[fitful2u]

I am a GC in Phoenix AZ. I did a walk thru with my client the other day to inspect the finished drywall texturing. They found a large hump in the ceiling where my new board meets the existing drywall ceiling. Turns out the hump was caused by a low beam & strap. The defection was about 3/4" or more. My drywaller fixed the hump by cutting out the drywall at the beam & used mesh tape & hot mud right over the beam (no drywall there at all). The client is happy with how it looks now.

My drywaller charged me extra for this repair, but he client doesn't want to pay for it. He says it should have been done this way initially & is accusing me of charging him for work that should have been done right in the first place. Is he correct? Would a good drywaller have noticed this & done something different to begin with?

 

[Ancient Rocker]

Not only should the drywall contractor have noticed it, but you should have too. Split the difference with your irresponsible DC and chalk it up as a lesson learned. Don't be surprised if his "repair" fails either.

 

[jproffer]

I wouldn't pay you any more either. I paid you for a finished product...how many times it takes you and your drywaller to get it right is none of my concern.

And I'd be calling you when all that crap fell out of that gap too. If you're not willing to pay to do it right, then you can pay to do it repeatedly.

 

[Big Shoe]

I am a GC in Phoenix AZ. I did a walk thru with my client the other day to inspect the finished drywall texturing. They found a large hump in the ceiling where my new board meets the existing drywall ceiling. Turns out the hump was caused by a low beam & strap. The defection was about 3/4" or more. My drywaller fixed the hump by cutting out the drywall at the beam & used mesh tape & hot mud right over the beam (no drywall there at all). The client is happy with how it looks now.

My drywaller charged me extra for this repair, but he client doesn't want to pay for it. He says it should have been done this way initially & is accusing me of charging him for work that should have been done right in the first place. Is he correct? Would a good drywaller have noticed this & done something different to begin with?

You are both to blame.(sort of) Who set the joist/trusses?? And whoever hung the board should have said something to somebody too. But then they loose money because somebody else screwed up. :sad::blink:

I've fixed hundreds of bad truss setting issues! String line all ceilings and fix as needed. You say it is ready to hang, then it better be ready or that's what you end up with.

Good luck and welcome to the site.

 

[blacktop]

I am a GC in Phoenix AZ. I did a walk thru with my client the other day to inspect the finished drywall texturing. They found a large hump in the ceiling where my new board meets the existing drywall ceiling. Turns out the hump was caused by a low beam & strap. The defection was about 3/4" or more. My drywaller fixed the hump by cutting out the drywall at the beam & used mesh tape & hot mud right over the beam (no drywall there at all). The client is happy with how it looks now.

My drywaller charged me extra for this repair, but he client doesn't want to pay for it. He says it should have been done this way initially & is accusing me of charging him for work that should have been done right in the first place. Is he correct? Would a good drywaller have noticed this & done something different to begin with?

That was your first free call back..When that mesh cracks you'll have another.

 

[hdavis]

My drywaller charged me extra for this repair, but he client doesn't want to pay for it. He says it should have been done this way initially & is accusing me of charging him for work that should have been done right in the first place. Is he correct? Would a good drywaller have noticed this & done something different to begin with?

A 3/4" step between the old and new drywall? Yes, it should have been caught by framers and drywallers. How old and new gets blended together is something of a fundamental, especially on ceilings.

As for the fix, it may or may not be a cracking problem in the future

 

[KAP]

My drywaller charged me extra for this repair, but he client doesn't want to pay for it. He says it should have been done this way initially & is accusing me of charging him for work that should have been done right in the first place. Is he correct? Would a good drywaller have noticed this & done something different to begin with?

Your client is right... he didn't pay for a bump... a 3/4" bump is obvious even to a newb drywaller..

Nor should you have to pay for it either... this one is on the drywaller...

Let me as you this... if it was YOUR house, would you pay for it? Of course not... and neither should the HO, nor should you...

Is he going to reimburse you for the time you took to go back to deal with an un-happy client because of his work?

 

[fitful2u]

Thanks for the feedback. as for who's to blame, it is an existing house there was no framer other than the original builder. The beam is part of a flat roof system with joists hanging off of it. Which is set on a block wall. I can't raise the beam without affecting the load or the roof above. I can't shave the beam without affecting the strength of it.

I appreciate the opinions of weather it should have been caught at first or not. But if the beam couldn't have been move/ change I guess the only other option would have been to fur-out the joist near the beam. That would usually be done by a framer if this was a new build or an addition. Are you guys saying that this would be a common aspect of a good drywaller?

 

[dreamzdecora]

Not only should the drywall contractor have noticed it, but you should have too. Split the difference with your irresponsible DC and chalk it up as a lesson learned. Don't be surprised if his "repair" fails either.

I believe this is the best way to do it....once we set the price - any client will hate to hear about Change Order cost.
I am sure you can talk with other party to split the cost, everyone needs job at some point of time. So no contractors would like to think that this will be my last job with you.

 

[barry1219]

Bottom line to me is..not who is right or wrong..that matters for future work..immediate concern is :
A) Customer is happy.
B) How much is this extra repair?
C) What % it is of total job cost ?
D) Did I tell sub to repair and we will figure out the cost later? or did sub call me and tell me all work was done and this is a surprise.

