Why are we not helping ourselves?

Good idea, but there are many factors that come into play...I don't think local contractors were banned from bidding to do jobs, and I question if local contractors can handle all projects, especially large ones...Put the question before the city council, not a bad idea, and the council should be able to provide insight to how contracts to do construction work in the CSRA are handled.

This question has been asked and answered dozens of times each year for the past 25+ years. I'm glad to see not everyone knows the answer yet. It means there are some people still growing. Motorman touched on some of the many reasons that all contracts aren't kept in Augusta. New blood in the area tends to stop Augusta from being a closed community that is barricaded from any new input into the city. Many times a new perspective is needed. Augusta firms also do business in outlying communities as well as throughout the entire southeast. It's all a matter of the right company for the job. The customer gets to decide who that is.

Well Roy I am amazed that another out of town company could afford to pay per diem and travel cost and still underbid local contractors. I can assure you it isn't because local workers are over paid, in fact they are generally paid less than the imported labor.

I'll tell you why. With the exception of a select few, the majority of contractors/builders in this area are inept and uncapable of doing quality work. You hire them, and they are off working another job before they finish the one you paid them for. Ask them when they are coming back, and you are lucky if you see them in a couple months. And if you have a problem with the work they do, you can't count on them to follow up. And prices? I've found that hiring outside of Augusta is MUCH cheaper than hiring a local, and the quality of work tends to be better as well. I don't know if it's a lack of education or what, but I've found that the majority of contractors/builders/craftsman I've worked with locally are totally unprofessional. It's a sorry situation, and unfortunately many of my friends and family have experienced the same problems. Perhaps other are noticing it too - hence the reason for not using local workers.

I can assure you it isn't because local workers are over paid, in fact they are generally paid less than the imported labor.
Posted by disssman on Tue Mar 17, 2009 8:48 AM.... Your source?

SouthernLady, if you wish a local contractor that you're not familiar with to finish a job, you must inspect their work. Never pay ahead on the labor of the job and have a pay schedule written into your contract. Never pay more than 60% of the labor before the job is completed to your satisfaction...after an inspection. Trust can be earned and these simple guidelines can be changed with a contractor with whom you're familiar. Shopping is a great idea, but keep in mind that the most popular contractors are the hardest to schedule for a reason.

patriciathomas: I'm dizzy, for the first time I agree with you! Could this be the start of something?

patriciathomas; Absolutely. Those are good guidelines for anyone to go by. But sometimes, evidence of unprofessionalism doesn't show up until after you've paid 60% and the contractor doesn't show up to finish the job! Sure you don't have to pay him the additional 40%, but you're stuck with a job that's incomplete! Notice I've said "with the exception of a select few" There are a couple good guys out there. But as patriciathomas states, they are hard to schedule, probably the reason local projects don't use local workers that much.