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

Respondents gave independent contractors, local stores and contractors recommended by manufacturers higher scores for overall satisfaction with installation. Roughly 40 percent of CR readers reported a problem with contractors from Home Depot or Lowe’s, compared with less than 30 percent who had problems with contractors that they hired themselves or enlisted from manufacturers or local stores. And readers reported that when things went wrong, home-center contractors were less likely than others to solve problems.

Respondents to CR’s survey told the magazine about more than 13,000 remodeling experiences. Many replaced or expanded a kitchen. Others remodeled or added a bathroom, added or replaced a deck or porch or replaced siding, roofing, windows or doors. Contractors that they hired tended to receive similar scores for all of their projects. Contractors not affiliated with home centers, however, scored higher than those from Home Depot or Lowe’s in the quality of workmanship and materials, speed of work, communications skills and ability to keep costs down.

Contractors recommended by Home Depot or Lowe’s come from a centrally vetted, hired and controlled pool of installers typically assigned to a specific region. Company inspectors monitor their work, particularly if a customer has complained on a survey or called the 800 number, which bypasses the store. But there’s roughly one inspector for every store or two.

Going directly to the manufacturer, meanwhile, can pay off, whether you use a store such as Pella Windows and Doors or use a contractor specifically recommended by a manufacturer. CR survey respondents who did reported relatively few problems with workers. Those contractors also were best at sticking to a timetable, perhaps because of their greater familiarity with the products.

No matter whom you hire, unavoidable surprises still can happen once contractors see what’s behind or beneath whatever they need to remove. Both Home Depot and Lowe’s say they calculate some installation costs to offer preset prices and stick to them unless something happens that’s outside their control – for instance, should the contractor discover termite damage, leaking pipes or dry rot once a wall is opened up. For other installations, such as cabinets, they require an on-site visit before giving a price – with the same provision for unexpected conditions. Nevertheless, only about 45 percent of respondents said contractors from home centers were excellent at keeping costs down versus about 55 percent for the rest.