What Would You Do?

[vfem]

My husband is there when he says he'll be there and at his price... still he gets screwed by the customer. Too many people think they have the right to without payment over issues beyond his control... Its not just the contractors... its the crazy customers who all want something for nothing or twice the work that was priced for 1/2 the price!

Either way, if someone is not on time or he's canceling on you, you have the right to change long as you don't have a deposit or signed contract. If you do, reread the contract and make sure you are not out of line first. This is how law suits start.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

There would be an issue if the husband and wife were giving conflicting instructions. That was cleearly not the case; the first contractor simply refused to deal with the wife at all. Not good. Most major decisions in a marriage are ones that are arrived at mutually, usually after discussion or agreement. It doesn't matter which of the partnews is delivering the message.

Not all people who forego general contractors are bumbling inepts. My parents served as their own general contractors when they built their home years ago. And why not? My father is an architectural engineer; he knew the building industry inside and out. He had his own suppliers he could call upon as needed. And I very much remember when they fired the masonry contractor--they discussed it beforehand, and made the decision, but my mother was the one who did hte actual firing. She was also the one who was at the house daily checking on progress and doing whatever daily interaction was necessary.

My neighbors learned the hard way when their general skipped town leaving a half done mess. They were only able to get a portion back from his bond as others were left in the lurch also. No only could they not afford another general, they also had to space their major remodel out over two plus years rather than the original 6 months.

A number of years earlier a co-worker had a similar situation on a house he was having built (custom, not a developer). You do what you can do.

Yes, sometimes delays occur as unforseen circumstances arise, but you don't just not show up or keep calling and delaying. And if you give me a timeframe and a quote, but decide to ignore my job to do a higher paying one first, you have shown a complete lack of integrity. Yes, the contractor needs to earn his profit, but he is the one who provided the quote to start with.

Using a new job to pay off the previous one is essentially a Ponzi scheme, and it will not last very long before the whole things crumbles.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Contracts are to protect all sides to an agreement. If it is in writing, there is a clear statement of the job description. If it isn't written, who knows whether the other party has the same understanding of the work or price involved?

 

[herfrds]

Penturner I used to work road construction. We worked in 100+ heat, rain, snow, and cold. If we did NOT get the work done by the time we were give the company was "fined" and that was a loss of money to them and a job to us.

If you do not want to work for a property owner that is your business.
There is not alot of house work around here right now.

As for the first guy. I can understand rain delays. As for the trailer house we were waiting for the buyers to come get it. Called them and they got it out of here in 2 weeks. So where is the concrete guy? told him it was gone. Where is he? No calls no contact.
HHMMM.
We wait. Nothing.

So just wondering do you blame other people when you do not make it to a site when you are suppose to? That is what is what the first guy is doing.

I guess cash does not talk does it.

As for other contractors I know they talk. Because I have talked to a few different ones. Guess what? First guy is known for doing this.
Besides I have a few I can call and get them to do our house if we had not already planned to do it ourselves.


Luckily when we offered to make a deposit and do a signed contract first guy said no. Should have been a red flag right there.


Just wondering penturner. Do you do the concrete work right when the builders are going to be there or do you at least like the concrete to be poured and have some curing time?


vfem the new guy is coming out tomorrow. Going to look first hand at the site. Then discuss the footings, walls, rebar and the pour. Guy has offered to do 9' walls instead of the 7'10" of the other guy for the cost of just the concrete. That surprised me, but I like things in writing.
Plan on 1/4 down to start, 1/2 with the walls done and 1/4 paid upon completion. Yes I did my research.

Gee I'm a woman who can tie her shoes and add 2+2.

Yeah I'm being a smarty pants.

 

[twentynine]

Concrete work.

Seen it done both ways.

Some builders pour and then wait 7-10 days to start the construction.

Some builders start the very next day, logic is that by the time any significant weight was placed on the slab, it was 7-10 days anyway. Wood framing is not allot of weight, block bricks or bricks lots of weight.

What I like to do. Pour, allow the concrete to start curring and then keep a water sprinkler on the slab for a day or two, to slow down the cure. Don't really know if it helps, but I have no cracks in my slabs here, and I was told that's how it should be done.

Contractors-----------------

Lordy-Lordy
The stories I could tell.

