I'm beginning to hate contractors

[joec]

We have been doing concrete work lately replacing sections of it as needed. Now after trying to find a contractor that would do the work in sections I had found 5. Well the prices I got from them where all very high but not being a concrete expert I depended on their representations in this area. Now I had one mark off every area that needed attention. Our pours here are 4.5" thick with nothing but mesh no re-bar in it. The contractor I picked was willing to work on sections at a time as we could get them done. Now I can't block off large sections at a time due to the daily traffic through here.

Now the first section I picked we decided need to be poured to get the grading correct a 6.5" to 8" pour with re-bar due the fact that is where the garbage truck stops to pick up our dumpster twice a week. Now it was 503 sq. ft. and was $4800 and that included them hauling of the removed concrete. They did a great job on it. So I decided to use them again for the next sections I wanted done.

Well I told him to finish up everything he had marked in that aisle and give me a price. Well he came in with a price for 271 sq ft at $2800 not stupid me didn't go check the sq. footage but I did tell him specifically to finish that aisle with several conversations afterwards as well. So they came out yesterday and did the job and when I checked they didn't do the work I asked but no complaints with the work done. Now he said he only did one of the two sections to do which I didn't measure. So I paid him.

Now it pissed me off since I was clear to finish everything marked in that aisle and I wanted and invoice for the work. So I went out and measure the sq. ft. done yesterday. Well he shorted me 21.5 sq. ft and I still have a 271.1 sq. ft. section to do. He also shorted me 50 sq. ft. on the first job as I measured it also.

Needless to say I'll be looking for another contractor for the next batch of concrete work here.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

What the hell happened to Pride in Worksmanship? Sorry to hear you got hosed, Joe.

 

[bczoom]

$10 per sq/ft?!?!? Oh my. That seems pretty high but might be reasonable if they ripped out all the old, formed it up, rebar, pour and the crete itself.

We did our driveway. Concrete, labor, forms... came out to under $1 per sq/ft. I did the base/grading.

 

[joec]

I actually went out and measured both jobs. The first was for 503 sq ft. It was actually 375.9 sq ft. This time was for 271sq ft and was actually 150.1 sq ft. Now what through me was the total job should of been 346.1 sq ft. but he charged me 21.96 per sq ft while the first job was 503 @ 9.54 per sq ft. the first was also a 6.5" pour with re-bar the second was 4.5" pour with scene only. Go figure.

PS: I rounded up not down so if I got a number like .333 it was .4 so I gave him the benefit of the doubt on his square footage.

 

[Catavenger]

A good honest contractor seems to be a pearl of great price if you can find one treasure him like a jewel; (poetic eh?)

 

[joec]

A good honest contractor seems to be a pearl of great price if you can find one treasure him like a jewel; (poetic eh?)

Yes well we have 2.3 acres with concrete most of it 25 years old and showing its wear from years of traffic a lot of it heavy vehicles. So he cost him some long term work with this time around with us expecting to spend close to $250,000 over the next year and a half repairing it all. Our only requirement is they can't interfere more than a day or two but not cut off access to all the spaces regardless. So it has to be done in pieces. Now some areas can be larger while others in smaller depending on tenant volume in those areas as well as traffic flow. This job has stopped my garbage pickup for tomorrow so that is 2 pickups we have paid for and won't get. Garbage truck can't drive over 2 1/2 day old concrete since they are heavier than any semi that might come in here.

If it was up to me I would of blacktopped it all and been down with it but controlling partner hates asphalt.

 

[Catavenger]

Contractors don't seem to get it that they only hurt themselves if they do a bad job. I had my bathroom remodelled & was thinking of having the contractors do my kitchen later. But they didn't do a very good job (it wasn't terrible,) so now I won't.

 

[joec]

Contractors don't seem to get it that they only hurt themselves if they do a bad job. I had my bathroom remodelled & was thinking of having the contractors do my kitchen later. But they didn't do a very good job (it wasn't terrible,) so now I won't.

Actually the work was excellent but obviously the contractor who sub contracted it out could measure or calculate sq. ft. I'm not a contractor but a bit of basic geometry with a touch of trigonometry through in you should be able to come up with accurate sq. ft. within 2 sq. ft. Hell I came up to with in .5 square feet and gave that to him even measuring to the outside of his painted lines. So my conclusion is the first job was a come on with the second him sticking to his square footage short 21 sq ft of the job he said he was doing. I will spread the word on this guy locally, that you can take to the bank.

