Another HJA (Hack Job Alert)!!!

JPV123

Most of us here are professionals. We all claim to do the right thing. Holmes on Homes stresses the fact about making it right. But we all don't have unlimited budgets. Sometimes we can only do what we can do that our budget allows. But still we make it as right as we can.

Today I went on a small siding repair. It was for a friend of mine who is a landscaper and one of his guys damaged siding on a condo. 5 pieces to be exact but that's another story. This is the 3rd house they damaged in this condo complex. That too is another story.

Driving through we noticed alot of wavey and bulging vinyl siding. So we strip the siding and notice that the sheathing is Celotex. They missed the studs on almost every nail. Thus, causing the nail to pop out and not align back with its hole causing the siding to bulge. My 6 year old son could tell if he missed a stud and went into Celotex sheathing.

On the nails that went into the studs there were holes made by a hammer in the sheathing to find the stud WTF? OK maybe you can't see the Celotex staples due to the Tyvek wrap but come on Huge gaping holes??? Why would anyone do that?


This ***** bothers me being a GC because I don't like watching over a subs/employees shoulder but how do you really know what's going on if you don't watch every single thing.

I can't stand Hack jobs.

I just had to share that with someone.

Bill

Join the club. My worse peeve is those GC's who claim to "Do It Right" then when you go in to do something later on that same house (IE: Hang a storm door), you find out that their work is as shoddy as most everyone Else's. Doors out of square, not plumb, terrible roofing jobs, the list goes on. I just started work on a basement that was just supposed to be put up a few walls. Turned out I am doing way, way, way more than anticipated. That is because even though the HO is not the brightest bulb in the box, but they do know when something is right or wrong. This HO was so impressed because I spent time to get it right, I cant leave there now. I wish more GC's would watch their jobs and subs. But today the "Oh Mighty Dollar" prevails over pride. Sucks. I lose money sometimes, but I have NEVER had to go back to my jobs (Knock on wood)

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AtlanticWBConst

The problem can sometimes be more than a situation of GC's not watching their subs.

It seems like there are sometimes two types of GC's. Those with lots of experience, that are in the business to produce quality work, and really care about their name on EVERY aspect of their project.

And those that are in it only for the buck (money). Those that are in it for the money alone, often cut costs by using inexperienced & cheap labor, and then push them to work fast. Result = horrible hack work.

I talked to a sub last week (known him for 25 years). Drywall. He told me about a GC that wanted him to install 1/2" sheetrock on one wall of a garage (non connecting). The others would get 5/8" per code. He wanted to save money, because he was on his way to "make his first million".

Now, I can understand the point of working in a cost effective manner, but the guy would be saving about $8.00. The sub was aggravated about it, especially since the GC came across very arrogantly, and addamantly wanted that savings.

You have to worry about a guy that is "all about" constantly cutting corners.

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Michaeljp86

I think it depends on who it is, Ive seen mostly decent GC. But if you get into a contractor that just does new buildings you see this crap. I see alot of rich women doing this and they dont have a clue whats going on so they hire the cheapest hack who claims to know what they are doing.

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thom

It's not the contractor, it's the buyer.

I've been told repeatedly by prospective buyers "I'd rather have your house, I know it's built better, but I just can't afford it."

In doing cost comparisons to the major tract home builders the additional amount I charge covers 1/3 of my cost of the upgrades, and I don't have their economies of scale.

Customers say it loud and clear every day. They (most of them anyway) want quality only if it is free. They will not pay for it.

It's their money and their choice. No reason to feel sorry for them for getting ****, no reason for animosity toward the crap builders, this is what the buyers bought. There are plenty of ways to determine if a home is built well before buying. Checking these things isn't even a consideration for the buyers.

$/sq ft and flash. That's what people want, that's what they buy. It's a choice and it's a shame.