Beware of your contractor...

I hesitate to even write about contractors.  In fact I frequently request that repairs be made [to components of a home]  by qualified contractors.  Contractors are in business for one reason and one reason only.  And that one reason is to make money.  Don't get me wrong, a qualified contractor is well worth the money, but contractors are not biased parties in a transaction.  They are in business first and foremost to make money, not make repairs. 
From time to time every home owner will need to have a contractor in to their house. (If you've never owned a house you may not understand why- so let me tell you a secret- houses cost money.)  When you have a contractor come to look at a certain component of your house you will most assuredly be told that something needs to be fixed or replaced or improved.  The contractor has invested time to make the trip and now they need some return on their investment.  Contractors are not just repair people they are sales people...

A friend of mine spoke to me recently about the "garage door guy"....I had dropped by his house to borrow a tool and noticed that his overhead garage door tension spring was broken.  I told him about it and so he called a couple local garage door companies to get some estimates for repairs.  
The first contractor showed up and immediately started looking over the entire door, not just the broken spring.  My friend, a smart buyer, quickly realized what was going on and waited.  This contractor began telling him that all sorts of things were wrong with his door and that he would be best off if the entire door and all its hardware was replaced....if my friend wasn't a smart buyer he might have fallen for the sales pitch and dropped several thousands of dollars for a new door.

I've had a few clients that have told me horror stories of what chimney contractors have told them when they've come to do some maintenance on brick chimneys-  "This chimney doesn't meet code, we need to replace the entire crown at a cost of $5000"  When all the crown needed was some cracks sealed.

I've known people who have hired contractor's and believed every word the contractor told them without questioning it and at a cost of several thousands of dollars. 
 
Contractors are not unbiased, if there is a legitimate problem of coarse they want to fix it, but most of them want to fix it to a level that isn't necessary. 

I couldn't tell you all the times I personally have heard of contractors using the "scare and sell" technique.  This technique is used on anyone, but especially when the sales person (contractor) perceives that the buyer (client) doesn't know any better.  If a contractor leaves you feeling scared, you might have just been a victim of this technique.  Now there are definitely scenarios where an honest contractor does give you some honest and scary information.  Use you common sense, don't let emotions dictate your response.  Salespeople love emotions.  When people act on their emotions the result is often a much bigger sale 
For example you notice some small stains forming around your chimney.  You call a roofer to come out and check it out.  You have never been on the roof and don't know anything about it, other than that the house is about 12 years old....
 The roofer gets a ladder and climbs up on the roof. 
In less than two minutes the roofing contractor comes back down and he begins telling you about the cheap shingles that were installed by the builder.  He asks to look in you attic because the roof decking may be leaking already.  You don't know any better and let him peak inside the attic and because you've never looked in the attic, you have no idea what it should look like.  After 15 seconds, the roofer tells you that the roof decking is too thin for new shingles because the building codes changed and that  you need to get the new roof installed ASAP or have water dripping on your head real soon.  This is terrible news and your emotions tell you to act fast, so....what could have been a couple hundred dollar repair by the handyman next door, turns into a $12,000 drama....
 
If you're in the market for a contractor I have some advise.
Don't hire the first person you meet-interview at least three and don't inform them of what anybody else has told you- tell each of them the same thing.  For example, you might say. "I noticed that my floor squeaks". What should be done? And how much will it cost me?  Then takes notes about what each one of them says, but don't tell them you're getting more estimates or meeting with other contractors.  If you tell them what the other contractor has said, they'll almost always agree and maybe even exaggerate the problem.
Chances are pretty good that you'll get at least three different suggestions (depending on the problem) and three different prices.
Compare and contrast your notes. Which one seems most logical to you?

If you want an unbiased opinion about a "problem" in your house consider hiring a home inspector- they have nothing to sell you other than their opinion.