What’s the idea behind Homeowners Cooperative?
What services are offered by Homeowners Cooperative?
How do I use my Homeowners Cooperative membership?
How does the Referral Bonus Program work?
How is Homeowners Cooperative different from other discount and referral services?
How are suppliers and contractors chosen?
What do I do if I find someone who will work for less who is not a member?
What is your policy for posting content to the Homeowners Cooperative forum and comments about suppliers and contractors?
I’m a Supplier/Contractor – can I respond to a Homeowners’ comments or ratings?
What is your policy for dealing with disputes between members?
Can I cancel my membership?
Is the Homeowners Cooperative website secure?
What is your Privacy Policy?
How do I contact Homeowners Cooperative?
What do I do if I lose my card?
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What’s the idea behind Homeowners Cooperative?
Lacy Wilkinson has been in the building industry for over 20 years. His idea for Homeowners Cooperative is simple: create a business that benefits everyone. Homeowners save time and money finding reliable and diverse resources for their home and, by offering preferred discounts, participating companies increase their sales.
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What services are offered by Homeowners Cooperative?
A listing of our proposed services can be found here. (9KB PDF) We are continually building the directory and adding new services and more vendors in each category. Because this is a cooperative, we rely on our Homeowner members to recommend any contractors and/or suppliers they feel are qualified and would like us to consider. Let us know their name and contact information and we will send them a membership application. If they qualify and want to join, then we will add them to our directory.
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How do I use my Homeowners Cooperative membership?
It’s simple. Take your membership card with you to any listed participating supplier and present your membership card at the time of purchase to receive their discounts. Make sure you know the person listed as the contact in the directory since some members have multiple stores and not every sales person might be aware of our program.
For contractors, first tell them you are an HC member, then present your membership card to them when they visit your home to bid your job.
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How does the Referral Bonus Program work?
For each referral provided by an HC member that results in a new 1-yr Green Hammer™ membership, that HC member will receive a $25.00 referral bonus, paid by check on a monthly basis. Learn more about the HC Referral Bonus Program here.
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How is Homeowners Cooperative different from other discount and referral services?
Wholesale clubs only offer you discounts on materials. Contractor referral services only offer you access to contractors – at no discount.
Not only does HC offer you both material and contractor services, it adds value by offering them at reduced rates. HC is the whole package.
This is very important, because often times once you've purchased materials- cabinets or flooring, for example- you'll still need help installing them. HC helps you find high-quality materials at a discount, as well as the professionals to get the job done right- at discounted rates!
We don't charge vendor members to belong to HC, since often times those costs are passed on to the buyer (at HC, they earn their membership by fulfilling all our qualification requirements). We want them to keep their costs as low as possible. Other referral services aren't conerned about the final costs to homeowners, since most make their money from fees charged to the contractors and suppliers.
In addition, other wholesale membership clubs charge a steep initial membership fee, sometimes as much as $5,000. A homeowner would need to spend tens of thousands of dollars on materials to break even with their initial fee.
On the other hand, with HC's affordable membership plans, that same $5,000 would buy you over 52 years of Green Hammer™ memberships! HC homeowner members usually recoup their investment with the first service.
Bottom line: your HC membership can easily save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars.
There is also the added value of our Comment, Resources, Forum pages and Hot Deals section. Our Comments page allows members to rate supplier and contractor members, helping homeowners find the most outstanding service quickly. (It also helps contractor and supplier members know how they are doing.) The Resources page is where members can find the latest information on rebates, grants and other ways to save money on their homes. The Forum page is where members can interact with industry professionals by asking questions about home concerns, learn tricks of the trade, or find out more about our vendor members. Hot Deals are where vendors offer even greater discounts when they are trying to move merchandise or when times are slow.
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How are suppliers and contractors chosen?
Firstly, the majority of our vendors are members of the prestigious Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties. They are also members of the National Association of Home Builders. This means they adhere to the standards, codes of conduct and business philosophies that makes hiring an MBA member a safe choice.
Secondly, all of our contractors and suppliers have come to us through professional and personal recommendations.
And, lastly, before their applications are accepted, they must meet the following criteria:
Also, unlike many other contractor services, at Homeowners Cooperative contractor membership is not based on how much money they pay us for referrals- often a cost they pass on to homeowners.
What if I find someone who will quote prices less than an HC contractor or supplier?
Homeowners Cooperative realizes the highly competitive nature of the construction industry. Prices vary from contractor to contractor and supplier to supplier. There are multiple reasons for this.
