Find the right home-improvement pro

Finding the right (honest and reasonably-priced) professional to help with your home repair/improvement projects can make all the difference. Here are some websites that can help your search.

1. NextDoor is the neighborhood social network. You can seek recommendations from your neighbors. 
2. Yelp lets you discover & connect with local services & professionals. 
3. CheckBook is a paid website that publishes "unbiased reviews and undercover price research on Local Services & professionals". Think of it as a higher-quality version of Yelp for finding your professional/service. I have found this service useful.
4. Thumbtack let's homeowners post their projects. Contractors can choose which home improvement jobs interest them & reach out to the homeowner.
5. Houzz lets contractors create profiles/portfolios (with pictures and information) about their business in order to market themselves to potential customers. Homeowners can also create profiles and use Houzz’s large database of pictures and products in order to piece together their renovation projects. More than this, contractors and homeowners can come together online by trading pictures and notes to work on idea boards which can be used for these projects. 
6. Angie's List lets you search for professionals & check their reviews. 
7. Porch allows the homeowner to sign up for free and to post projects, budgets, and timelines. The contractor can then decide which projects to bid on. Porch offers fixed prices for smaller services (installing an appliance, etc)
8. HomeAdvisor (previously ServiceMaster) is owned by the parent company of Angie’s List. This home improvement marketplace allows homeowners to sign up for free and to connect with contractors.
9. Bark lets you can list the job for free and contractors can pick and choose which jobs they want to pursue. Contractors need to pay to get in touch with you.  
10. Phyxter.ai offers two ways to hire contractors: homeowners can either hire them immediately for emergency service calls or post projects and wait for quotes to be submitted from local contractors.

Regardless of how you find your professional, make sure that they are bonded & insured (check your state's website to verify this). For medium to large projects, get estimates from at least three professionals/services - especially since there's a huge variance in price across different professionals/services. 

Good luck with your home improvement project!