First-time home owners and issues with contractor

9 years ago

I know a lot of people complain about general contractors, and I'm one of them. But I'm curious if I'm being the difficult client as my contractor seems to imply.

In the beginning, we loved our contractor because he was very accommodating to all our ideas and he seemed to communicate so well and wanted to address all our needs as much as possible. At least that's what he said. To give you a little more background we are in California and legally we can only pay him 10% as deposit or 1000 whichever is less. Well he didn't ask for a deposit since we asked him to work right away, but on the first day of work he asked us for 2400 as a move on amount which is about 2/3 of the whole project. The project consists of the bathroom gutting/remodeling and other installations throughout the house. We aren't aware whether we need permits for this, but we are assuming we don't.

Well, this is where I feel we as the clients are guilty of misjudgment of planning. We did not know we had to order all the material before we hired a contractor to do work. we thought we had to consult with him before we did so. Our contractor was aware of that and told us not to worry that only less than 15% of people are ready with their all their material orders at the beginning. He said he wanted us to take our time because he would rather it take more time than to have to redo something because it was not what we wanted. Anyway, I felt bad that he didn't have all his material. We told him that he would have to wait a month to install the sinktop because it took that long to come directly from Kohler and he understood or so it seemed.

He started work on 3/11 and he is still not done with the tiling as of 4/5 today. The tiles were the first to arrive on 3/12. He picked them up 3/16 had a week to start on it. That's when he started to be flaky and show up less and less for work. His reason was his tiler had a baby, so he was missing help. I understand that as a mother but why couldn't he do the tiling himself. At the end of the week he was unresponsive and wouldn't return calls. He said he would come to work but didn't at least twice that week. He apologized the following Monday and said he would be able to do all the work in a week by 4/6 Friday. Unfortunately, we paid him too much upfront to fire him and my " very nice" husband wanted to give him more slack. We asked him to stop work for a week while we had our floors redone and when he came back on 3/30 his tiler started the tiling. We couldn't be happier until we found out on Wednesday they were two tiles short of finishing. He originally told us we needed 107 sq ft of tiles and when I ordered 120 sq ft he said that was more than usual. Now he is saying it wasn't his fault because he didn't order the tiles and I ordered it. He said being short only two tiles is pretty "damn" close in his mind. hahahah... Well now if I want those two tiles I have to special order and pay 80 dollars. So being cheap I decided to get two samples for free and got them for him Friday afternoon, the day he was supposed to finish everything. He didn't come to work Thursday and Friday because the tiles weren't there although there was so much other stuff he did not finish like the recessed shelf, vanity, sconces, towel bars etc.

Now we are waiting for him to reschedule and finish the bathroom.

Husband and I are pretty astonished at how he is now complaining to us that he lost so much money because he had to sit around for us to order the material and that he didn't charge us an extra 85 dollars for each time for his pickup of our materials when he originally told us he was more than happy to pick up our supplies and material.

This is a very long story and it helped me get some perspective as I'm typing it. Long Sigh~~~! I know we aren't perfect clients but we are first-timers. Are we that difficult to work with?

We are currently trying to work with him so he can finish the job. We just don't hear from him. We aren't sure of his workmanship yet since we haven't seen tiles done before, but our painter said they did a pretty rough job on spotting the drywall that it made more work for him.

I'm guessing this is not serious enough to fire him and hire another contractor this late in the game. We are hoping to move in 4/14 but we don't know how to work with this type of volatile person to make that happen. What can I do without provoking him more? He seems very aggravated and seems even more uncooperative after our very heated conversation. My husband tried to reason with him, but my husband said the contractor just kept talking about what we did wrong and how it cost him. Someone had mentioned filing a complaint but wouldn't that irk him more and he would just leave the job unfinished? Are city inspectors needed only for work that needs permits? Help!

Featured Answer

weedyacres

9 years ago

Yes, you've got a run-of-the-mill incompetent contractor. Learn from this and don't hire such a one again.

