Bidclerk

The internet is crowded with advertising - much of the information is highly selective and exaggerated. That might be helpful to you, because hiring a building contractor is as much like hiring a best friend as it is like buying a case of canned corn.

For those of you who would like to push the experience of home construction closer towards the "You say, they do, you pay" model, there is Bidclerk. Free for those of us who want to hire building, landscape, or swimming pool contractors; you simply describe what you want done and contractors who pay for the service will be able to contact you with a price quote.

You are not required to take the lowest bid or even use any of the bids submitted there. It is suggested that you ask for references and check the status of their contractor's license before agreeing to hire them.

They do not provide a list of their subscribing contractors, or even publish an estimated number of subscribers, so Bidclerk's effectiveness is unknown. Similar websites to Bidclerk include: BidstreetUSA, and Constructiondeal.com.