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Find, rate, and compare home-improvement contractors, health-care providers, repair shops, financial services, veterinarians, stores, dentists, and more than 100 other types of service providers.
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Ratings of Primary Care Doctors, Specialists, and Surgeons
Ratings of Hospitals
Where to Find Good HVAC Help
To make sure your heating and air-conditioning systems work when needed, they must be properly installed and maintained. We’ve rated heating and air-conditioning services for quality and price.
What to Do If You Need HVAC Repairs
If you know the repair you need, get price quotes from at least three highly rated companies—a bit of shopping will pay off big time.
Choosing New HVAC Equipment and Getting It Installed Properly
How well a new HVAC system performs, and how much it costs, depends heavily on its design and the quality of installation. It’s important to make the right decisions—and there are many to make. You also must make sure to get a fair contract.
How to Spot the Best Carpet Cleaning Services
Even if you turn into "that host" who makes everyone leave their shoes inside the front door, there's no way to avoid it: You'll eventually need to have your carpet and rugs cleaned.
How to Save Money on Carpet Cleaning
Along with high-quality work, you want a good price. Pay close attention to cost. Some carpet cleaners will push services you don’t need, and prices for identical services can vary from company to company by more than 100 percent.
In-Plant Rug Cleaning
Cleaning rugs is more challenging than cleaning wall-to-wall carpet. And because rugs are cleaned at a plant, rather than in your home, you can’t supervise the work. You want an expert to clean your rugs, using proper methods.
How to Find a Good Housecleaning Service
The first step in farming out your chores is to decide whether to hire a company or an individual. Hiring a company has one major advantage: You do not assume the responsibilities associated with the role of an employer, such as filling out paperwork and paying various taxes.
How to Hire an Individual Housecleaner
Many consumers prefer to hire an individual for housecleaning help, rather than a service. But doing your own hiring brings the responsibilities associated with the role of an employer, such as filling out paperwork and paying various taxes.
Guidelines for Managing Household Employees
The National Committee on Household Employment, before it closed its doors, developed a set of standards for employers and their household employees. The guidelines presented here are from its Code of Standards for Household Employment.
We Got 12 Home Inspections and Were Astonished at How Poorly Many of the Inspectors Performed
Given that we received very mixed reviews for home inspection services in our surveys of local consumers, we expected some companies in our test would perform better than others. But what really miffed us was how little work many inspectors bothered to do.
How to Inspect Your Home Inspector
Before hiring an inspector, get feedback from previous customers, ask what he or she will and won’t do, get sample reports, check credentials, and ask what happens if something important is missed.
Should You Skip Getting an Inspection?
In many hot real estate markets, eager buyers competing for the same homes often waive inspection contingencies to sweeten their offers. But this doesn’t mean you can’t get an inspection; you just have to squeeze one in before you make an offer.