For suppliers, variatiions in pricing change from product to product and can often be affected by the season or availablity. Things as seemingly remote as the rising cost of copper on the world market can affect such areas as plumbing and electrical costs.
Some of our smaller supplier members, because of their size and purchasing power, have very little margin on their products and can only offer minimal discounts. (The preferred pricing, though, is always better than the pricing a homeowner would receive if they weren't an HC member. They also offer our members specials and other price breaks. See their special offerings in the directory.) Even with some only able to offer marginal discounts, we've opened their doors to our members and they are an important resource- sometimes the only resource- for unique, high-quality products.
As far as contractors go, there are a number of reasons for variations in pricing. A company's overhead is the largest element determining pricing. For example, some companies have 24/7 service- a great benefit to homeowners- but a service that carries with it added business costs. Along the lines of overhead, some businesses pay their employees more money. It adds cost. But almost always, this represents the quality, dependability and professionalism of the company and their workers.
And, lastly, there are always people out there willing to work for less than industry standards. The quality of their product, their call-back services, their warranties, their insurance, and their trustworthiness are always the great unknowns when you do business with these people. And what looks like a dream deal up front can turn into a costly nightmare in the end. (For example, would you want an uninsured worker climbing around on your roof? Or an unlicensed electrician wiring your home? Better check your home insurance policy.) As with any purchasing decision, it is important to be sure you are comparing apples to apples. Here are some questions to consider:
We recommend you always get at least two bids for any major work. Check referrals. Check their insurance and bonding. Visit previous work. Contact former clients. And be aware of hidden costs!
As part of their membership agreement, all HC contractor members are licensed, bonded, insured, have been in businees for a number of years and maintain a good track record with customers. Because of the nature of the industry in particular, and business in general, they will have different pricing margins than their peers. Above all else, they will provide you, the HC member, with their best and most professional service at reduced rates compared to their other customers.
So the short answer is 'yes'. If you search around and spend the time and energy to find another source, you could be quoted a price that is less than that offered by our vendor members. HC is about quality, dependability and value. We are not about cheap. If you have concerns, please contact us.
What is your policy for posting content to the Homeowners Cooperative forum and comments about Homeowners Cooperative suppliers and contractors?
No offense to our furnace contractors, but we would like your comments to generate more light than heat. We want you to be helpful, honest, courteous, and respectful when posting comments. We will not tolerate personal attacks, obscenity, vulgarity, or profanity (including expletives and letters followed by dashes). Comments containing such language will be deleted.
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I’m a Supplier/Contractor – can I respond to a Homeowners’ comments or ratings?
If you have any issues or concerns about comments or ratings on your directory listing, please contact us.
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What is your policy for dealing with disputes between members?
All contracts are between the homeowner and supplier or contractor. Homeowners Cooperative and vendor members are not financially or contractually obligated to one another. Homeowners Cooperative assumes no liability related to any contracts for services or other products that homeowners may enter into with vendors. Because we assume no liability, we are able to keep membership costs low and vendor discounts intact.
Members are encouraged to have written contracts, work or purchase orders with vendors. The dispute resolution process should be clearly defined within the vendor's contract. Homeowners Cooperative is not a party to any member's contracts and, therefore, does not play a role in dispute resolution.
Because we are a cooperative, we believe the best way to begin resolving disputes is by maintaining a dialogue between both parties. Clarify positions, avoid misunderstandings, and view the situation from many angles. It may not be how things end, but it is the best way to start.
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Can I cancel my membership?
Homeowners Cooperative wants you to be completely satisfied with our service. You may cancel any membership by email, fax, or U.S. mail. Please note: If you cancel your membership within five days of joining Homeowners Cooperative, you will receive a full refund. If you cancel your membership within 30 days, you will receive a 50% refund.
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Is the Homeowners Cooperative website secure?
Yes. To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, and ensure the correct use of information, we have put in place appropriate physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online. Homeowners Cooperative uses Secure Sockets Layers (SSL) technology to establish a secure connection to our website and to encrypt confidential information.
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What is your Privacy Policy?
Homeowners Cooperative is committed to your privacy. We use the information you provide about yourself when subscribing only to complete that order. We do not share this information with outside parties except to the extent necessary to complete that order. You can read our complete privacy policy here.
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How do I contact Homeowners Cooperative?
Our contact information is here.
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What do I do if I lose my card?
Contact us and we will quickly replace it.
