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Builderscrack.co.nz - Source: NZI Business -
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A Kiwi website is matching up quake-affected building owners with qualified tradespeople in the hope of speeding up repair work for Cantabrians.
The site, builderscrack.co.nz is an established New Zealand site where homeowners can find quality tradespeople, get multiple competitive quotes quickly and review the performance of tradespeople.
Company director Jeremy Wyn-Harris is based in Christchurch and says he knows exactly how local home owners are feeling.
"When people are under stress, and not sleeping well, they don't want to spend hours on the phone trying to find a roofer who will speak to them," said Wyn-Harris.
"With Builderscrack.co.nz they only need to post the job, and wait for tradespeople who are interested to respond. We actively monitor replies to ensure that jobs that are urgent are receiving attention".
It is free for people needing work done to make a listing on the site.
Builderscrack and Christchurch City Council have had over 50 expressions of interest in helping out from tradesmen around NZ and Australia.
However, it is critical that skilled workers going to Christchurch to help out get matched with appropriate work.
"We found after the earthquake in Samoa last year, a number of tradespeople went up and ended up picking up rubbish, as there was no good system for matching work to workers within Samoa," said fellow Builderscrack director Mark Dickson.
While it is very early days, so far 15 jobs have been posted on Builderscrack.co.nz seeking tradespeople to repair earthquake damage, and these have all received interest from local Christchurch tradespeople.
Chimney, roofing work and repairing cracked walls are the most common jobs.
As insurance claims get processed, the number of jobs will grow dramatically.
"We want as many jobs as possible to be serviced by tradespeople from Canterbury. However, due to demand we will facilitate tradespeople from around NZ to who are looking to help...(now) they can secure the work before they leave home, ensuring that they don't sit around idle when they arrive," said Wyn-Harris.
Vetting procedures used by on the site help protect against the dangers of cowboy tradesmen who may look to take advantage of the increase in demand, and homeowners can check customer reviews to see who has done a good job previously.
