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Let me take the middle ground while you see it as siding with the contractor. I been around this business since I was 7. I am nearing 45 years in the construction industry. I have never ever ever seen customers act like they do today. We had to change our whole business model to deal with idiot homeowners who want all kinds of extras for free and they hold the balance as ransom till you do it.
Every single item can never ever ever be printed on a contract. Color variations in wood? People!!!!!! It's wood!!!!! If you want wood in your home then you have to learn to live with Mother Nature !!!! If you want an all solid color kitchen then lets order melamine or even plastic cabinets.
Once a homeowner finds one little thing, then everything is wrong....even if it's not. A professional tradesman has to also be an expert at customer service issues to settle these issues. My job has grown beyond expert in my field. I now have to be a Psychologist. "I don't like the fact that the oven cabinet has 3 six inch drawers, I wanted 2 deep drawers and that's what the picture I signed shows". Oh you mean this picture with 3 drawers that you signed? Now a war starts.
It's the economy turning homeowners into monsters. I'm not saying your guys are not incompetent idiots. They may well be. Just try to be fair and come to mutually acceptable conclusions. If a homeowner just makes up a story saying they told the contractor they wanted this when they know damn well they never did, what do you expect. During these depression times, homeowners are lying more then cops and politicians. Way more.
30 years in my specific business, all the experience, all the education, all the awards and acknowledgments hanging on my wall, a resume that reads like a who's who..........and in these times it means nothing. Nothing at all.
Like Bob Dylan said: These times, they are a changin................
Good luck to you.......I sincerely mean it...............
so right now i have gone over my contract price, after i pay him the final payment, which if he keeps this up, he is not getting it all. I am unhappy with a lot of his work, do i have any recourse.
Do not pay him one more red cent until all work is finished correctly. How much have you held back? How far along is he in the work?
Don't give him any more money for materials that are not specified in the contract.
Do not pay him one more red cent until all work is finished correctly. How much have you held back? How far along is he in the work?
Don't give him any more money for materials that are not specified in the contract.
Sanrene he has all but final payment left. My neighbors are complaining about the louzy stucco brown coat on the home that does not match with our home, it looks like a kid did this. And i am sorry when you pay the money that we have to get this work done, damn right you want things done right. I only nit pick when things are done wrong as in they could not even put grout in my tile floor right, it kept on coming out, and the color was very dark grout, for them it came out light light. Husband got so fed up, he ended up doing the grout himself, and guess WHAT, for him the color came the way it was suppose to be a nice dark grout, gees wonder why. The new living dining room has walls that look retarded, with dents and curves in the wall. Maybe some think that homeowners are not suppose to bit--, but when you hire a licensed contractor, you expect better work then a tract builder, do you not. And all it takes is one look at my ceilings, and you have to ask how has the clown been in the business so long. Another contractor did not believe he has a license with the work he was looking at, he could not believe it, and told me to get the contractors state board to take a look at the work they think is acceptable. This other contractor said what has happened is he did not expect you and your husband to know so much about remodeling and new additions, and you obvious do, he said take one look at this home, it is beautiful, your contractor should have known you would want the work done right. At this point i have to see his face every day, right now i am not talking to him, husband is. I do not know where to turn, problem is every time he has to fix something, he has people in here who are not licensed. What the hek do i do, he keeps on telling me and husband, we are not the professionals to keep our mouths shut. I have had it, but he is dealing with the wrong homeowner, i tell ya, he will not get away with this, i will see to it, his livelihood or not, right now i could give a damn about him.
