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One Of Us Has Got To Go

Joseph Corlett, LLC

8 years ago

I’m lying over the gable end
of a one-story roof with a pry bar in one hand and a hammer in the other. The
homeowner has climbed my ladder and his face is much too close to the hammer’s
swinging claw end. By the time he retrieves a nail puller from his garage, I’ve
already got the trim removed. He desperately climbs the ladder and starts to
pull the facia board, but I explain that I don’t want that removed. We meet on the lawn.

“I know this is your home and you’re writing the checks, but this is my job,
it’s going to have my name on it, and it will be done my way” I state firmly
and matter-of-factly.

“Well, I guess we’re going to
have to come to some sort of agreement” he says. Right answer; now we’re
getting somewhere.

“Get your sorry white-collar-air-conditioned a$$ the f&*k off my job” I
told him. Okay, I made that up, but that’s exactly what I was thinking. He’s
not a bad guy, but when it comes to extending the overhang on his gable, he’s a
lot like a Labrador retriever puppy; full of enthusiasm and action, but clumsy
and not so good at taking commands yet.

He and his wife waited until
the roofers were tearing off their shingles to start shopping for someone to
extend their gable. In her Thumbtack profile (Thumbtack is an internet lead service),
she put “Time is of the essence” which is music to my eyes. I have a customer
who has just switched “availability” for “price” in her list of priorities.
Since my rates are relatively high, the marketplace makes me more available. I
emailed her a no-money-down proposal and she acknowledged it. We have a deal.

I’m certain it was my tone
that got her old man to capitulate. He could tell by the sound of my voice that
if he didn’t get back to his office, I was going to pack up and chalk up the
hour and a half drive each way. We are not negotiating.

“I’m going back to my
office.” Ahhh….

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PRO

Cabot & Rowe

8 years ago

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Comments (10)

PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
Original Author
8 years ago

Copied gable.

I documented the neighboring
gable for dimensions and details, did demolition, and picked up materials. I’m
not going to just tack up a gable extension.
I removed the roof sheathing from the gable edge back to the next truss,
installed the cantilevered sheathing, and called it a day.

“I thought you’d have gotten
more done than that,” Mr. Homeowner says the next morning.

“Oh, that was the hard part yesterday” I deflect. “It’s fairly straightforward
now.”

I toenailed blocking between
the sheathing and facia, trimmed out the tails in rough-sawn cedar to match the
existing, installed the new facia and trim and matched the ventilated soffit.

I called them out just before
dark when I finished. They were very pleased. A major architectural flaw of
their home had been abated, on time and under budget. We even laughed about me
throwing him off his own job.

Before.

After.
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energy_rater_la
8 years ago
oh the times I've heard that "“I thought you’d have gotten
more done than that,”...LOL!
0
starnold
8 years ago
Thank you for this reminder!
0
PRO
By Any Design Ltd.
8 years ago
Love the sign with the guy throwing the wrench. That's priceless.
0
AnnKH
8 years ago
I'd pay extra to watch a craftsman at work. Watching other people work is one of my favorite things!

I would provide cold drinks and cookies, if that helps.
Vith
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Same here, I like to learn as much as possible. But I dont hover over a contractor, that gets annoying real quick. If I hire someone to do something, they can do it, ill just check in here and there see how its going make sure its going according to plan.
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
Original Author
8 years ago
When you show up in the emergency room with your bones sticking out of your skin, you don't start telling the surgeon that you've watched a few YouTube videos and that you'd prefer he use titanium pins, yet that same person has no trouble offering "help" to a contractor to save money.
Vith
8 years ago
People do need to be explained what will be done to them and consent to it. If you have your right mind and do not understand the procedure and do not agree with it, it wont be done. You also have the choice to choose which doctor you want and if you know someone who works at a hospital, they will know which docs are better than others ;) I would say the only time you dont get a choice is when your life is threatened and surgery needs to be done NOW with whoever is available at that time.
User
8 years ago
here here !!!!

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