[Heel n Toe]

rfuerst, if there an independent general contractor that you've used to do jobs in/on your home in the past, I would recommend using him... that way you know it's someone who really cares about the outcome of the job and your satisfaction (and your word-of-mouth advertising and referrals) and you're not dealing with Home Depot subs who are just in it for the paycheck.

If you don't know any, ask some friends for some recommendations. There may not be much difference in price... or he may be able to do it for the same price or even less... don't forget, times are tough and people are not bidding jobs at higher numbers because they need/want the work, and he'll be able to get a contractor's discount on the materials from HD, too.