Sanrene he has all but final payment left. My neighbors are complaining about the louzy stucco brown coat on the home that does not match with our home, it looks like a kid did this. And i am sorry when you pay the money that we have to get this work done, damn right you want things done right. I only nit pick when things are done wrong as in they could not even put grout in my tile floor right, it kept on coming out, and the color was very dark grout, for them it came out light light. Husband got so fed up, he ended up doing the grout himself, and guess WHAT, for him the color came the way it was suppose to be a nice dark grout, gees wonder why. The new living dining room has walls that look retarded, with dents and curves in the wall. Maybe some think that homeowners are not suppose to bit--, but when you hire a licensed contractor, you expect better work then a tract builder, do you not. And all it takes is one look at my ceilings, and you have to ask how has the clown been in the business so long. Another contractor did not believe he has a license with the work he was looking at, he could not believe it, and told me to get the contractors state board to take a look at the work they think is acceptable. This other contractor said what has happened is he did not expect you and your husband to know so much about remodeling and new additions, and you obvious do, he said take one look at this home, it is beautiful, your contractor should have known you would want the work done right. At this point i have to see his face every day, right now i am not talking to him, husband is. I do not know where to turn, problem is every time he has to fix something, he has people in here who are not licensed. What the hek do i do, he keeps on telling me and husband, we are not the professionals to keep our mouths shut. I have had it, but he is dealing with the wrong homeowner, i tell ya, he will not get away with this, i will see to it, his livelihood or not, right now i could give a damn about him.
IMO, it would be much better if you would try to work with this guy.
I know it is hard but, being tied up in courts for years is harder. And then, if you are successful he will just close this business and open another one.
I think you will find the subs are working under HIS license.
You must have liked him for some reason. You don't have to like him now however, you are in the boat with him and he is the only one that can row right now.
Sanrene he has all but final payment left. My neighbors are complaining about the louzy stucco brown coat on the home that does not match with our home, it looks like a kid did this. And i am sorry when you pay the money that we have to get this work done, damn right you want things done right. I only nit pick when things are done wrong as in they could not even put grout in my tile floor right, it kept on coming out, and the color was very dark grout, for them it came out light light. Husband got so fed up, he ended up doing the grout himself, and guess WHAT, for him the color came the way it was suppose to be a nice dark grout, gees wonder why. The new living dining room has walls that look retarded, with dents and curves in the wall. Maybe some think that homeowners are not suppose to bit--, but when you hire a licensed contractor, you expect better work then a tract builder, do you not. And all it takes is one look at my ceilings, and you have to ask how has the clown been in the business so long. Another contractor did not believe he has a license with the work he was looking at, he could not believe it, and told me to get the contractors state board to take a look at the work they think is acceptable. This other contractor said what has happened is he did not expect you and your husband to know so much about remodeling and new additions, and you obvious do, he said take one look at this home, it is beautiful, your contractor should have known you would want the work done right. At this point i have to see his face every day, right now i am not talking to him, husband is. I do not know where to turn, problem is every time he has to fix something, he has people in here who are not licensed. What the hek do i do, he keeps on telling me and husband, we are not the professionals to keep our mouths shut. I have had it, but he is dealing with the wrong homeowner, i tell ya, he will not get away with this, i will see to it, his livelihood or not, right now i could give a damn about him.
How much are you holding back?
Is it the drywall job that is defective?
I would require him to fix anything that is not up to snuff before you release the final payment. Not one dime more. I would also report him to the appropriate authorities regarding his lack of insurance.
Does he have illegals working for him? If so, I would report that too. Is he a member of the BBB? Report him there too.
Never, ever let a contractor start work before you have seen proof of his insurance coverage, licensing, etc, etc and ideally some of the work he has done.
IMO, it would be much better if you would try to work with this guy.
I know it is hard but, being tied up in courts for years is harder. And then, if you are successful he will just close this business and open another one.
I think you will find the subs are working under HIS license.
You must have liked him for some reason. You don't have to like him now however, you are in the boat with him and he is the only one that can row right now.
