Why Home Services Have a Reputation Problem and How Contractors Fix It for Good

The home services industry does not have a skill problem.It has a reputation problem.

Homeowners do not distrust contractors because the work is hard or the trades are complicated. They distrust contractors because of poor communication, unclear expectations, surprise costs, and a race to the bottom on price that leaves everyone frustrated.

In this episode of Construction Champions, Ron Nussbaum sits down with Bobby Gibbons to talk about why home services struggle with trust and what contractors can actually do to fix it starting today.

This is not theory. This is real world experience from someone who has worked as a technician, salesperson, operator, and business owner across roofing, HVAC, solar, windows, remodeling, and water filtration.

The Trades Lost Respect but Not Because of the Work

Bobby points out something most people are afraid to say out loud.

During the tech boom, society quietly decided that trades were a lesser path. College and technology were framed as success, while construction and home services were treated like a fallback.

That mindset did damage.

Trades are not lesser. They are simply a different kind of hard. A programmer and a plumber both solve complex problems. The skill sets are different, but the value is the same.

The first step to fixing the reputation problem is contractors respecting their own profession. When you do not value your work, customers will not either.

The Race to the Bottom Is Destroying Contractors

One of the biggest issues in home services is price driven competition.

Everyone wants to be the cheapest. Everyone wants to win the job fast. Everyone undercuts margins to close deals.

Bobby explains why this approach is killing businesses.

Roofing alone has a failure rate of nearly 97 percent within the first five years. That is not because contractors are bad at roofing. It is because they race to the bottom, destroy profit, burn out teams, and eventually shut down.

Cheap contractors do not survive.And they do not deliver good experiences either.

When companies stop believing in the value of their work, the entire industry suffers.

Transparency Builds Trust Not Discounts

One of the most powerful points in this episode is how Bobby approaches pricing.

Instead of hiding margins or rushing past numbers, he believes in explaining them.

Marketing costs money.

Sales costs money.

Overhead costs money.

Profit keeps a company alive.

When contractors are honest about costs and explain how pricing works, homeowners understand.

Most people want the businesses they hire to succeed. They just do not want to feel misled.

Avoiding price conversations creates suspicion.Clear price conversations create confidence.

Why Poor Communication Creates Angry Customers

Most bad reviews do not come from bad work.They come from surprises.

Bobby emphasizes the importance of upfront agreements. Before a project starts, homeowners should understand what can go wrong, what contractors can control, and what they cannot.

Permits can be delayed.

Inspectors can change interpretations.

Deliveries can be late.

Accidents can happen.

When these possibilities are explained early, customers are prepared. When they are hidden, frustration explodes.

Clear expectations eliminate most conflict before it ever starts.

Sales Education vs Solution Education

Another major breakdown in home services is how sales teams are trained.

Too many companies teach selling instead of problem solving.

Bobby explains that solution education wins long term. That means real discovery, asking better questions, listening more than talking, and documenting everything with photos and videos.

When customers see evidence, understand options, and feel heard, decisions become easy. There is no pressure. There is no manipulation. There is trust.

The work sells itself when the process is honest.

Technicians and Salespeople Must Learn Each Other’s World

Home services often split into two extremes.

Great technicians who struggle to communicate.

Great salespeople who lack technical understanding.

Bobby believes this gap can be closed with better training and collaboration. When technicians and sales teams learn from each other, everyone improves.

Communication gets better.

Jobs become more profitable.

Customers feel confident.

The best companies do not rely on one hero. They build systems where everyone understands the full picture.

Fix the Industry by Fixing Your Market

One of the strongest takeaways from this episode is that fixing the reputation of home services does not start nationally.

It starts locally.

Contractors do not need to fix the entire industry. They need to fix their company, their county, their region.

When communication improves locally, trust grows locally. Those changes ripple outward.

That is how real industry change happens.

About Bobby Gibbons

Bobby Gibbons is a home services entrepreneur based in Florida. He operates across roofing, solar, windows, remodeling, and water filtration, and focuses on transparency, communication, and ethical growth.

His work is centered on fixing the trust issues that have plagued home services by building better systems, better teams, and better customer experiences.

Company:

Enhanced Home Solutions

Website:

https://enhancehs.com/

Phone: 830-266-5565

Service Areas: Florida (statewide for solar and roofing)

Dealer / Partner Program: Partner with Enhanced Home Solutions to sell roofing, solar, windows, remodeling, and whole-home services using their licenses, financing, and production team.

How BuilderComs Fits In

Most reputation problems in home services start with miscommunication. Missed messages, unclear expectations, scattered information, and disconnected teams create confusion before a job even begins.

BuilderComs helps construction and home services teams stay aligned, communicate clearly, and protect projects from miscommunication that costs time and money.

Clear communication is not optional anymore. It is the foundation of trust.

Learn more athttps://www.buildercoms.com

Why Home Services Have a Reputation Problem and How Contractors Fix It for Good