GC is 15/16 retarded!!! - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

Casework King · 03-30-2007, 11:23 PM

I told a GC (rich guy with an HIC Lic.) it would take me 3 weeks to complete all the finish work on an addition and partial remodel ($5000.00 job), he got the painter in there 2 days after I started and I am now 2 weeks and a couple days into the battle of the carpenter vs. the painter and he's telling me I have to cut outside in 38 degree/windy weather (Boston Ma area) so the painter can do his job. This is after I've been battleing for space to work tripping over the painters/flooring/everyones feet every day or staying home a day or two waiting for the floors to be done. I told him to pay me 10% on top to cut outside and he thought I was being ridiculous. So I walked off the job

. This guy is constantly taking two steps forward and seven back. I've dealt with this behavior for two and half years now. What would you do???? oh and don't let the dog out!!!

dougchips · 03-30-2007, 11:34 PM

Do you have a HIC card?

Casework King · 03-30-2007, 11:35 PM

you know it..... why?

dougchips · 03-30-2007, 11:39 PM

"I told a GC (rich guy with an HIC Lic.) " <---when you posted it looked like it was a high cost item.

BTW, welcome to the site. What part of MA are you from?

**Teetorbilt** · 03-30-2007, 11:39 PM

Can this card get you out of this mess? If so, I want a dozen.

Casework King · 03-30-2007, 11:41 PM

lunenburg but I mainly work in the newton wellesley area

dougchips · 03-30-2007, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teetorbilt

Can this card get you out of this mess? If so, I want a dozen.

It's a card that everyone that the state requires for anyone who works in MA doing home improvements. Once you get it you have to abide by a whole list of rules that the state does not enforce (REG# on all ads, contract wording.........).

I only have two of them and they don't get me out of trouble!

Casework King · 03-30-2007, 11:43 PM

ahhh teetorbilt if only a home improvement contractor license were a get out of crappy job with profit card!!!

phinsher · 03-30-2007, 11:47 PM

option 1) if you rely on this guys work to keep you busy then keep with him until you find a better option (start looking for other options now)

option 2) if you have plenty of work elsewhere, tell this guy goodbye, tell him not to call until he can give you what you need.

option 3) if you want the work, you're willing to work under these conditions, and the guy wont change, just tell him you can only work on a time and material basis. Option 3 is my favorite because every time he screws up I make more money.

Casework King · 03-30-2007, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phinsher

option 1) if you rely on this guys work to keep you busy then keep with him until you find a better option (start looking for other options now)

option 2) if you have plenty of work elsewhere, tell this guy goodbye, tell him not to call until he can give you what you need.

option 3) if you want the work, you're willing to work under these conditions, and the guy wont change, just tell him you can only work on a time and material basis. Option 3 is my favorite because every time he screws up I make more money.

I own my own business and can keep busy, I just like that he does the GC's job and I don't have to (easy money).

jensenconstruction · 03-31-2007, 12:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Casework King

I own my own business and can keep busy, I just like that he does the GC's job and I don't have to (easy money).

Seems like his scheduling is making this anything but easy money

Driftwood · 03-31-2007, 12:23 AM

Someone would have been thrown out a window before thia situation developed. I don't suffer fools. Have some respect for Yourself Man.

Grew up in Arlington ,worked outa local 40. Built homes on the CAPE
Live in No. Ca. Work the trade with My Son. Good luck

dirt diggler · 03-31-2007, 08:56 PM

was that 10% to "cut outside" (i have no idea what that means) included in your contract with him?

if yes, spit
if not, swallow

other thing

you're "tripping over" everyone and staying home and this and that waiting for him???

no - you go on with your business. Do not stay home a couple days waiting for him. True - he is your client

but

he needs you too. It is not GC > Sub or Sub > GC

it is a two-way deal.

Casework King · 03-31-2007, 10:40 PM

He knew that I would be cutting inside where I'm installing I know it's not in the contract it will be next time but when I tell him three weeks I should have my three weeks to finish... if I go over 3wks and he had his painter booked that's fine I'll gladly walk in and outside making sure not to let the homeowners dog out... no big deal, but when he overlaps the painters time into MY time that's his problem not mine. The 10% would be another $500.00 bucks Cause he owes $5000.00. no big deal right... for his mistake. I already gave him a more than reasonable price. I hate to fight over $500.00 but this has been goin on too long and I don't have to deal with it..... it's the lesson he needs to learn let him hire someone else to push around. I offer what I think of as exceptional work for the price I gave.

thom · 04-01-2007, 11:33 AM

Taking over a jobsite for 3 weeks seems excessive to me. I don't know the scope of work of course, but I can't imagine giving a sub 3 weeks exclusive to trim a house. At that rate, it would take a year to complete a 3 month project. That would piss off the ultimate customer (homeowner). Maybe you should consider hiring help to do projects of this size.