Many of them have no problem looking you dead in the eye and telling you they will be there Tuesday, knowing full well, they ain't no way they can be. It is just the way they do business, no thought in the world that they are lying, to them they ain't lying, they're doing business. Not showing up, not returning calls, not answering phone calls, it's allowed.

My standard is if work is busy I can see a delay, not all things go according to my schedule, if it can happen it will happen. But if he won't return calls, if he reschedules more than twice, or when he does reschedule you already know he ain't gonna be there, it's time to give some one else a try.

Now becareful about "giving some one else a try". You might be jumping out of the pan into the fire.

My gauge on that---- If you call a contractor on Monday afternoon, he is willing and able to start on Tuesday. I see red flags waving, horns, sirens, bells ringing. Question is, if he such a good contractor--- why ain't he working? Why ain't he booked up?
Sometimes as mentioned, you got things like nobody building a house. But shucks with a concrete construction job, driveways, slabs, carports, garages, parking lots, all manner of small work to be had.

 

[SillyChicken]

ya snooze.......ya loose!

You're house is only as good as your foundation........ you sure you want it built by someone so undependable?

Go with the guys available to do the work........ but still check out their references.

 

[herfrds]

Well we wanted to meet the second guy before we decided.

It was taken out of our hands at 7:30am this morning.
First guy called and said he would not be able to do our foundation. Nice notice. I was so looking forward to firing him.

Why couldn't he have done this 2 weeks ago?

called the second guy, he will be out after 2 this afternoon to check the site.
Doing a sidewalk and waiting for a permit for another job, only reason he is available.

Talked to the people we know who are having the first guy do their foundation and boy am I glad he is not doing ours. He hasn't been out to their site for 2 weeks.
They had just put some stakes out to show where they wanted the house, it was not squared up, first guys crew came out, just dug where the stakes were and poured.

Their house is due to be there on Thursday. Still not done with the foundation.

 

[Stevo]

After quickly reading threw a few posts here I think you are trying to GC the house yourself? Not a good idea. I built homes for 35yrs (General Contractor). It was my responsability to see that all work was done on schedule and correctly. Which I did well. I used the same masons, framers, plumbers, electricians, etc. I knew them all and that they did a good job and on time. It took years to find the right subs. You are finding out now why you need to go threw a licensed GC. I actually spent most of my time going over details with the Mrs not the hubby. Dunno why exactly but I did. Do yourself a favor. Go find a GC, hand him the blueprints and let him handle it. I am sure your engineer or archetect can recommend a quality guy.

Steve

 

[herfrds]

Well here is what has happened.

Hired the second guy on Monday. He looked at the site and asked how the first guy planned to pour one wall due to the height and location. Told him we were never told.
Was explained the first guy was probably going to hire a pumper truck and nail us with the cost at the end.
I had asked the first guy about a pumper. He had had no response.

Well Tuesday morning at 8am the new crew shows up. Unloads everything they need. sets the forms for the footings. Level, measure, rebar set and double check everything. At noon they are waiting for the cement truck. Which came and hour and a half late. Not happy.
Footings got poured and rebar uprights set.

Wednesday crew shows up at 7am. Sounded like an invading army.

removed the form boards and start setting the wall forms and get the gravel into the basement.
Took most of the day.

Thursday crew is back at 7am setting the windows and door frames. rechecking the forms. pumper truck arrives and the concrete trucks start arriving at 10am. pour and vibrate the concrete in the forms. Done by 12pm. Anchor bolts are also set.

This morning crew again arrives at 7am to start taking down the wall forms and strip it.

Going to pour the basement floor on Monday. Plumber is also due to lay the sewer and water line first thing that morning.
Building crew is going to be here Thursday now.

Did get a surprise call yesterday from our log supplier. Their crew was looking at the plans and not at what we had bought.

They built my porch.

We weren't planning on the porch for quite awhile so it was a big surprise. It is custom for our house and because they had made the mistake the supplier cut the price in half.
So I got my porch.


Today I am grilling steaks for the crew. Wish it was T-bones instead of sirloin. I don't think they will care though. It is our own home raised beef.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

What's a pumper truck?

Sounds like great progress--enjoy your BBQ!