He's whining about losing money, but it's his job to tell you what materials need to be on hand for him to work, and then not come back until they're there. He's supposed to be the expert. If he's not clear in his instructions, then he can't blame you. And he's using the material availability issue as a smokescreen for why he hasn't showed up regularly even after the stuff was all there. This is Incompetent Contractor 101: How to String Multiple Customers Along by Juggling Multiple Jobs and Getting Nothing Done for Anyone. And Incompetent Contractor 201: How to Twist the Customer's Complaint Around To Make It Their Fault. Don't fall for that. Ignore his deflection. He's in the wrong.

On to what to do now: what's left to do? If you're on the home stretch, then it might be worth cutting him loose and getting someone in to finish up. If your payment is still ahead of the work, then you've got to get tougher. If he's licensed, then he'll have a bond in California that you can tap into to get repaid for him not doing the work. You could threaten to do that, and see if it lights a fire.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (36)

User
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
$3500 to do the work that you've described is an abysmally small amount and should have been your first red flag. No permits is your second red flag. Allowing a homeowner to order products with no oversight or input is the third red flag. Not charging you a markup on that product for that supervision, coordination, and other logistics is the fourth red flag.

Yor choice at this point is to work with him, or to get rid of him. If you ever go to sell your house, any buyers will want to see the permits for the remodels, so I come firmly down on the side off parting ways and finding someone who will do the job properly. It won't be unlicensed Cheap Charlie like you hired here though. Triple to quadruple the costs to do a proper job. But, there's the right way, and a whole lot of wrong ways. Which way do you want to travel down?
joelovesjennie thanked User
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
joelovesjennie:

This guy isn't showing up because every time he does, takes an economic beating. I was interviewed for a podcast yesterday morning and the radio hosts asked me what advice I had for fellow contractors starting out, their main audience. I told them that you have to learn to get your butt kicked. LIfe isn't fair. The trick is to keep your beatings to 1-4% of your total billings.

Don't cheat this youngster out of his education, please. He's paying tuition at estimating school.

