c/atlanta-local-services

Warning: That $40 tree removal quote on Nextdoor nearly cost me my fence in Brookhaven

Took me three weeks and two different crews to fix the damage from a guy who showed up with a rope and a chainsaw, has anyone else dealt with these unlicensed tree services popping up everywhere?

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tyler_hernandez•2d ago

Had a plumber bail on a toilet install in Decatur last Friday

Guy said he'd be here at 9am and by 2pm he stopped answering texts. Anyone know a reliable local plumber who actually shows up?

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singh.blair•3d ago

Threw away $80 on a handyman who didn't show up twice

I hired a guy off Nextdoor to fix a leaky pipe under my kitchen sink in Decatur. He said $80 flat rate and he'd come last Tuesday. I took the day off work and he never showed. He texted saying he got stuck on another job, so I rescheduled for Friday. Friday comes and nothing, no call no text. I blocked him and learned my lesson to never pay upfront for a handyman again. Anyone else get ghosted by a local service person here?

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sean_perry•3d ago

Permit office told me 2 weeks for a sign permit. Took 3 months.

Wanted to put up a simple blade sign for my shop on Buford Highway. City of Atlanta said 14 business days. After 8 weeks of calling, they "lost" my application. Finally got it approved after 3 months and 4 visits in person. Anyone else deal with Atlanta's zoning office dragging their feet?

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maxpalmer•3d ago

Went with the more expensive plumber last week and now I'm wondering if I got played

My toilet been running nonstop for like a month. Called two plumbers for quotes. One guy said $150 flat rate, the other said $350. I went with the expensive one cause he had great reviews and a van with his logo on it. He replaced the flapper and fill valve in like 20 minutes. Worked fine for a day, then started leaking again. Had to call him back and he charged another $50 trip fee. Meanwhile my neighbor used the $150 guy for the same thing and it's been perfect for 3 months now. Is the expensive route always worth it or do we just get played by the guys with fancy trucks?

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singh.blair•4d ago

Switched from Home Depot to a local plumbing supply house for toilet repairs and saved $30

I used to just grab whatever wax ring and fill valve at Home Depot when I needed to fix a toilet. But after three flappers failing in six months, a buddy told me to try Ferguson over on Buford Highway. Bought a Fluidmaster kit for $12 less than the orange store, plus the guy behind the counter actually asked what kind of toilet I had before ringing me up. Has anyone else found better luck dealing with trade suppliers instead of the big box stores?

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victor_perry90•5d ago

Rant: My plumber partner spent 45 minutes fixing a toilet flapper I could've done myself

So my buddy Mike, who runs a plumbing service over in Decatur, stopped by last Sunday to help with my guest bathroom toilet. It was just a $15 flapper from Home Depot on Memorial Drive, but he showed me how the chain length can mess up the whole flush if it's off by even a quarter inch. He spent 45 minutes teaching me the right way to seat the rubber gasket and adjust the water level, which felt like way too much for such a simple job. Has anyone else gotten schooled on a basic fix that turned out to be more finicky than you thought?

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jason11•8d ago

Always thought those mobile mechanic guys were sketchy until mine showed up with a Snap-On scanner

My car wouldn't start last Tuesday outside the Varsity and I was stuck. Called a regular shop but they couldn't send a tow for 4 hours. This guy named Marcus pulled up in a beat up Civic but had a pro level scanner that found a bad crank sensor in 10 minutes. He charged me $120 parts and labor compared to the $250 the shop quoted just for diagnostics. I still prefer a real garage for big jobs but I get why people use those guys now.

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jade_hunt48•8d ago

Tried that new pressure washer service on Memorial Drive and it was a mess

I used to think any mobile pressure washer was fine for my rental properties. Then I hired Clean Sweep Atlanta for $250 and they left streaks all over the siding and didn't even hit the gutters. Called back Precision Wash who I usually use and they fixed it for an extra $100 but the difference in detail was night and day. Anyone else have bad luck with the cheaper crews around town?

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stella_foster•10d ago

Tried that cheap junk removal service off Facebook Marketplace

I booked a guy I found on Facebook Marketplace to clear out my garage last Saturday. He quoted me $150 over the phone but showed up and said it would be $250 because of the old furniture. I learned to always ask for a written quote before anyone comes to my house in Decatur. Has anyone else had a bad experience with those unlicensed haulers around Atlanta?

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viola171•11d ago

Found out the city charges $85 just to dump a mattress at the transfer station

I was hauling a load from a Buckhead apartment yesterday and stopped by the Dekalb County transfer station near Memorial Drive. Turns out they slap you with an $85 fee for just a single mattress, no questions asked. Has anyone found a cheaper way to get rid of old mattresses around Atlanta without just leaving them on the curb?

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sanchez.sean•16d ago

Why does everyone in Atlanta recommend the same 3 plumbers on Nextdoor

I've used 5 different plumbers in the last 2 years across Decatur and Brookhaven, and the ones people always hype up charge double and take 3 days to show. The small solo guy I found did a slab leak repair for $850 less than the popular one and finished in one morning. Anyone else find a hidden gem contractor or am I just lucky so far?