Everything you say is true, but you know the old saying if it sounds to good to be true! should of taken my own advice on that one. I have found out in the State of California you are in violation of CLSB laws, if you do not have workers comp, and he does not. Infact i was told that no one except him is suppose to be on my property. He has broken some of my Huge Planter 'S with the tractor, drove right into them, and busted them, did not even look back, and say i am sorry. Broken so much of the moulding in my home, that was not even suppose to be touched, but by their carelessness, they broke it. He put a whole in the top of my hutch, by pulling it out from agaist the wall, i am not happy about that. I can go on and on, but at this point he is going to have to do it my way, because his is not working, or i bring up the fact of him not having workers comp. Lady told me this contractor is in violation, and no one except himself should be on your property. He has just the new room the walls and ceiling to fix, and on the oustide the brown coat, at least it should somewhat match don't you think. We already told him, to stay out of the bathroom, husband is going to finish it, he said ok, infact today hubby put in new moulding in the bathroom it looks great. We have a 10 ft shower, with now 6 shower heads, 3 coming from the ceiling. 2 huge seats, huge, travetine, marble and moasic tile. We put in stain glass windows above the new shower, it is now a spectular bathroom. Gorgeous coustom cherry cabinets with the most beautiful 3 separate mirrors, and 3 beautiful quorum lights. But just because someone has a license means nothing, my husband does not, and his work is better then most of the guys that were in here, even the contractor admitted that to me, and to him. Nothing he cannot do, except his illness stopped him from doing so much of it. Think before getting into something like this, it is a headache. We did a new living room, dining room, bathroom, kitchen, and den and dealing with this for months, stresses you out. Get tons of bids, make sure they have a license, workers comp, and look at some of there recent work. Don't go thru with i am at this moment.
Everything you say is true, but you know the old saying if it sounds to good to be true! should of taken my own advice on that one. I have found out in the State of California you are in violation of CLSB laws, if you do not have workers comp, and he does not. Infact i was told that no one except him is suppose to be on my property. He has broken some of my Huge Planter 'S with the tractor, drove right into them, and busted them, did not even look back, and say i am sorry. Broken so much of the moulding in my home, that was not even suppose to be touched, but by their carelessness, they broke it. He put a whole in the top of my hutch, by pulling it out from agaist the wall, i am not happy about that. I can go on and on, but at this point he is going to have to do it my way, because his is not working, or i bring up the fact of him not having workers comp. Lady told me this contractor is in violation, and no one except himself should be on your property. He has just the new room the walls and ceiling to fix, and on the oustide the brown coat, at least it should somewhat match don't you think. We already told him, to stay out of the bathroom, husband is going to finish it, he said ok, infact today hubby put in new moulding in the bathroom it looks great. We have a 10 ft shower, with now 6 shower heads, 3 coming from the ceiling. 2 huge seats, huge, travetine, marble and moasic tile. We put in stain glass windows above the new shower, it is now a spectular bathroom. Gorgeous coustom cherry cabinets with the most beautiful 3 separate mirrors, and 3 beautiful quorum lights. But just because someone has a license means nothing, my husband does not, and his work is better then most of the guys that were in here, even the contractor admitted that to me, and to him. Nothing he cannot do, except his illness stopped him from doing so much of it. Think before getting into something like this, it is a headache. We did a new living room, dining room, bathroom, kitchen, and den and dealing with this for months, stresses you out. Get tons of bids, make sure they have a license, workers comp, and look at some of there recent work. Don't go thru with i am at this moment.
Thanks to those of you who have responded. Still going round and round with him, he seems to have had a memory of convience going on. But have recently called him on his memory of convience. He simply forgot ha ha, that one of the converstations we had while sitting down at our table was with other people, they seem to recall without a problem, some of the things he promised, while he forgot. Looking into what i can do, and what my rights are.
Last edited by california-jewel; 10-12-2010 at 10:28 AM..
Thanks to those of you who have responded. Still going round and round with him, he seems to have had a memory of convience going on. But have recently called him on his memory of convience. He simply forgot ha ha, that one of the converstations we had while sitting down at our table was with other people, they seem to recall without a problem, some of the things he promised, while he forgot. Looking into what i can do, and what my rights are.
Thanks so much, i may have to, he walked off of the job, with so much work yet to be done, what do i do now. And he has broken stuff to boot. So many rooms yet to be done.
Last edited by california-jewel; 10-13-2010 at 12:01 PM..
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