The big hardware chains give independent stores a drubbing on the price front, but there are many small independents sprinkled throughout the area that provide what many consumers want most: helpful information and advice. A few of these stores even make a reasonable showing on price, and bring a lot of other strengths to the table. We'll help you find them. We've rated 146 area stores.

Read our article and findings (available exclusively to CHECKBOOK subscribers)

Back to Bay Area Consumers' CHECKBOOK Table of Contents.

Sample Subscriber Comments/Reviews About Hardware Stores

CHECKBOOK provides subscriber comments on their experiences with the firms they use. Please remember that individual subscriber comments are informal. Subscriber comments may give you insight into the types of features and problems that exist in a service field, but are not the best basis for selecting or rejecting a specific firm. To assess the quality of a firm's performance, we recommend that you give more weight to the percentages of favorable ratings. Those percentages are generally based on much larger numbers of consumers' ratings (the number of consumer ratings is noted above).

As You Can See Below, Some Hardware Stores Get High Praise from Their Customers. Some Others Don't. So Choose Carefully.
Here Are a Few Samples of the Thousands of Comments CHECKBOOK Has Collected on Hundreds of Different Hardware Stores.

• Subscriber from REDWOOD CITY, CA wrote Another Store: I'm a new member. The new Wholesale store I visit would do better if it..........
• Subscriber from CONCORD, CA wrote Another Store: Helpful and friendly. Not a huge selection, but I can usually find what I want..........
• Subscriber from MOS BEACH, CA wrote Another Store: Nice people who will do little customizing projects if you need it.......
• Subscriber from CUPERTINO, CA wrote Another Store: Especially in the paint department I find I have to wait for service even though..........
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Store: Never enough staff on hand to help customers........
• Subscriber from PALO ALTO, CA wrote Another Store: sometimes difficult to find a staff person to get info.......
• Subscriber from SAN FRANCISCO, CA wrote Another Store: Unfortunately, they forget that they are a hardware store, not Williams-Sonoma. The store is filled..........
• Subscriber from BERKELEY, CA wrote Another Store: Endless lines; employees who don't know and don't care; just generally an unpleasant place to..........
• Subscriber from PINOLE, CA wrote Another Store: Home Depot has rude, uncaring customer service workers. They always have long, slow lines and..........
• Subscriber from HAYWARD, CA wrote Another Store: They've been very helpful when I've been perplexed and have given me helpful advice........
• Subscriber from CAMPBELL, CA wrote Another Store: I love Lowe's and can't wait for them to come to San Jose area........
• Subscriber from MENLO PARK, CA wrote Another Store: Lots of stuff. Often hard to find a clerk that knows what he or she..........
• Subscriber from PALO ALTO, CA wrote Another Store: A great store. Incredibly helpful staff........
• Subscriber from EL CERRITO, CA wrote Another Store: I like to support this store, but find that their staff is often aloof and..........
• Subscriber from REDWOOD CITY, CA wrote Another Store: too few staff on floor and particularly at checkout.......
• Subscriber from SAN FRANCISCO, CA wrote Another Store: Can't be beat for customer service: advice, willingness to take back an unsuitable product, &..........
• Subscriber from SARATOGA, CA wrote Another Store: Small town hardware in busy city...very helpful staff...good selection of basic hardware.......
• Subscriber from OAKLAND, CA wrote Another Store: So much better than Home Depot. Employees are much happier to help you........
• Subscriber from LAFAYETTE, CA wrote Another Store: They are not helpful and parking is VERY poor........
• Subscriber from KENSINGTON, CA wrote Another Store: They have provided excellent service for years. Everything is neatly arranged and there is a..........
• Subscriber from MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA wrote Another Store: Very helpful staff, both for finding items and advice on using products........
• Subscriber from PALO ALTO, CA wrote Another Store: staff always ready to help some new staff not as knowledg eable.......
• Subscriber from PALO ALTO, CA wrote Another Store: They carry virtually everything for plumbing and electrical jobs........
• Subscriber from OAKLAND, CA wrote Another Store: good selection.......
• Subscriber from FREMONT, CA wrote Another Store: Can never find help and when I do they lack knowledge about products. Difficult to..........
• Subscriber from NAPA, CA wrote Another Store: Very friendly & helpful employees!.......
• Subscriber from OAKLAND, CA wrote Another Store: I really wish we had a Lowes so we wouldn't need to deal with Home..........
• Subscriber from ALBANY, CA wrote Another Store: i would never go there except for its convenient location.......
• Subscriber from LOS ALTOS, CA wrote Another Store: Good local hardware store with a fine selection. A bit expensive, but if you don't..........
• Subscriber from SAN ANDREAS, CA wrote Another Store: Yes, the variety is there and the prices are competitive...but the staff is SO poor..........
• Subscriber from EL CERRITO, CA wrote Another Store: I hate shopping at HD. Even though it's four blocks from my home, a short..........
• Subscriber from MENLO PARK, CA wrote Another Store: Better than average mom and pop hardware store. Good advice........
• Subscriber from BERKELEY, CA wrote Another Store: Pastime has almost everything anyone could want to find in a hardware store, I love..........
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Store: Store has much improved over the years. Service can be very spotty. Some folks are..........
• Subscriber from SAN FRANCISCO, CA wrote Another Store: Prices tend to be on the high side as compared to places like Home Depot........
• Subscriber from SAN FRANCISCO, CA wrote Another Store: Very good local store........
• Subscriber from OAKLAND, CA wrote Another Store: Check out lines are too long. Garden nursery has a good variety of plants; somewhat..........
• Subscriber from RICHMOND, CA wrote Another Store: Gave this adequate, but in terms of getting help regarding products...not good.......
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Store: Cannot recommend highly enough. Extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Wish they were closer........
• Subscriber from MENLO PARK, CA wrote Another Store: This place is better than superior. It has an amazing number of things - all..........
• Subscriber from ALAMEDA, CA wrote Another Store: we lovethese guys.......
• Subscriber from PINOLE, CA wrote Another Store: Every time I go to Orchard Supply they are out of stock in something on..........
• Subscriber from SAUSALITO, CA wrote Another Store: Everybody's last choice.......
• Subscriber from SAN FRANCISCO, CA wrote Another Store: Nice retail display, clean & well lighted for a broader shopper base market. Slightly less..........
• Subscriber from FREMONT, CA wrote Another Store: It depends on when you go (day of the week,time, etc.). Some people are very..........
• Subscriber from SAN FRANCISCO, CA wrote Another Store: I try to give them as much business as I can because I know they're..........
• Subscriber from SAN FRANCISCO, CA wrote Another Store: SF Cole Hardware is a DIY paradise. Take your problem--bring as much of it as..........
• Subscriber from RICHMOND, CA wrote Another Store: They don't emphasize customer service, and many of their products are of inferior quality. In..........
• Subscriber from OAKLAND, CA wrote Another Store: I assume this doesn't just apply to the garden center, right? My responses are ONLY..........
• Subscriber from OAKLAND, CA wrote Another Store: Small but convenient. Not much variety.......