Contractors Getting The Raw Deals?

A+Carpenter

Can you tell me the 9 ways contractors get the S end of the deal sometimes?

I want answers to this question in detail upon your experiences

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Leo G

#1 If you install something in a clients home it is theirs, even if they decide they don't want to pay for it you can't take it out. All you can do is put a lien on their house. And if it is new construction how likely is it they will move out anytime soon so you can collect on the lien?

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Sawdust Follows Me Everywhere

http://lrgwood.com
Custom Cabinets in Hartford County Connecticut

A+Carpenter

Good point. Builder Scewed Me in Spec home tract

#2 I had one of my builders drop a load of siding off on a frame job for a custom home. The tounge and groove was messed up on it.So he told me the framing contractor to face nail it.Well we did that for him. It was a really nice job 3 on the end 2 in the feild OC for layout. Well my builder came back at the end of the job. Well he said was this, we have to sale the house without the warranty for the siding being void now.

I agreed with him 100% but he asked me to install. He dropped the crap and ruined the edges himself. Well needless to say I never got paid on that 5k siding install. He already had the house sold while it was being built by me. No big deal but he blamed his decision on me.

3 weeks later I caught him at a club and got he got my 210 large.

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A+Carpenter

Does anyone have any decent replies? I thought a board full of contractors would submitt something by now.

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Gordo

In business for 10 years and have only been screwed once. The HO asked while you are here can you do this extra work? I did it and did not get compensated (lost three large). She screwed 2 other contractor prior to me. Learned my lesson to keep progress payments current and timely. Learned ,also, to not work for people who have had problems with prior contractors. Seems like those types have repeating problems.

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Looks like some pros were here.

maj

Clean ups is where I get screwed. I build start to finish, off foundation to the last door stop. First I have to deal with the foundation guys' trash in order to frame, then the plumber/electricians mess so I can insulate & hang rock. Then the drywaller leaves crap all over,and I have to shop vac the whole house so I can do cabinets & millwork.

I now have a seperate line item at the bottom of my bid form just for clean ups!

Gordo

Back charge 'em. Then they will remember what their mama taught them when they were kids.

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Looks like some pros were here.

Try1

Back when we did strictly drywall.

we were working for a custom home builder for 4 years usually just did the work on all his new construction with no contracts strait footage.

Well going into the 4th year we were doing a major custom home had arrow head ceilings, track ceilings, 24' vaults, tons of bead and off angels about 350 12' sheets.

About 3 weeks into the job about 90 % complete. we had a major family problem. Our mother had a heart aneurysm, 1 in million shot to live.
I told the home owner and builder We need to take a few days off to be with our family during the situation.

Left to be with the family came back to job site 3 days later and there's 1 of my competitors finishing the job. Half our tools missing.
Call the builder and he said sorry but the home owner cold b!&ch! could not wait and went ahead and hired the other crew to finish.

Builder said he would take care of us with the final bill of 9200.00 and the tools
Builder gets a bill from the other crew of 9000.00 way over charged
We were charging around 17 for the whole thing and had it 90 % complete.
Guess who got screwed for the final 9200

Last time we did work for a GC. Also last time we ever did work without a contract!

Bone Saw

every new customer I get I do probably 90% of correspondents with them before, during and after the job by email, Phone calls are for first time callers and for petty insignifagant stuff, I always urge them to just email me and I will respond promptly, which I do. I then start a email folder for that customer, and all sent and received correspondence goes into that folder, so I have a virtuall running log of all important correspondence. I have referred to past emails on several occasion to have a difficult customer eating their own words. Kind of like the "this call will be monitored for quality assurance purposes"

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Custom Decks & Carpentry LLC.
Chester County Custom Decks
Custom Deckbuilder Mainline
Philadelphia Deck Builder
Custom Decks & Carpentry on Facebook

Gordo

I do the same thing now. When I get one of those can you give me a free estimate calls, I politely say "Can you e-mail me a general summary of what you want?" It makes them really realize how much work is actually involved in the whole estimating process. This process weeds out the ones that are not serious. It also saves time when you physically do the estimate because you have a hard copy that just needs to be tweaked.

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Looks like some pros were here.

shopdust

I've had buddies get royally screwed, thinking they could deal with certain kinds of immigrant groups in Cali. I was able to pick up their vehicles and equipment for a song went they bk'd out and everything went to auction.
Most of all, I learned from their mistakes.

Shamrock

Never really had any problems over the last dozen years or so. A couple slow payers that took a few months to get a check out of (all were insurance work so I guess thats to be expected). Like Gordo, I get a lot of homeowners requesting extra little things done but I make it a habit of discussing price at that point and generally everything sails pretty smooth from there on. Wish I had some horror story's to tell but thankfully there just aren't any. Uh...sometimes my wife dress's me funny before I leave for work.

Glasshousebltr

Ok googly head, nobody else wants to size it up for ya.

However, I may have a problem cutting it back to only 9.

1.Customer won't pay
2.Customer penny pinches the crap out of ya.
3.Customer demands free work with his dangling carrot check.
4.Jack leg underbids ya with bad numbers.
5.GC/Developer bellies up bankrupt.
6.Employee milks ya like a morning heifer.
7.Ya push a sale and recieve bad product.
8.Special order product gets lost/delayed in transit.
9.Your moma slaps you on the job.

How about them apples?

Bob

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Bob

A+Carpenter

Ive seen some good post in this thread.

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A+Carpenter

Ive been doing this when e-mail was frowned upon.

I do the same thing right to the "T"

It makes better anyway's when you got doctors scribble. I write short hand and always have.

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A+Carpenter

Some of them apples need to be cut open and explored. The rest of them apples made this pie even better.

#4
#2

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Glasshousebltr

2.Customer pinches
Example: It starts like this "well exactly how much does this cost?" Or "we can't do this cheaper?" and it works it's way into "But I thought blah blah blah" or "But this other guy told me blah blah blah" Then it winds up being "well, it was to my understanding that ...." or "I'm sorry but I can't pay you right now" A pincher has a million excuses and angles.

4. Jack leg with bad numbers
Example: One of Grumpy's favorite folks,, rolls in just before or just after you with funky numbers that won't fit the job and the lead goes cold cause they think your trying to screw them.

Are the apples red enough for that pick?

Bob

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Bob

A+Carpenter

The pie is complete on that note.

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RowdyRed94

The GC is the slop trough of the transaction - all the crap collects at him. If a plumber or insulator dings the shower, the GC pays because he can't prove anything. If the roofer scratches the window glass, the GC pays. If the hardwood floor gets a dent, the GC pays. Basically, any dishonesty or lack of morals results in the GC paying. You can't prove anything and you can't point fingers without losing subs. It's lose/lose.

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Clint - carpenter, coordinator, webmaster

Gordo

Boy , do I really hear you. Nobody knows nothing when there is damage. You just have to build contingencies into the cost of the job and then run the risk of losing the job because you are to expensive. Again, lose/lose. HA.

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Looks like some pros were here.