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oliver811•16d ago

Plumbers keep using flex pipe where it doesn't belong around Atlanta

I was at a supply house near Buckhead last Tuesday and overheard a homeowner bragging about running a flex pipe from his main stack to a new bathroom he added. Man I about lost it. Flex pipe is fine for a short run under a sink but folks are running it through walls and even under slabs and that's just asking for a clog every few months. I've pulled out at least 15 flex pipe jobs this year alone from people who watched a YouTube video and thought they saved money. The problem is those ridges catch everything from grease to hair and you end up with a backup that costs more to fix than doing it right the first time with PVC. Why do people think a bendable hose can replace a proper hard pipe in a main drain line?

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davis.emma•17d ago

Found a cleaning lady who actually showed up on time Monday

After three no-shows from different services, a woman named Maria came to my house in Decatur at 8am sharp and spent two hours scrubbing my kitchen grout. She even pointed out that my fridge seals were moldy and cleaned them without me asking. Has anyone else had luck finding reliable cleaners through neighborhood posts?

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the_barbara•17d ago

That $400 plumber bill taught me a lesson about drain covers

My kitchen sink got backed up last month and I called a local guy from Decatur. He pulled out this thick wad of grease and food scraps that looked like it had been building for years. He told me a simple mesh drain cover would have prevented the whole thing for like 8 bucks at Home Depot. I tried one of those silicone ones with the little holes and I haven't had a single slow drain since. Anybody else have a cheap fix that saved them from a big repair bill?

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patricianguyen•19d ago

Had the worst plumbing call ever last Tuesday in Decatur

Got a call about a backed up kitchen sink off Ponce de Leon Ave. I figured it would be a quick drain clean, but turns out the main line had tree roots growing through it at the cleanout. Spent over 4 hours digging up the yard and replacing a 6-foot section of pipe. Has anyone else dealt with root intrusion in their service work around Atlanta?

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jenny_carr52•19d ago

Went to a flea market and found a handyman who fixed my sink for $20

Last Saturday my kitchen sink was leaking everywhere under the cabinet. I called 3 different plumbers and they all quoted me like $150 just to come look at it. So I took a gamble and went to the flea market off Moreland Avenue, found a guy named Marcus who works out of his truck. He came by the next day, replaced the drain pipe in 20 minutes, and only charged me $20 cash. Has anyone else tried random handymen from the flea market or am I just lucky?

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west.claire•21d ago

Plumber walked out mid-job and left me with a flooded basement in Buckhead

I hired a guy named Marcus from a local ad to fix a leak under my sink last Tuesday and he took off after taking the pipe apart, saying he'd be back in an hour with parts. Four hours later the whole line burst and I had water everywhere, had to call an emergency service that cost me $850 to shut it off. Learned the hard way to always check for a business license and insurance first, you know? Anyone else have a contractor just bail on them like that?

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jana_lewis16•22d ago

That time I tried the city's free compost pickup and got way more than I bargained for

I signed up for Atlanta's yard waste composting program last spring because I figured it was an easy way to get rid of leaves. But then they dropped off a full cubic yard of finished compost six months later and it totally overwhelmed my small backyard. I learned you have to be REAL specific about how much you want or they just give you the standard load. Has anyone else ended up with a mountain of compost they couldn't use?

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the_nina•22d ago

Appreciation post: Just learned Dekalb County charges a flat $75 for bulk trash pickup no matter how much you put out

I called the sanitation department yesterday after my neighbor told me it was per-item pricing, and the lady on the phone said the $75 flat rate has been the rule since 2019, so has anyone else been overpaying for years because their contractor didn't tell them that?

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matthewgonzalez•22d ago

Vent: HVAC guy told me my unit was fine then charged $500 for nothing

Last week I called a local company because my AC was blowing warm air. The tech came out, poked around for 10 minutes, said the capacitor looked fine and it was just a dirty filter. Then he handed me a bill for $500 for the service call and diagnostic fee. I felt like I got scammed but didn't know what to say. Anyone else dealt with pushy HVAC companies in Atlanta that charge crazy fees for a simple look?

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michaelw26•23d ago

Had a talk with a plumber that changed how I hire subs

I was on a job in Decatur last month and this old plumber named Roy told me he charges $95 an hour but only if I let him pick his own materials. He said the cheap stuff from big box stores fails in 2 years and he was tired of fixing his own work for free. It really made me think about how I've been nickel and diming my moving crew on supplies. Has anyone else had a sub change your mind on pricing?

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casey_torres60•23d ago

Booked a handyman through an app and got charged $180 for a 20 minute job

Called someone off one of those service apps to fix a loose toilet handle. Guy was here 20 minutes and charged me $180 plus a $45 booking fee. Next time I'll just call the guy my neighbor recommended directly. Anyone else getting ripped off by these app middlemen?

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fisher.taylor•24d ago

Back when I paid $150 for a plumber to snake a drain and it worked for a week

About five years ago, my kitchen sink backed up and I called a local plumber in Decatur. He charged me $150 to run a snake through it, said it was cleared, and left. A week later, it clogged again and I was out that money and still stuck. Learned later that sometimes they just push the blockage further down instead of pulling it out. Has anyone else had a drain re-clog fast after paying for a snake?

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wendyk63•24d ago

Paid $250 for a mold inspection I thought was a scam

I was sure those 'free' mold tests at home were fine. But after my kid's asthma got worse, I hired Atlanta Mold Guys to check vents and walls. They found hidden mold in the HVAC that I never would have seen. That $250 saved us a hospital trip for sure. Anyone else skip the cheap route and pay for real testing?

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