I take a refresher course every now and then myself.
joelovesjennie thanked Joseph Corlett, LLC
Related Discussions
Writing an honest review of my contractor
Q
Comments (60)
jellytoast, Here's what they said: "Thank you for utilizing the Angie's List complaint resolution process. I am pleased to report that [I'm omitting company name, although not sure they deserve it] has agreed to resolve your issue. Please find enclosed an updated report form. We would like to add your report to the company records as soon as possible. Because this company has resolved the aforementioned complaint according to your request, we will discard the report you originally submitted. If you would like to provide a positive (A or B) report, based on your experience with this company, you may do so by completing the form below." When I objected to these constraints, saying I'd be doing members a disservice to provide such a good review, they said: "Thanks for your feedback. The “constraints” that Angie’s List has put in place for reviews that are left after a company resolves a complaint are policies that you agreed to when beginning this process. You are not obligated to write a new review." millworkman, I've heard before the "pay for play" claim about them, and yet they claim the opposite, that reviews are based solely on user experience. How does this pay-to-play supposedly work?
...See More
terrified first time home owners
Q
Comments (28)
This is such an interesting question. We are also DIYers and bought property to build our own house on. We even talked about doing it a decade ago and it didn’t work out. Can I say I’m SO GLAD it didn’t work out when we were younger and less experienced homeowners? We did what @cpartist said - bought a fixer upper (two, actually) and lived in them for the last decade, fixing them as we go and learning technical skills, space planning, where to splurge and where to cut costs, etc. If we had built right away a decade ago we would have had a MUCH INFERIOR house over what we can build now. From a living standpoint and fit and finish, both. Currently we are in the second fixer upper as our temporary/investment property that we are fixing and living in during the build we will start next year. This gives us a staging ground so he time pressure is off us to get it done faster than we can afford. It’s also let us test out everything from cabinetry join methods to drywall finish, tile setting, pulling new wire and redoing an electrical panel, multiple types of plumbing and HVAC repairs and installs, even furniture building and cut/install of molding and trim. This is our low stakes test house. And we can rent or sell it once we move, so sweat equity will pay dividends that will help cover our mortgage costs for the new place. I highly recommend doing it this way. Life and priorities change over the years, as do skills and finances. There is a reason even most of us diehard DIYers don’t start out with the ‘dream house build’ :)
...See More
Care for New Lawn(Sod) - First time home owner
Q
Comments (4)
You don't need phosphorous unless you have a current soil chemistry test showing low phosphorous. Since this is new construction, you might ask your neighbors to see if anyone else has gotten a good soil test, because your soil is going to be identical to everyone else's. The best place in the US to get a soil test is Logan Labs in Ohio. Why is it the best? Because, for $25 they do more tests than other labs, the tests are more repeatable than other labs (meaning you'll get the same results as your neighbors' sending in the same soil), and the test is more reliable (meaning more accurate results than other labs). There is another garden forum where they sent soil samples to labs across the country. Two labs stood head and shoulders above the university labs and other private labs. Those labs are Logan Labs and UMASS. If you aren't an expert soil chemistry analyst, you can post your LL results to another forum and they will read it for you. They will tell you what to use, when, how much, how often, and where to get the materials. If you Google soil test, dchall_san_antonio, and morpheuspa, you'll find the forum. They have all the instructions for digging up the soil and how to get it done. As for your soil not being the best, you're going to make it the best starting with the soil test and your care of the soil. Just leveling and putting down the sod is a perfect start. Even builder grade sod is light years better than your parent's lawn, for example. You do not necessarily need to aerate it in October. I realize many, many people will tell you that, but that's old technology. Research on athletic fields and golf courses shows that using a surfactant is equally good as core aerating for keeping the soil open. Personally I think surfactants are far superior to core aeration. The golf courses spend a ton on surfactants, but you can get away with using shampoo. I use baby shampoo, but you can use anything you can get from Dollar Tree as long as you can see through the bottle. The shampoo needs to be clear and not cloudy with conditioners. The application rate is 3 ounces (or more) per 1,000 square feet. You can apply it any day of the year, or every day of the year. It won't hurt anything. I applied it once in 2012 and have not needed to repeat. Here are the basics of lawn care for a novice. You may as well get the full deal so you can have something to refer to. There are three main elements. Those are, in order of importance, watering, mowing, and fertilizing. Minor elements are weed and pest control. Watering: Deep and infrequent is the mantra for watering a mature lawn. Deep means 1 inch all at one time. You can measure this using tuna or cat food cans. Put some cans around the yard and time how long it takes your sprinkler to fill all the cans. If one can takes forever, you may need to adjust the sprinkler. Remember the time it takes to fill the cans and that will be your watering time from now on. My oscillator sprinkler on full sweep, with my hose and water pressure, takes 8 hours to fill the cans. Your time will be different, so you have to check your sprinkler. Infrequent refers to how often you water. For new sod you will need to water much less deep and much more often. Typically people water 3x per day for 5-10 minutes for the first two weeks until the sod is knit down to the underlying soil. If your sod is already knit down, then you can work your way up to the normal deep and infrequent. Infrequent refers to how often you water. There are many factors affecting how the soil dries out, but the main one is the air temperature. When temps are below 70 degrees F, you should deep water about once a month. When temps are between 70 and 80, deep water once every 3 weeks. When temps are between 80 and 90, water once every 2 weeks. When temps are in the 90s, water once a week. If you get temps above 100, water once every 5 days. Note that you never water for just a few minutes and you never water every day. If you water like this you'll avoid many weed issues (they need continual moisture to germinate), disease issues (fungal diseases need continual moisture), and the grass will develop deeper roots that withstand the summer heat and dry spells. If it rains, take that into account when timing your next irrigation. For my area in Texas, and for most years, I don't have to water until July because we typically get multiday rain events in late May. Watch the grass and let it tell you when to water. Mowing: Mulch mow the grass at or near the mower's highest setting. Grass grows at the same rate no matter how high/low you mow it. Mowing high has the benefits of looking great most of the time, it provides more shade to the soil keeping it cooler, and it provides shade covering weed seeds which need sunlight to germinate. Mulching returns the clippings to the soil like an organic fertilizer would. If you see piles of grass when you mow, then mow over the piles to scatter the shreds of grass around. You don't want clumps of grass sitting on top of the grass. Fertilizing: First fertilizer of spring should come in late spring, not early spring. You'll have to turn your eyes and ears off during the commercials on TV and don't listen to the hardware store hucksters trying to sell seed and fertilizer in February. Memorial Day is a good day for fertilizer in your area. If you apply in March you'll need it again in late May anyway, and you don't need it in March, so save yourself the time/money. In the spring the grass will tend to leap out of the ground no matter what you do. If you fertilize early it will leap faster requiring more mowing. Plus the grass burns itself out nutritionally, so just don't do it early. Use a real fertilizer and not a weed and feed product. Morpheuspa will come by to help you pick a fertilizer. I'll give you a heads up, though, he's an organic kind of guy (as am I), so open your mind to other possibilities. Fertilize again on Labor Day and again around Thanksgiving. Weed control: Apply a preemergent herbicide when the forsythia start to bloom in your neighborhood. That means buy the preemergent before they start to bloom so you're ready. Again, morph can help you pick one. For weeds that slip through the preemergent barrier, you can spot spray those in mid April with a product like Weed b Gon or Weed b Gon Chickweed, Clover, and Oxalis Killer. There are some specialty herbicides for special weeds and grassy weeds. If you get a grass or plant that does not go away with the WBG products, take pictures and post them here. That's what the forum is for. If you are doing the watering and mowing properly, you should have very minimal weed pressure even if your yard backs up to a field of weeds. For example one writer here reported that his neighbor's crab grass came to a complete stop at his border, because he was mowing his grass high. Crabgrass must have full sun, so tall grass is an excellent control against it. Insect control: Don't worry about insects unless and until you see damage to your lawn. There are bazillions of insects that live in lawns and cause no damage at all. I can't cover them all in one go, so if you think you have an insect problem in the summer, please write back. Disease control: Sometimes Mother Nature throws a curve and blesses you with enough rain to cause regional disease issues. If you have an active disease, then consider using a fungicide. Otherwise, do not use fungicides because you get scared that you might get a disease. Just because your neighbor gets a disease does not mean you will.
...See More
Advice for first time home owner
Q
Comments (3)
My advice is to make the house liveable, that is to use what furniture you already have to make use of each room. Then slowly add to fill in the missing pieces. Look at resale stores and Craig's List for furniture, rugs, and mirrors. Let the final "decorating" come as you are inspired. You might want to concentrate the final decorating on the rooms that you use most, usually the one with the TV--other rooms can remain bare until you are inspired or happen on "just the right thing".
...See More
Related Professionals
Ballenger Creek Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Commerce City Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · East Peoria Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Leicester Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Wentzville Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Normal Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · North Arlington Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Terrell Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Birmingham Interior Designers & Decorators · View Park-Windsor Hills Interior Designers & Decorators · Chicago Ridge General Contractors · DeSoto General Contractors · Red Wing General Contractors · Redding General Contractors · Riverside General Contractors
Vertise
9 years ago
"Well he didn't ask for a deposit since we asked him to work right away, but on the first day of work he asked us for 2400 as a move on amount which is about 2/3 of the whole project. "

