I watched him make the repair - jamb was removed, shims went in to level it, and then the jamb went back in, now level countertop and casing that he put in afterwards.As for the toe kick, we needed a larger one because my floors slope towards the center of the home (100 year old house that had structural repairs completed two years ago).

We always understood that we may have to be flexible.We have always lived way beneath our means, maxed out our retirement accounts, kept and lived in the house we bought in 1994. 

You'd prefer to have everyone form a line to the left to give charity to the person who doesn't want to take work that is beneath them.

The storm cellar is directly beneath the house.

Usually, only heating oil USTs associated with commercial properties are regulated. thus, most home heating oil tanks may and often are taken out of service without any oversight from state regulators.Second- the rules that are in effect for heating oil tanks are usually less stringent than for diesel or gasoline tanks since heating oil tends to thicker and may not migrate as far. as a result, many states just require tanks to be cleaned out. they may also require the tanks to be filled with sand or concrete to prevent collapse. but sampling may not be required.Third- the key to determining if a tank has leaked is to collect soil samples from around and beneath the tank (groundwater also if groundwater is shallow). another quick way to see if a tank is leaking is to "dip" it with a stick that has a paste that turns color in the presence of water. generally, if water has gotten into a tank, it can mean oil has leaked out of the tank (although a certain amount of condensation may be present even where there is no leak so this is not a infallible test).Fourth- if there is currently a tank in the basement, ask the owner if there used to be a buried tank (a/k/a underground storage tank).Fifth, If the tank has impacted the soil, the cleanup generally varies from $25K to $50K though the costs will depend ont he depth of the contamination. i once had a home with a heated pool that had pressurized piping and used diesel. the contamination went down 40 feet and the consultant went crazy excavating the soil to the tune of $400K!!!

If the balk at working for these places as beneath them, you will know what to expect from them.Many a year ago, as a young family man I was in similar dire straights. 

Turns out, the entire cast iron drain was rotted out beneath my garage.

A stack of cinder blocks with 2x shims is not unusual.

Steel, tile, slate, etc are all significantly more expensive, and decking issues beneath the existing (due to moisture, etc) will also significantly increase cost.

The ground beneath the home is only dirt for a few feet, it's then surrounded by stone, aka the house probably isn't going anywhere.