I'm a GC, I build houses, and I do the trim work in-house. No one cuts inside. The sawdust gets in and on everything. Generally I do the cutting and I cut outside. Sure it's more work, but not by much, and in the end it makes a better job. We don't have saw dust in every nook and cranny and duct in the house.

Look at the big picture, it's not about you, it's not about the GC, it's about providing a high quality product to the homeowner in a reasonable amount of time. High quality is more than the sum of the parts. Just because the trim is "perfect" doesn't mean the trimmer did a perfect job. If he left a dusty mess, if he dragged the project out, his (or possibly yours) work was less than perfect.

Mike Finley · 04-01-2007, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thom

Taking over a jobsite for 3 weeks seems excessive to me. I don't know the scope of work of course, but I can't imagine giving a sub 3 weeks exclusive to trim a house. At that rate, it would take a year to complete a 3 month project. That would piss off the ultimate customer (homeowner). Maybe you should consider hiring help to do projects of this size.

This reminds me of a sub we had who tried to teach us a lesson. On a job he did for us he dragged ass, you know the issues, girl friend was sick, baby was exploding, dog got ran over, truck broke down, was trying to juggle other jobs at the same time... long story short he went really long on his time and *****ed up all our schedules down the line.

What did we do? Did we bitch him out? Did we get all pissy? Did we try to not pay him?

No, he was paid and we made a simple change to our paperwork. He taught us a lesson and we learned from it. We made a simple change on our sub-contractor agreement that asked them to include the amount of days to complete. (Duh! sounds simple right? You're probably like, what the hell Mike, you didn't know to have that? - hey, I wasn't born knowing everything, but I am smart enough to learn from my mistakes.)

So next project comes along, we send out the project sheets to the 3 similar subs asking for them to price it. Everybodies comes back in similarly priced and anywhere from 4-6 days to complete. His comes back with 2 weeks.

I guess he thought he was going to teach the person paying him a lesson by giving himself a huge padding of time.

As you can imagine the only lesson learned was by him when he called after another sub was doing the job to find out why he didn't get it.

Biting the hand that feeds you only leads to an empty tummy. It may stroke your ego, but it does nothing for your bank account.

dirt diggler · 04-01-2007, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Finley

Biting the hand that feeds you only leads to an empty tummy. It may stroke your ego, but it does nothing for your bank account.

....

osborn · 04-01-2007, 08:41 PM

Capacity...... Thats the first thing I ask a sub. Do you have the capacity to complete a job in the time allotted. Every sub effects others. Ive learned by experience. Hiring guys that dont have the man power to keep me on schedule.

hrscammisa · 04-01-2007, 09:35 PM

A good projuct Maneger will make sure you have the space you need to get your job done as fast as you can.Its in his best interest to do so and speed up production for the hole job time is money

Casework King · 04-03-2007, 08:02 PM

Allright boys, havent been on in a while. This job is typical remodel work with a kitchen addition. Went in hung and trimmed all doors, also mortised and bored blank replacment slabs. trimmed windows in appr. 4 days. then waited for floors and cabs. to get installed. so I can install bb The GC was 800 sq. ft short (2 rooms) on special order blonde mahogany flooring so I had to wait to put my baseboard in. Then had to wait for tile at the other end of the house, then had to wait for custom staind concrete floor in bathroom upstairs. He himself said the job would take three weeks and I agreed because that's his prob. Well it took 12 days, but I was only there for 7 days because of the other subs schedules.

And thom I don't want to take over the jobsite, that's a missunderstanding, I know a lot of subs have to get thier jobs done but when it comes time for finish work I think the painter can wait till i'm done with a few rooms before he shows up. If you want to come up from NM and cut outside in 38 degree windy drizzly weather, and then install in 70 degree Dry forced hot air inside all without letting the family dog out be my guest.