Contractors: home centers vs. independents.

Damaged goods, trampled deadlines, and unexpected expenses are some of the remodeling hassles people hope to minimize by using Home Depot or Lowe's to screen and supervise contractors. But our new survey found that readers who went that route had more problems and weren't as satisfied overall as readers who used others.

Though most readers were highly satisfied with contractors affiliated with Home Depot and Lowe's, they gave independent contractors, local stores, and contractors recommended or employed by manufacturers higher scores for overall satisfaction with installation, around 87 out of 100. Home Depot (along with its upscale cousin, Expo Design Center) and Lowe's got scores about 10 points lower.

Roughly 40 percent of readers reported a problem with contractors from Home Depot or Lowe's, compared with less than 30 percent who had problems with contractors they hired themselves or enlisted from manufacturers or local stores. And when things went wrong, home-center contractors were less likely than others to solve problems. A third of those who used contractors found through Home Depot or Lowe's and had problems remained unhappy, compared with about 20 percent for others.

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Readers told us about more than 13,000 remodeling experiences. Many replaced or expanded their kitchen. Others remodeled or added a bathroom, added or replaced a deck or porch, or replaced siding, roofing, windows, or doors.

The contractors in our survey tended to receive similar scores for all of their projects. Kitchen remodeling often requires knocking down walls or adding or replacing windows, doors, appliances, and cabinetry, and our data reflect readers' overall experiences across design, materials, and installation for all projects.

Here are the details: