Quote:
Originally Posted by Davey
I'm not expecting perfection... But the light switches are installed upside-down, so they say "NO" and "FFO". Is that too much to ask? I mean for crying out loud I replaced a light switch last weekend and I had the foresight to look at the switch and think "Hey, when the lever is 'up' that's "ON". It's like this guy has never wired a damned light switch or something.
They also did a crappy job of framing the recessed medicine cabinet and then shoved it into the wall and bent/broke it making it fit the not-square framing and pushed on the lathe on the other side of the wall and made a 10" crack in the plaster in my dining room.
They also didn't order the new window until the 2nd week and found out it was a special order that will take 14 days.
So yeah, I'm not expecting perfection at all, I'd just like something better than what I'm getting, which is pretty bad.  |
That's pretty unacceptable. But having dealt with plenty of contractors like this one, it is in your best interest, assuming you are having them complete the work, to not be argumentative or accusatory when discussing the problems you have with their work. Try not to be passive aggressive, either; contractors get defensive very easily when you start questioning their work. But definitely don't be afraid to point out anything you aren't happy with. It really is all about the approach. Some guys want to be the smartest guy in the room, so I let them think I don't have a clue even though I know exactly what they should have done to get it right the first time - but other guys don't even want to talk with you if they think you're too stupid to know what's going on (these guys are often more reasonable in their discussions and will actually listen to you if you know what you're talking about).
The last thing you want is a pissed off contractor finishing up your renovations...
A couple of other notes, a lot of contractors want payment in full before they're done with the work - it allows them to leave the job a lot easier. You should always have a retainer (10-20% of the total is good in most cases but more is not uncommon) that is not paid until the end of the job. If they say they need more than 50% (20-30% is more likely the actual amount) for materials, call bull$hit unless you are getting major equipment like water heaters, condensing unit, furnace, or extremely expensive finishes.