COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. -- After two women contacted the FOX 17 Problem Solvers saying they were ripped off by the same contractor, other area contractors say incidents like this give their profession a bad name.
Julie Burrell of Hesperia and Marcie Siegrist of Comstock Park both say they paid $1,200 deposits to a company called Blueprint Granite. They say the owner, Nick Mentalewicz, took their deposits and never did the work on their kitchens.
"He had no intention of doing our kitchen, he just stole our money," Burrell said.
Rob Reigler of Lakeside Surfaces says hiring a contractor involves doing a lot of research, and that the cheapest price isn't always the best value.
"I think the first thing you check is that they are licensed and they are insured," he said.
While getting a deal can be tempting, local contractors say the going rates for a project are likely similar if they are doing good work.
Daniel Stein of Signature Construction suggests inspecting a contractor's business to see if they are equipped to do the job you want.
"If you go to somebody's place of business and they don't have cranes, saws and other things, they can't possibly do the work you are contracting them for," said Daniel Stein of Signature Construction.
Before hiring a contractor you can see if they're listed with the Better Business Bureau. You can also get a second opinion from a different contractor.
"Well the contracting community is such a small community. It's tight-knit, and we know everybody," said Keith Kargol of Advance Interiors.
