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-that or else they know I'm not one who's going to tolerate their shenanigans. One or the other.
So check it out. I live in the Central Valley of CA (basically an economic disaster area). The wife and I bought our house three years ago. Brand new.
I'd like to have some landscaping work done in the back yard. Nothing major or complex, but still at least several thousand dollars worth.
No contractor wants it. Or I should say no contractors want to deal with me.
I understand how their business works. In these tough times, they'll take any job they can get. They'll get you committed to the job, they'll start on just enough of it to where it's no longer practical or cost effective to back out. They get some other job (or spend their time in pursuit of other work). We've all been there. What they said was going to take "about" two weeks ends up stretching out to six months and untold amounts of frustration trying to hunt them down and get them to finish the job.
Well I'm a hardass who wants no part of that and just won't tolerate it. I've had about 5 or 6 guys out to bid. I tell them right off the bat that I will not sign off on the job nor put down the requisite deposit unless the contract contains language that the job must and WILL be finished within such-and-such a date with discounts off the final total for every day the job remains incomplete. Most have "estimated" this to be about 5 or 6 days of work.
As soon as I say that, poof! They suddenly "can't do the job".
Imagine that.
I want to play fair. I mean I'm asking for work that really shouldn't be difficult for a competent contractor. I'm willing to pay pretty much whatever they quote. But dammit. Their economic and competitive problems are NOT my problems. And I'll wait a few or several extra months or indeed...indefinitely....if it means NOT being held hostage to these typical BS contractor string along games.
In this economy, in this region, there are too many hungry guys out there seeking too few jobs. I'm going to be the one calling the shots and rules here. eventually, I'll find someone who is hungry enough to agree to these conditions. And when he steps forward, we'll both win: I'll have the work done the way I want in a reasonable timeframe that I want. And he'll have made a decent profit.
-Till he comes along, it's my way or no way.
Sorry. This aint 2005 anymore. The tables are now in MY favor.
-that or else they know I'm not one who's going to tolerate their shenanigans. One or the other.
So check it out. I live in the Central Valley of CA (basically an economic disaster area). The wife and I bought our house three years ago. Brand new.
I'd like to have some landscaping work done in the back yard. Nothing major or complex, but still at least several thousand dollars worth.
No contractor wants it. Or I should say no contractors want to deal with me.
I understand how their business works. In these tough times, they'll take any job they can get. They'll get you committed to the job, they'll start on just enough of it to where it's no longer practical or cost effective to back out. They get some other job (or spend their time in pursuit of other work). We've all been there. What they said was going to take "about" two weeks ends up stretching out to six months and untold amounts of frustration trying to hunt them down and get them to finish the job.
Well I'm a hardass who wants no part of that and just won't tolerate it. I've had about 5 or 6 guys out to bid. I tell them right off the bat that I will not sign off on the job nor put down the requisite deposit unless the contract contains language that the job must and WILL be finished within such-and-such a date with discounts off the final total for every day the job remains incomplete. Most have "estimated" this to be about 5 or 6 days of work.
As soon as I say that, poof! They suddenly "can't do the job".
Imagine that.
I want to play fair. I mean I'm asking for work that really shouldn't be difficult for a competent contractor. I'm willing to pay pretty much whatever they quote. But dammit. Their economic and competitive problems are NOT my problems. And I'll wait a few or several extra months or indeed...indefinitely....if it means NOT being held hostage to these typical BS contractor string along games.
In this economy, in this region, there are too many hungry guys out there seeking too few jobs. I'm going to be the one calling the shots and rules here. eventually, I'll find someone who is hungry enough to agree to these conditions. And when he steps forward, we'll both win: I'll have the work done the way I want in a reasonable timeframe that I want. And he'll have made a decent profit.
-Till he comes along, it's my way or no way.
Sorry. This aint 2005 anymore. The tables are now in MY favor.
Good contractors can "read" potential customers and they know that it is often better to stay away from certain types even in slow times, than it is to take on work from a bad customer and end up losing money.
I had a similar problem. I am a construction lawyer. I am very fair to contractors becuase I work for them all the time and understand their business. Becuase I know the problems that can arise on a project, I wrote a very nice 8 page contract to help avoid typical problems. Not one contractor ever came back after giving me a price. Then I learned. I made a one page contract, and did not tell them what I did for a living. I not only got lots of people willing to do work, but also made some decent friends.
Certain types, lawyers and doctors in particular are known for making more trouble than the job is worth. Other types of personalities tell a contractor to stay away. In bad times a bad jb is far worse than no job at all. In good times a contracotr can take more risk and make up for losses with volume on other jobs, but in bad times, they cannot take the risk of dealing with potentially nasty people.
Stop seeking out Hack contractors and your life will be easier. Your attitude on the economy and how you think that any contractor will work for you because they need it pretty well sucks.
Hiring a contractor can be a nice working relationship, if you allow it...
This is one of the reasons I have a thing in my contract that gives me the right to terminate the inspection at any time and return any fees paid. In my 23 years of inspecting, I have "fired" three clients.
In all of the cases, the people were "a hardass" that wanted everything their way, and had no respect for me or the job I was doing. In one case it was because they wanted me to do something I considered unethical.
When I had my Contractors license in CA I would run into people that wanted to micro manage the job, and had unreasonable expectations (or were a hardass). I found it was easier to let someone else get their work. Life is too short to work for those types.
The root of this is to offer some sort of hedge from being "strung along" by a Contractor who takes on more jobs than he can be expected to handle in a reasonable amount of time. NOT to "micromanage" the job or do anything unethical (such as not getting permits if the city requires them).
Whatever time he tells me, as long as it's not so far out as to be ridiculous, fine. I'm game for that. But dammit...you better be ready to stick to the time promised. I'm not going to be one of those who lets a two week job turn into 4 months.
I also understand what you are trying to do and say, but if you come across in person anywhere close to the way you did here, you'll have a real tough time finding anyone. If you are going to be so specific in your timetable requirements you better add a clause for extended time due to weather. A tight timetable for landscaping and Springtime wet weather without a clause for extra time due to it being too wet/soggy to work and you won't even get the fly-by-night landscapers to bite. If you do find someone trust me, they are going to charge TOP dollar.
I have had a couple people when looking at a job that sounded like this. I figured what I normally would charge, then tripled that number... figured if they were going to bite, I was going to make enough to put up with the BS. Somehow (thank God) they never bothered to get back with me about doing the jobs.
I also understand what you are trying to do and say, but if you come across in person anywhere close to the way you did here, you'll have a real tough time finding anyone. If you are going to be so specific in your timetable requirements you better add a clause for extended time due to weather. A tight timetable for landscaping and Springtime wet weather without a clause for extra time due to it being too wet/soggy to work and you won't even get the fly-by-night landscapers to bite. If you do find someone trust me, they are going to charge TOP dollar.
I have had a couple people when looking at a job that sounded like this. I figured what I normally would charge, then tripled that number... figured if they were going to bite, I was going to make enough to put up with the BS. Somehow (thank God) they never bothered to get back with me about doing the jobs.
Well said...real life..he is one of them...a customer that needs to be fired...LOL
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