We had the whole apartment remodeled except the kitchen, as well as roof done over the years I've been here. Never mind 5 out of 9 roofs on the property. All work was excellent with no call backs including some serious roof problems we had before the work was done, some of which required extreme techniques to fix. We don't hassle over cost if too high we look for another method or contractor period. When we decide on a contractor I tend to tell them what I want, get their price to do what I ask within reason as well as up to my standard of quality work. I don't think I am unreasonable as I spell out what I expect up front then leave them alone to do the work, period.

 

[Kane]

For a variety of reasons - the least of which is liability - work should not be done without a contract laying out a scope of work, pricing and other specifics.

 

[JEV]

For a variety of reasons - the least of which is liability - work should not be done without a contract laying out a scope of work, pricing and other specifics.

In spite of the customer's confidence in my abilities, quality and references, I always write a proposal detailing all work to be done when the project is $1,000 or more, and what me and the customer are supplying to complete the job. This protects me and the customer from any confusion involving the project. Often this pays off in my favor, like when I write "Drywall and finish materials supplied by contractor and will be installed, taped and finished ready for paint. Painting by others." This way they understand I'm NOT painting the project, and I don't get burned into painting the project when it's not included. IMHO, you cannot include too much detail to protect both parties.

Cement contractors who sub-contract work to others often screw themselves out of future work by the incompetency of their subs. It's always best to deal with the installation contractor, and avoid subs whenever possible, and to get everything in writing (including sketches/drawings whenever possible). As far as calculating square footage, the math is simply L x W = Sq.Ft. That is multiplied by the Depth in order to calculate the cubic footage and ultimately cubic yardage (27 cu. ft. per cu, yd.) of material required, which is how the contractor orders concrete. If the contractor stayed awake in grade school, they learned how to perform these calculations. If not, the customer or contractor gets screwed when the concrete bill arrives.

 

[joec]

In spite of the customer's confidence in my abilities, quality and references, I always write a proposal detailing all work to be done when the project is $1,000 or more, and what me and the customer are supplying to complete the job. This protects me and the customer from any confusion involving the project. Often this pays off in my favor, like when I write "Drywall and finish materials supplied by contractor and will be installed, taped and finished ready for paint. Painting by others." This way they understand I'm NOT painting the project, and I don't get burned into painting the project when it's not included. IMHO, you cannot include too much detail to protect both parties.

Cement contractors who sub-contract work to others often screw themselves out of future work by the incompetency of their subs. It's always best to deal with the installation contractor, and avoid subs whenever possible, and to get everything in writing (including sketches/drawings whenever possible). As far as calculating square footage, the math is simply L x W = Sq.Ft. That is multiplied by the Depth in order to calculate the cubic footage and ultimately cubic yardage (27 cu. ft. per cu, yd.) of material required, which is how the contractor orders concrete. If the contractor stayed awake in grade school, they learned how to perform these calculations. If not, the customer or contractor gets screwed when the concrete bill arrives.

Well I not only got a write estimate but and exact price but in all honest the first job was 503 sq ft. I didn't measure it till today. Now the next two section he had to do was less than that in sq ft. Well today after talking to him he kept saying he was only doint 271.1 sq ft. which i didn't pay attention to much since the price seemed about right compared to the price for the 503 sq ft job.

Long story short he didn't do what I asked him to do and give me a price he only did half. And is constant harping on the invoice was for 171.1 sq ft. So I want out and measure the actual work done on the first job and the second as well as the piece he didn't do. Well the 503 ft job turned out to be 300 sq ft and I was generous with that. The 171.1 sq ft job giving him a couple of sq ft still is a bit of 150 sq ft. with the last job measuring to the nearest foot using his paint lines which he will go inside at worse is 175 sq ft. The difference in the two jobs was about $800 1 month apart.

Last but not least while I was out there tonight the first job was because of standing water which he was supposed to fix in the grade well I have a puddle out there now 2" deep and 18" about 12' long still standing and not draining. I am not paying him the second half of the payment on this last job and I'm consider taking him to court to make it right as the first contract we had states to fix drainage problems that caused in the first place.

Oh yes and the first job was done by his crew the last job was done by a sub contractor working for him. The checks are made out to the contractor.