I would call that a deposit. Payment in advance for work not done. Unfortunately, you probably won't be refunded. You could try small claims.

You are on a learning curve here and, sadly, are dealing with someone who is completely unprofessional. He does not seem to have a clue. Curious how you found him, and did you get any other bids?

It would be best to cut your losses - it will only get worse with someone like that, as you are seeing.
joelovesjennie thanked Vertise
sjhockeyfan325
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Do you really mean $2400 or was that a typo? If you meant $24,000 (meaning the whole project isabout $35,000), I could understand it, but you can't demolish a kitchen, let alone rebuild it (in pricey California) for $3500.
0
joelovesjennie thanked sjhockeyfan325
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
9 years ago
One other thing, he's paying twice as much "tuition" as necessary. You can lose money on the job or you can have an unhappy customer, or you can have both. Since he's got to lose money anyway, why pay extra and have an unhappy customer too? Ask him this, please.
0
joelovesjennie thanked Joseph Corlett, LLC
Vertise
9 years ago
Ask him what?
0
Peter (6b SE NY)
9 years ago
Having owned a house for a year, I can say that the vast majority of contractors suck, and many are total ripoff artists. Don't ever trust them, and if you want a really good one that is going to do a really good job, and be trustworthy, it costs a lot of $$$. There is always a reason the cheap guy is the cheap guy.
joelovesjennie thanked Peter (6b SE NY)
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
9 years ago
snookums2:

