Hired General Contractor but people who did the work were young men?

[builder24car]

You should watch "Holmes Makes It Right". He deals with some terrible workmanship, bad contractors, etc. It makes me mad just watching how people get screwed...

Originally Posted by Sky1

The work done was rather shoddy and unprofessional.

[Stagemomma]

I made this mistake also. I thought the contractor would be more hands on. He just did the shopping. He had little control over the crew. He would tell them what I wanted, and they would just do it their way.

I would shop more carefully if there were to be another time. But I plan to avoid putting any more additions on my house!

[annabanana123]

A good general contractor would stop by to check in during the project if it goes on for many days. Ours have always showed up to get the guys going and dropped by every day or two to check in. When we paid ours it was 25% up front, 50% half way, then the rest when the job was done to our satisfaction. Any concerns we had were promptly addressed and fixed at no additional costs. Sounds like you had a bad GC in this case. I'd talk to him about your concerns and tell him to fix it. See if he does or not, if not you can possibly refuse to pay but discuss with an attorney before you do.

[gemstone1]

Not picking on anyone, but there is no place for...I thought the contractor would...." It is your responsibility to know.

A project of any size or complexity for which you hire a contractor should include a "scope of work" and a "project plan". It doesn't have to be complex or designed by a Project Manager, but it should encompass everything you want done. These signed documents outline "who will do what, by when, and for what cost", and should include words such as "all work will be done to industry standards and will meet or exceed local or national building codes". This is your contract, and could be used in court for a breach of contract dispute. It's your money and your property...protect it.

Regards
Gemstone1

[danielbmartin]

Originally Posted by gemstone1

... a "scope of work" and a "project plan". ... it should encompass everything you want done. These signed documents outline "who will do what, by when, and for what cost", and should include words such as "all work will be done to industry standards and will meet or exceed local or national building codes". ....

This is entirely right.

Put as much detail as possible in the contract. When questions arise you both refer to the contract and do what it says. A detailed contract helps you and the contractor to remain friends, start to finish.

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