PS if anybody knows of a good flooring contractor that will install high-end mohawk / eterna flooring in northern virginia please let me know. I'm explicitly looking for Eterna Brazilian cherry 3 1/4 inch solid wood 3/4 inch thick to be installed for about 1000 sq ft.

Heartspeace, I am a HUGE fan of Angie's List. When we lived in larger cities it was the best $35 I spent all year, and now for the last year, even in an average sized city, I use it a lot. In the last seven or eight years I have used it for the following:

Automotive repair
Luggage repair
Landscape architecture and construction
Dog grooming
Appliance repair
Firewood
Carpet cleaning
Grandfather clock repair
Hardwood floor installation
Chimney sweep
Computer repair
Waterproofing around house and sump pump
Drapery design

There's more but that's all I can come up with on quick notice.

I only use people with "A" reports and it has been fantastic. I would think Angie's List would be extremely helpful in such a populous area as NoVa. The hardest thing about it is remembering to check it when you need almost *any* service. The people I have hired off Angie's List have been outstanding.

It is SUPER worth it. I signed up recently because we are selling our house and I wanted to find movers, an electrician, and a couple other tradespeople. It has been invaluable. I am in the Baltimore area and not in NOVA, but I'm sure it would be good in your area as well.

The averted headaches alone were definitely worth the price of membership!

One more thing. When I call people from Angie's List, I always mention that I got their name on Angie's List. I want them to know I'll probably be submitting a report on them and I figure their attention to me gets heightened a little. Now, considering that I only use "A" grade people, I probably don't have to say that and the service would still be good. But I do it anyway, just in case ;)

Just to show you how much businesses SHOULD care about Angie's List, when we redid our entire front lawn area I interviewed three landscape design companies from Angie's List, again all "A" grades. I could have happily picked from any of them, but went with a guy who believed in recycling as many plants as we could from the old design. Anyway, I asked him one day how he advertised to get business and his response was that he never advertised. He said he got all his business from Angie's List and he was always swamped.

I wouldn't say businesses "ignore Angie's List at their peril" or anything like that, but there is a definite advantage to having great reports on Angie's List.

Trying to determine cost justification for Angie's List vs. other options.

Simply - $35+ subscription price from AL's member is supposed to tell readers the quality of the reviews & reviewers?

Here is a link that might be useful: Is AL worth it?

heartspeace - Angie's List memberships are limited to the city/area you live in plus one other area for those who have second homes, etc. While I have helped out a couple of neighbors with searches, it is not possible, that I know of, to do it outside your own region. I am such an enthusiastic supporter of Angie's List that I've gotten neighbors to join when they started big projects.

Seems like for a big job like yours, it would make sense to be a member. I think they still offer a one month's membership. Good luck with your project!