Switching Fence Brands During Project

Danno6102

So here's the deal. Customer wants vinyl privacy fence. Says he likes a certain style at Home Depot. With my lack of extensive product knowledge on vinyl fencing I go check it out & see it looks like a decent product. Go inside & give them the dimensions & tell them what I want & need. They give me an estimate. I take the estimate, add my labor, misc materials & profit & go to my customer & say $X,*** for the fence. Well, Home Depot shorted the estimate by 5 f'ing panels & a couple posts! Yesterday I go to order the last phase of panels & tell them about the screw up & my customer already has the estimate. They tell me I'll have to pay for those extra panels because it was "just an estimate". Would not even discount the 5 they were short! I'm certainly not going to ask my customer pay for their mistake! Anyway, I storm out of their pissed off all to hell because they won't take responsability for their error. They said I should have checked it (which I should have, but that's beside the point). They should have been competant enough to use a damn calculator to know 84' divided by 6' = 14 f'ing panels! Just one fo the runs that was wrong! Ok, rant over. I see why most of you guys dispise them now. I started having my doubts for a while, I'm over my limit!

Here's my question. I researched last night to try to find another source for that fence. No dice, but USAVinyl has what I think is it's exact replica. Would it be bad business to switch manufacturers (with Home owners writen approval) in the middle of the project? Much higher quality fence & with the 5 extra panels it's same cost as Depot. Or should I just suck it up & eat the $500 in extra panels they misquoted me? That's a big chunk of change for a small timer.

Thanks,
Sorry for the long rant!
Dan

BuiltByMAC

You have the fence built, except for those 5 panels?

If you're talking the same price, be it HD panels or USA Vinyl, I'd stick w/ the same brand. They will weather the same.

If the USA Vinyl panels are less expensive, try this:
Get a sample of the new fence, take it to the jobsite, show it to customers and get change order signed for new brand of fence - no extra charge to them (that's your cost of education...gotta hate those learning experiences!)

Mac

Tinstaafl

I wish I could be more sympathetic, and I know you don't need to hear it, but...

You made your bid based on calculations done by a store clerk who might not even have any real-world experience in the trade? Well, this is part of your real-world training. Do the honorable thing and eat it.

As for switching brands, if the HO is okay with it, go ahead. Just keep in mind that you're erecting a large billboard advertising your work, and if the products are dissimilar at all in look, that's the quality and forethought that you are advertising.

curapa

If you have already started with HD panels then you need to finish with them. Even if the vinyl appears to be the same from the outside you have other factors to consider such as the UV and mold protection injected into the vinyl itself. It may look the same today but a year or two from now the HD fence will stick out like a sore thumb as it yellows.

I will not even get into the fact that you let HD do a takeoff for you

I would eat the $500, unless you have not installed any of the fence yet. Show the customer the USA Vinyl fence and explain the ways it is better than the HD (thicker pickets, aluminum I channel). Tell him you will install it for the same cost. He will think he is getting a deal.

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MartyCD

Can you return the panels you already have? If not, I think you have to do more of the same.
Did you order at the Pro Desk? If so, generally that was supplied by a wholesaler. If you could figure out who that is, they might be able to help you.

greg24k

Dan,
If you check the paper work and you can prove HD made a mistake, you can make them liable for the 5 extra panels.

Example, if you submitted paper work for them to provide you with an estimate and material list for 100 feet, and they only provided you with 80 feet, they are liable for mistake. If you have 100 feet and you told them you need 80 feet then it is on you.

I was buying my wife a watch a while back, she found the model of the watch she wanted and i took it to the store. I gave the guy the model number of the watch, he called the dealer, and told me it will be $780 per say, best price I could find anywhere else. He made a ticket and i gave him $300 deposit. I get a call a week later, and he tells me the dealer made a mistake, the watch that I want cost $1200 per say. I told him its between you and the dealer, I want the watch to make my old lady happy and I'm not ready to dish out extra $500 because we have a contract for the said amount and you took deposit. To make the story short, I end up buying the watch for $1300 someplace else because the guy turned out to be a prick in our dealings, I took him to small claims court and he end up paying for the whole watch, all $1300 dollars for breach of contract and special damages.

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parkers5150

sounds like you just took an expensive class on how not to handle job take-offs. not to fear,this class you just took will evevtually pay off. everytime you do a take-off in the future, your gonna remember this one and one day it will save your arse on an even bigger project. "measure twice, cut once". best of luck on the next one

curapa

I will also note: when I estimate vinyl fence I measure each run and figure exactly how many sections it will take instead of just taking the whole footage and dividing by 6', do it this way from now on and you save yourself some cash.

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Greg Di

This is so typical of any dealing with HD, it would almost be funny if it was a HO.

Now...you know better than to trust anyone or anything at HD. An expensive lesson, huh?

I don't trust those knuckleheads to ring me up let along ESTIMATE anything.

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deckman22

Wow! You trusted HD to do an accurate take-off? No pity here, eat it & quit crying. Sorry to sound harsh, but that's a post you should have never made here.

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Danno6102

Yea, I knew I'd take some major flack for 1. buying at home depot & 2. for not looking over their estimate. Lesson learned!

Talk to the HO yesterday & he was almost as pissed as I was at Home Depot. I gave him all the pros & cons of switching to this other fence & put the ball in his court as to which he wanted, I never mentioned anything about it costing me money if he went with HD. I didn't want that to influence his decision. He wants to go with the better stuff.

I showed them original sketch from my original meeting with the HO. Yep, 84' east then turn south 16' with a drive gate. They f'ed up the estimate plain & simple.

Curapa - that's exactly what I do as well. I don't think HD knows this "secret" trick.

Thanks for all the constructive criticism!

robtlem

I always go to a local retailer for an estimate. I have too often found HD to be more expensive on many simple things and the quality is almost always of lesser quality.
One inch scotia was more than double the price than my local supplier.

Shopping the national chains sends 80% of your dollar out of the area.

Support your local economy, shop locally.

mikec

I still can't believe you had HD do your takeoff!! You should have said nothing to the HO. Just bought the 5 sections from HD( so they were all the same) finished the job, and learned how to do your own take offs. Sorry to sound harsh, but I can't believe you would let them do a take off!

deckman22

I'm glad that worked out for you. Now quit going to HD, ha.

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Danno6102

WAY ahead of you! I still consider myself a newbie with a lot to learn. I always say it's ok to make mistakes as long as you learn from them. Lesson learned!