I think it is fine to tell him you would like receipts of copies so you can activate warrantees.

We are facing this issue because I recently noticed a manufacturing defect on our new french door. Our relationship with the gc went south, so I am not sure where he got it from or who to contact. I have to figure out the mfr and see how to contact them somehow. The issue is a chip on the inside part of the glass that is inaccessible because it is between the double panes of glass. It can't be fixed, so I am not sure what can be done. It is already installed, so I don't know if they'd cover a removal and installation of a new door.
I guess my word of caution is to ask for a receipt from your gc for every bit of material before you sign on with the gc. Do not assume you can ask for a copy after the job is done. make sure it stipulates you get your own copy of these records.

Did the GC give you an itemized bill for your job? That would be good enough for most manufacturers, I would think. All they really want to know is when you purchased it. My kitchen dealership has on occasion reprinted invoices for people 10 years later if they lost their paperwork.

Most warranties do not cover labor to replace...and some will void the warranty if a damaged product was installed.

Dianalo, I would think that your patio door would be replace (it was defective, not damaged)...but you will probably have to pay for the labor. You could ask the GC to do...afterall he installed a defective door. They should always inspect materials. Is the chip barely noticeable? Maybe you can live with it if labor costs are high.

Anyway...great topic to bring up! Ask for GC's receipts or ask the GC to provide an itemized list of all materials and date of purchase.

One builder I know, has a rubbermaid container on every job site. It's where he puts warranty info, receipts, bills, misc. parts, touch up kits...and all those little things that can get lost/misplaced during a build. Then the homeowner has a nice bin for all these things to store away in the garage or attic. Then everything is there when there is a warranty issue.

Our GC, for a recent addition, gave us a weekly list of expenses and monthly gave us an envelope with either the copies or originals of all of the receipts.

kompy - we are suing the gc for not finishing our work, so this would get added to the complaint. The gc should have inspected it. We taped the little screw hole covers in baggies on the glass part until after it got painted so they would not get lost and when I was cleaning it the other day, saw the chip near the parts baggies that made it harder to see. The door is still not painted, so it would be less of a loss to swap it out now than if we had finished it off. If it were a used door, or if we had it a few years, it would be no big deal. I am just so tired because of paying for a new extension and renovation and having so many new things that are not done up to standard for new construction. If I had gotten a deal on the door, I might have not worried about it, but we paid full price and there is a defect. It is ok for us to blow off the defect, but they should have noticed it and brought it to our attention or ordered a new one for us. They gave us no choice. Their job was to provide a new door, free of defects, and install it. I am not willing to compromise on inferior materials or work any more from them. We tried being nice while they were working on our project, but they left us in the lurch and now we have the added stress of pursuing them to get them to fulfill their obligations. We get nothing for the extra hassle and time lost. So, if making them pay for the new door to be put in and the old one taken out seems petty, well, so be it. They should have done it themselves and we would not have to pay another person to do it! It is just another example of them giving us a less than promised outcome. If we weren't already suing them and it were a rare exception, we'd let it slide. There just are so many big and small items that need addressing that it has added up to no more tolerance on our part.

The contract is only itemized to say "sink" and "faucet" and "garbage disposal," no models or brands listed. I'm going to ask for receipt copies. Thanks for letting me know that some GC's consider this SOP. (And that some, dianalo, are incompetent, unethical boobs, not to say thieves.)

It occurs to me that the Danze faucet in the upstairs bath probably has a warranty on it, and I should have invoked it years ago when it started peeling, and I have no receipt. It was a different GC, but funny I never thought about this receipt/warranty thing before. GW has certainly been an education.

Both of our GC's 6 yrs apart gave me itemized charges on one page showing their time and subs times and the receipts copies were stapled to the front sheet. Perfect and weekly like clock work. This way you never ever get out of sink ( no pun) with what is going on . No receipt/no money out/no work/ ....we talk and get it settled. No horror stories. c

Just wondering...

Is it strange that I went out and bought everything myself? Sink, floor tiles, backsplash, faucet, applaiance, EVERYTHING? I just wanted to do it all myself and not worry about the GC getting the right stuff.

I told the stores I was CGing the job myself and most of them gave me a discount (usually 10%).

Sorry I can't help the OP and I don't mean to hijack yer thread!!

My contractor hubby almost insists that the homeowner buys all materials, to escape all the issues above. There are a few where we will buy the materials, get reimbursed, & receipts are given to HO. But if the contractor goes out & buys them, the HO will be charged for the extra time. I personally would not trust a contractor to purchase finish materials.

~Jeana

I also bought everything even though I had a GC...the receipts I was talking about were for the wood/nails/caulk every single thing that was used. I picked out every important piece and had it delivered to the house or picked it up so I had every warranty and the inst. for install and cutouts...copies were made and lost by GC and subs over and over but THAT is another story LOL. c