 

[jproffer]

Bottom line to me is..not who is right or wrong..that matters for future work..immediate concern is :
A) Customer is happy.
B) How much is this extra repair?
C) What % it is of total job cost ?
D) Did I tell sub to repair and we will figure out the cost later? or did sub call me and tell me all work was done and this is a surprise.

To me, this wouldn't be a problem.

Sub was there, client saw the crap-azz work that was done the first time, sub said "no problem, it'll be fixed next time you walk in the room :thumbsup: " (not that patched with hot mud and mesh is what I consider "fixed", but none-the-less).

Makes it look like the sub and I have a GREAT working relationship (no need to ask, just get it done), whether it's true or not, and it makes me look good to the client.

I'm happy, and I'll pay ya...no problem. BUT, go back and take the time to do it right so neither of us have to go back and deal with it again. And then I'll pay ya for the whole works. And next time, PLEASE do it right to begin with, knowing that payment isn't a problem....deal?

 

[Metro M & L]

Muds cheap. Float it out. Lol

 

[blacktop]

Your client is right... he didn't pay for a bump... a 3/4" bump is obvious even to a newb drywaller..

Nor should you have to pay for it either... this one is on the drywaller...

Let me as you this... if it was YOUR house, would you pay for it? Of course not... and neither should the HO, nor should you...

Is he going to reimburse you for the time you took to go back to deal with an un-happy client because of his work?

We are not wall and ceiling levelers . I do agree with you though ..The D/C should have pointed out the issue before hang..
HELL....He went back !!and fixed the problem well enough to please the H/O.. Why not get it right from the go??

Thanks for the feedback. as for who's to blame, it is an existing house there was no framer other than the original builder. The beam is part of a flat roof system with joists hanging off of it. Which is set on a block wall. I can't raise the beam without affecting the load or the roof above. I can't shave the beam without affecting the strength of it.

I appreciate the opinions of weather it should have been caught at first or not. But if the beam couldn't have been move/ change I guess the only other option would have been to fur-out the joist near the beam. That would usually be done by a framer if this was a new build or an addition. Are you guys saying that this would be a common aspect of a good drywaller?

NO!
If I half to carry in lumber and a skill saw. that makes me a carpenter!!!
Please tell me your not one of those truck aS$ G/Cs that sub everything out then expect the subs to do your job for you.
I don't mean to sound like a [email protected] fitful And I don't sweat the penny annie issues ..I'll take care of the ''leave it for the next guy'' BS to an extent. If I see something the G/C should have taken care of I will call him . AGAIN..We are not ceiling @wall levelers! Sheet rock goes with whats there.

 

[AARC Drywall]

WOW!!!!
Why do we never have time to do things right, but always make time to do it twice?
The DC should be on the hook.....for all costs, and should be made to fix it properly...and not wait until it cracks...If it is fix'd now its considered pro active....not reactive...

just our 2c worth

 

[EthanB]

GC is responsible for providing a flat/level/plumb surface for the drywaller unless specified otherwise. I wouldn't ask my DC to eat a repair due to bad framing.

I don't care what the original framing was like. You contracted to do the ceiling and that means doing it right, unless specified otherwise. If there was no way to know that you'd need to add in furring strips and level out the whole ceiling before you got started then it could have been a change order, BEFORE you got into it. Doing it wrong and then trying to make it a change order after the HO complains will never fly.

 

[blacktop]

When old meets new It's A PITA! If you want a top notch job! Rip it all out and start over with new. It's cheaper that way on EVERYONE!

''It is what it is''...Never turns out as good as what it could have been!:whistling

 

[Sir Mixalot]

Drywall is only as good as the framing is. :whistling

 

[MTN REMODEL LLC]

Maybe it's different in different parts of the country,

but around here in CO and in my very limited experience in Cali, the DC usually walks the job with me and notes if any significant issues for shaving shimming, (usually with chalk or a spray can,) and his boys will do the normal/minor paper shimming.....

and my guys would never just nail DW over any bad framing.

Must be different where you are..... who is responsible for paper shimming???????

Best

 

[EthanB]

Maybe it's different in different parts of the country,

but around here in CO and in my very limited experience in Cali, the DC usually walks the job with me and notes if any significant issues for shaving shimming, (usually with chalk or a spray can,) and his boys will do the normal/minor paper shimming.....

and my guys would never just nail DW over any bad framing.

Must be different where you are..... who is responsible for paper shimming???????

Best

On remodels, if I get a quote from my DC then it's before the space is stripped so it can be really hard to spot issues like this. I'm sure he figures for some shimming but not leveling an entire wall/ceiling.

3/4" is a bit more than paper shimming.

 

[A-1 Interiors]

Should your drywaller be held responsible for ??? the roofers work ? the plumbers?
Other peoples lack of ability to see a potential problem before it happens?
My opinion (for what its worth)The board hanger should not be called in until the job is ready for him And fixing framing issues are not really in his job description.
Unless you pointed it out and agreed he would fix it .
I hope it works out for you
PS I hope he gave you a warranty on that repair job