Horror Stories Of Jobs Taking To Long

go do it

we have been on a very extensive 2nd floor addition for 10 mos!!

i was hoping to be done in 6 mos or 7 at the most

but we did get held up by rain and cold weather

but damn it seems as though we have been there a long time

being that this is the first project to go to take an uncomfortable amount

of time i guess i should feel ok about but

everyone has to have at least one right?


so pony up and let's hear some horror stories about projects taking

to long.

of course this is purely an exercise just to make me fell better

Chris G

That's when I stop keeping track of hours because it makes me feel miserable. Then I pretend that I am on budget and live out my remaining hours in ignorant bliss thinking that I will make it up on the next one, and with luck, you will.

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"Neek...Neek...yoo-a-moronna Neek. Getta-da-fookin-a-jacka-ham!"

http://www.vicporch.ca
Deck Fence Porch Builder Toronto

Any Season

I've got one. This was a 14K exterior paint job that was supposed to be eeeeasy. New siding, mostly new trim, etc. The first few days went well, lots of nailholes to fill and tons of caulking. I sprayed the siding end of first week, and everything seemed to be going well. I had 3 guys there for 4 1/2 days. The next week was the BM color botch I mentioned a couple of weeks ago. 4 guys, 3 days wasted. Rained thurs. of that week, we got as much done with correct trim color as we could fri. Third week of job now and it rains for the entire week, mind you I have a boom lift there because the HO INSISTED on it bc he has a new metal roof that we still had to put ladders onto anyways bc the boom couldn't get close enough bc of gardens and dormers, and every other damn thing. Fourth week, and everything seems to be going wrong. I cannot get anything else done at any other jobsites bc the HO wife is calling me to complain about anything and everything. No matter how many times I point things out, nothing is getting done and I cannot figure out why this crew, which until now has been very efficient for the most part , is now completely retarded. As I am monitering labor vs. progress, I can see that this job is getting away from us in every aspect. I mean every minute detail is a disaster (ex. I am talking to the HO, who is very nice, and realize that a bag of trash in the back of my truck has a paintcan in it that someone threw out which is now leaking a large amount of paint onto the driveway from my tailgate). Long story short I was fired from this job for the first time ever, and paid far less than what I was owed/invested in the job, I fired all of the guys that were working there and I am trying to recover from it still.

Has anyone ever had this happen? I have been beaten on by weather and crappy HOs this year for the first time to this degree, and I think it has finally trickled down to my guys. Everyone is exhausted and frustrated, and I think about 'Peter' from 'Office Space' when he says that every day is the worst day of his life bc it is worse than the day before, which was previously the worst day of his life.

Double-A

One of our first big jobs was a second floor tear off and redo. Eighteen months later and we were still putting on trim and setting tile. That job went 23 months before it was complete. Phase two, the downstairs only took 3 months total, even though we gutted and redid every piece of wire, rock, pipe and floor system on that floor.

When I went back to look at lost weather days, we had only 12 in that time.

Talk about an eye opener. Never again will I let a schedule slip without a reason beyond anyone's control.

I have a policy that excuses are a request for pardon for an unavoidable insult or injury and explanations are just stories that don't fix a thing.

So, address the problem and get on with it, but don't come to me with an excuse or an explanation as to why we are behind the schedule. I don't care. I only care that we get in and out in the allotted time per our schedule.

BTW, we're generous with our schedules and only schedule four days a week, with Fridays for catch up.

My thanks to Sonny Lycos for that idea.

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"My clients’ wishes are the center of my attention." -- David Guido, a contractor in Woodstock, N.Y.
New York Times, July 20, 2006

tinner666

I have 2 going on their 8th year, and 1 going on 7. Just life and Joss!
Doesn't bother me any.

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Frank Slate Roof Repairs, Richmond, Va.

go do it

I have a policy that excuses are a request for pardon for an unavoidable insult or injury and explanations are just stories that don't fix a thing.

that is a great saying i will remember that one thanks

yea i hate excuses also, the home owners have a great attitude which

helps. it has just been a perfect storm of delays!


BTW, we're generous with our schedules and only schedule four days a week, with Fridays for catch up.

another good one

one more trick learned

orson

I started remodeling 2 bathrooms in the same house, 1 started in April and 1 started in May. Both are still going because the homeowner is making his own vanity cabinets.

In the meantime he keeps asking me to do things he was going to do like instal his 3 piece custom baseboard mouldings and casing throughout the house(with furniture in place ).

I will be feeling lucky if we're out of there by Christmas.

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Lancaster Remodeling Contractor - Lancaster Remodeling
Kitchen & Bath Remodeling PA- Bathroom Remodeling Lancaster PA
Custom Kitchen Remodeling PA - Ruby Construction FaceBook-Lancaster Bathroom Remodeling

rbsremodeling

2 years. 2 months

Total house renovation, with 3' foot excavation and underpinning basement to make it into a legal rental apartment, addition on the back to expand kitchen and add a 3rd bedroom. Thought it would take 12-18 months. Dropping in the carpet this Friday.


Everything that could go wrong went wrong, weather, permit issues, change orders, delayed material selections, etc. Homeowner still loves me and He is one of my best customers. Got my azz whopped on this one though

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