Finding Your Contractor Online

After viewing a couple of new web sites that help consumers match up with reputable contractors, I'm wondering why I (or anyone else) did not come up with this idea earlier.

ServiceLive is still in its beta phase, but it already has more than 20,000 contractors in its database. Here's how it works: you select providers in your area, describe your job and name your price, prefund an account, and then select the provider that responds to your post. When the job is complete, you move your money to the provider (minus a $10 fee charged by the service). The benefits to using this type of service are that the contractor has already been checked out by the website, you get to set your own price, and it is convenient. I'll be keeping my eye on this site, and probably using it next time I need professional help.

If anyone knows of other similar sites, let us know. Fixr.com looks to operate on roughly the same model, though right now it is only serving the Boston area. Angieslist also seems like it might be a good resource to find qualified contractors, but it not as automated.