Ask him why, since he's only got to lose money, is is choosing to have an unhappy customer too? Fair question.
0
joelovesjennie thanked Joseph Corlett, LLC
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
9 years ago
Peter:

According to the amount of complaints received by the Better Business Bureau, we're a bunch of choir boys, especially compared to car salespeople and members of Congress. We didn't even make the top 8.
0
joelovesjennie
Original Author
9 years ago
sjhockeyfan325- 2400 is not a typo. He gave us an estimate of $4,136 for bathroom remodel and installation of 3 ceiling fans. I believe the installation of the fans was $880. so that would mean he charged us $3,256 for the gutting/remodeling of the bathroom.

It seems the consensus is that we were too cheap. He was highly referred by another mom in a mom's group I belong to. I found out they were friends since high school. Oh well. That's beside the point.

Your comments are giving me another perspective. I'm understanding that he miscalculated the work and charged us too little.

Joseph Corlett, LLC- I don't want to cross him anymore. Any other ideas on how I can win him over and have him finish the job. And when you say: "Don't cheat this youngster out of his education, please." Do you mean I should continue to work with him? But how?

The contractor IS on the younger side ( late 20s early 30s) and I was very reluctant about that. Supposedly he has 5 years of experience. But my husband said he seemed very easy to work with as he was very friendly and a smooth talker, thus hired him. Another thing was he was the only one available to work right away. All the other ones were booked when we needed them. Now I know that's another red flag. But what were we supposed to do wait another 2 months for the "good" contractor to be available? If we knew when we were going to close on the house we would have hired someone 2 months ago. In our case, within weeks of closing we looked for contractors, got bids and asked them to work the next week.

Sophie Wheeler- What kind of permits do we need for a bathroom remodel? I feel so ignorant about this.
0
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
joelovesjennie:

Seriously, have him read this thread. It's a given that he's losing money. Let him know you know he is losing money, so since he's going to be out the money anyway, wouldn't he at least like to have a happy customer out of the deal? Be sympathetic but stern. You promise to say nice things if he finishes up promptly. If he has any brains at all, he'll jump on the new deal.

I only work about half as much as I'd like; that's because my rates are so high. The good thing for customers that are willing to pay my rates is that my high rates make me available. I'd rather work less for higher pay and always have room for another high-paying job than lower my rates and be busy all the time. Your guy lowered his rates to get a job and lowered them too far. He needs to pay the price for this mistake or he won't learn from the experience.

If this guy is licensed, he should know and pull the permits required for the job. Never hire a contractor that insists you pull the permits.
0
joelovesjennie thanked Joseph Corlett, LLC
jellytoast
9 years ago
What kind of contractor license does he even have? Is he a general contractor? A tile contractor?
0
joelovesjennie
Original Author
9 years ago
gc
0
User
9 years ago
Sorry, but did he tell you he was a GC, or did he show you his registration with the state that you verified. And did you verify his insurance with his carrier? Someone that doesn't pull permits is likely to not be legit in others. I.e, he may not actually be able to pull permits because he isn't registered. He hasn't been exactly upstanding with you here, and you are a newbie, so you may not have thought to actually verify.
0
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
My Florida or Michigan licenses can be verified online anytime in minutes, as can any in California.
0
joelovesjennie
Original Author
9 years ago
yes, we also verified online on the same site Joseph linked, but we didn't ask to see it. We also checked his bon d amount, but didn't check his insurance with carrier.
0
joelovesjennie
Original Author
9 years ago
I'm still not understanding the permits part. Even though we didn't move a wall or demolish one, we still need a permit to remodel a bathroom?
0
Vertise
9 years ago
'Bathroom remodel' is a very loose term. What exactly are you having done? 'You buy materials'. So his $4100 figure is for labor only?

