs and had a number of rentals. Feel free to contact me about the Baltimore market.