plumber 75-85$ hour, drywaller and/ or painter about12-15$ hour.

However, the HVAC & the sliding door(s) manufacturer(s)/installers he insisted on came back to haunt him.We also went with our own painters as his subs arrived smoking constantly & after a lousy job of primer we fired them.

It is not like referring plumber or painter for a home.

I do my own repairs and management and I can tell you that if I had to hire a plumber to fix little plumbing problems or electricians or painters or whatever then I would be lucky to break even.

In Atlanta, I typically pay $10-15/hour for non-specialty contractors (handymen, carpenters, painters, etc).

We found a good, low-cost painter by calling a local Duron store and asking them for a couple of names.

Sounds like he called a roofing co, called a carpet cleaner, called a painter, added to their bill, he might build the steps and do the little stuff in an afternoon.

We might have a regular painter, but perhaps our "GF" would "touch up" some paint now and then.

You may find a painter who can also do some basic carpentry or knows a floor guy, but understand that the painter himself isn't going to go build you a house.I'd also like to address the question of, "Do you trust the contractor to make decisions"Some decisions are simple.

AKA "painters caulk".