He is not getting things done or showing up, getting volatile, wasting your time and money going about things in a disorganized way because he doesn't know what he is doing. Nothing is going to change that.
0
User
9 years ago
Plumbing and electrical requires permits. Bathrooms require both, to current codes. Lighting has to comply with Title 24 requirements. You may have seismic retrofit requirements depending on where you are located in CA. Some locales have more restrictive requirements in a very restrictive state.
0
joelovesjennie thanked User
bry911
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I am not sure whether or not you need a permit. When you say gut the bathroom, everyone here is going to think what you are doing requires a permit. But if gut the bathroom means taking down ugly wallpaper and putting up tile then you may not. It really only takes a phone call to be sure, so call and find out.

I would guess there is going to be some mechanical work involved and for that you need a permit.
0
joelovesjennie thanked bry911
joelovesjennie
Original Author
9 years ago
snookums2-Yes, 4100 for labor mostly. Some things like grout, baseboard, recessed shelf he said he would provide, but not quite sure he meant he will charge us for that or not.

Sophie Wheeler- had no idea. husband talked with some electricians and they said you could if you want to, but it would cost a lot more time and money. we thought we didn't have to, but it seems it is required from what I'm reading on your comment.

bry911- we gut it meaning replaced everything. we have a new bathtub, vanity, sconces, recessed lighting, recessed shelf, new towel bars and hooks, fan, toilet and vanity position switched, and new tiles.
0
PRO
Christopher Nelson Wallcovering and Painting
9 years ago
quote" But what were we supposed to do wait another 2 months for the "good" contractor to be available? "

Now you know the answer to your own question, right?
joelovesjennie thanked Christopher Nelson Wallcovering and Painting
User
9 years ago
You definitely need permits for that scope of work. Which you can use to your leverage to get out of the contract should you desire to take that route. Talk to your local permit office about getting the permits after the fact now.
0
joelovesjennie thanked User
Mags438
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Your licensing/permits requirements info may be online at city's website. Any reno as you describe usually takes planning and lead time. You order all the fixtures and things while searching for contractor(s). Most/all contractors who are supplying labor expect those items to be on site before the demo begins.
0
joelovesjennie thanked Mags438
geoffrey_b
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
@joel: That's a ridiculously low amount. Four years ago I demoed our down stairs bath, and put in all new fixtures and shower. It was about $9,000 - not counting labor.

A poorly installed bathroom can leak and mold in a couple of years.

What about the floor - did he screw down 3/4" plywood, and then thinset and cement board?

The other thing you need to be concerned about is the waterproofing around the bathtub / shower.
0
joelovesjennie thanked geoffrey_b
feddup
9 years ago
I feel for you. This guy sounds pretty shady, and, unfortunately, you are new to this experience and too trusting. Most of the contractors I've worked with, even those whose work itself was good, have disappointed me in one way or another. I don't know any homeowner who doesn't feel this way. They start out like first dates, all eager to please, but then they gradually reveal their real, usually unpleasant, selves. I can't tell you how many times I've heard variations on the "tiler had a baby" excuse. People have babies. People get sick. Floods, snow, and hurricanes happen. Most people at most jobs would get fired if they kept using such excuses for missing work or not finishing on time. And though I've had quality work done by a contractor who didn't pull permits, I don't recommend it. Permit requirements vary state to state, and maybe even more locally. If he does have a license, complaints to the issuing authority may provide some recourse, but I'm not knowledgeable about this.

I wouldn't worry about trying to win him over. If he's not trying to win you over, he's probably taking advantage of you and your niceness. Expecting him to change is like an abused wife who believes her husband when he says he'll change, or even worse, that the beating is her fault. This is an expensive lesson, but many of us have paid a lot more to learn to be more cautious. And just ignore the other contractors here who just want to blame you and brag about themselves.
joelovesjennie thanked feddup
joelovesjennie
Original Author
9 years ago
Our bathroom is quite small at 8 x 4.9 sq ft. We only needed a 100 sq ft of tiling. Anyway labor and material/parts included came out to around 5500. The labor only was around 3200.
0
joelovesjennie
Original Author
9 years ago
Today, the tiler and helper came to work to finish the two tiles he was missing, but didn't see the contractor. He hasn't come to the house for the last several work days. (since our heated argument, actually). I'm actually hopeful that he came to his senses and will finish up. I don't think their tile job is that fabulous, but I just want them done and out at this point. It's really helpful to hear all your comments every one of them. I'm not the nice one though, my husband is. I just couldn't stand watching from the sidelines and tried to talk some sense into the guy, but it didn't work. I just can't wait to write a honest review about him. But then again, he might hunt me down.
0
User
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
A "gut rehab" means all finishes and fixtures are removed exposing the studs, ceiling joists and sub-floor. In most jurisdictions that requires a building permit since all current code requirements (plumbing, electrical, energy conservation, ventilation, etc) would have to be met as if it were new construction. The contractor would have to have either a general construction supervision license or home improvement license or both. A building permit would normally be in the name of the owner but the contractor usually files the paperwork because he must show evidence of his license and insurance to the building dept. at the time of filing. An electrician and plumber would also get permits for their work. A building inspector would only inspect the work described in the permit unless he happens to see unauthorized work while on the job site.
0
joelovesjennie thanked User
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
9 years ago
"A building permit would normally be in the name of the owner but the contractor usually files the paperwork because he must show evidence of his license and insurance to the building dept. at the time of filing."

That's illegal in Florida. I doubt it's legal in California. Contractors pull permits in their names on behalf of owners.
0
joelovesjennie thanked Joseph Corlett, LLC
weedyacres
9 years ago
Every jurisdiction is different. I just pulled a permit for a room addition in my name. We're going to hire a contractor to build the shell and we'll finish the inside. The contractor will call for the 2 inspections in his jurisdiction and we'll call for the rest.
joelovesjennie thanked weedyacres
jellytoast
9 years ago
I'm in Cali where homeowner's can pull their own permits. I've done several remodels acting as my own GC, and had no problem pulling my own permits. It made more sense, time-wise and money-wise, than asking each of my subcontractors to go down to the city and pull each individual permit for their portion of the project. It's not exactly cost effective for the hot mopper to spend half the morning at the city pulling a permit for a job that he's going to be paid less than $500.00 for. If I were hiring a GC, I would expect them to pull the permits for the entire job.
0
joelovesjennie thanked jellytoast
joelovesjennie
Original Author
9 years ago
Update: the contractor worked for a few days and he left unfinished again. We are under the impression he will not be back for another week. We will have to move in with the bathroom unfinished and unusable. The tub faucet and shower hose, vanity installation, shelf completion, towel bars, toilet paper holder are all incomplete. I gave the reins to my husband and he is being very lenient again and said lets give them another week. The contractor on the other hand is still complaining that its all our fault and he is losing money every time he comes with his guys who he has to pay $600/ daily. How can we communicate with someone who is being unreasonable?

What is the best way to part ways with this human being? (My husband may end up with a stroke at this point. He's the type that takes it all in.) If someone can give me a step by step guide as to what we can do, it would be extremely helpful.
0
joelovesjennie
Original Author
9 years ago
weedyacres-- I'm a bit wary about "threatening" him because he seems a bit immature and volatile. ( interpreted: I don't feel safe or feel sure he will leave us in peace) That's why we are trying the carrot to the horse's mouth approach. Any other advice would be helpful in best way to get rid of him or possibly still work with him.
0
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
9 years ago
How is his losing money every time he comes your problem? He has to take his beating like a man. It's the only way we learn how to estimate. He'll thank you for it eventually.
joelovesjennie thanked Joseph Corlett, LLC

First-time home owners and issues with contractor

Comments (36)

Related Discussions

Related Professionals

joelovesjennieOriginal Author

joelovesjennieOriginal Author

joelovesjennieOriginal Author

joelovesjennieOriginal Author

joelovesjennieOriginal Author

joelovesjennieOriginal Author

joelovesjennieOriginal Author

joelovesjennieOriginal Author

joelovesjennieOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

joelovesjennie
Original Author

joelovesjennie
Original Author

joelovesjennie
Original Author

joelovesjennie
Original Author

joelovesjennie
Original Author

joelovesjennie
Original Author

joelovesjennie
Original Author

joelovesjennie
Original Author

joelovesjennie
Original Author