Are all Contractors complete losers??

[Tina]

We are having some tile work done around the house. The master bath shower stall (we had gutted it ourselves after a leak), the newly constructed full bath in the basement, and the floor in the newly constructed basement wet bar. We talked to several different guys and chose this one. He seemed to have it all together. Very cool guy, saw pictures of his beautiful work, professional, thorough in his estimate, wrote a complete detailed contract - including time estimate. He was great. Until workday #1! I think he must have sent his evil twin to do the actual labor.

Day #1: I get up early, get ready, get everything cleared out of the bathroom for him by 8am and wait for him to show up.... ..... finally, I call him around noon and get his voicemail. I leave a message asking what time he will be starting. He calls back around 1pm and says he's finishing a job that ran behind last week, but should be over soon. Ok, fine. Things like that happen. I would have liked a phone call, but fine.... He shows up at 2:30. He does some banging around in the master bath and goes home at 4pm. Before he leaves, I ask what time I can expect him tomorrow.... no later than 10am, ma'am.

Day #2: 10am comes and goes.... his van pulls up at 12:30 and he has a helper with him. Great!! Now he can make up for lost time with a helper. They bang around in the master for an hour then head back out to the van for a 45 minute smoke break. They finally come back in and start laying tile. The get all the tile laid out in the shower stall and start moving their tools into the basement for the next area (keep in mind tiles are only installed, not grouted). Now it is 4pm - time to go home. I ask what time they'll be starting tomorrow....10am ma'am.

Day #3 (TODAY): Its 2:19 pm... no sign of the tile guy or his helper. I've called an left messages on his voicemail. No reply.

I took time off of work for this????????????? His contract states work will begin Monday and take 4 days to complete... that means done tomorrow... I don't see it happening! This is so frustrating. I feel trapped in my own home because the second I leave, I just know he'll pull up, ready to work.

 

[QuiltTeddy]

I work for a builder and we utilize "subs" for all our trades. Happens all the time. Not unusual in the least bit....I know it doesn't make you feel any better, but....

 

[gina2000]

I've had some absolutely fabulous contractors do work. I've also had some duds. For the most part, though, when I've called references and taken recommendations from contractors whose work and work ethic I appreciated, I've gotten winners.

 

[Wish Upon A Star]

The contractors I have come across haven't been just losers . . . .they were HUGE LIARS as well . . . .but that being said . . .I am the one who had the final say on whom I chose, so it was partly my fault for not reading them the right way.

 

[AllyandJack]

My friend had her contractors take off to Ireland for 3 weeks in the middle of the job. She was 8 months pregnant and the house was unlivable.

She didn't even know where they went until a friend of a friend said he heard from the contractor and they were all having a great time in Ireland over the holidays. She specifically asked them if they had this planned and they all said no.

One day, they just showed up again and started working.

 

[Crankyshank]

It's like any profession - there's good, there's bad, and there's mediocre people in the profession.

 

[Cthia]

I can sympathize with you. We just had our kitchen remodeled, gutted from the walls out, and we had to leave our home unlocked while they did all this work. They started in May and there is no way I could take all that time off. Towards the end of the project (we aren't 100% complete as of yet) they seemed to come on days when they are slow. Hopefully they will be done this week.

My advice to you is talk to him when he gets there and find out what is going on. Even if he has to work late or on the weekend tell him you expect it to be completed this week. I hope you haven't given him too much money already. Once they have too much of the contract you hardly see them working. Good luck.

 

[auntpolly]

Mine was really great! Oh,the whole process is frustrating, no argument there, but it's just really hard to coordinate all that work. I really feel confident that ours did the best he possibly could.

 

[Tina]

I intend to lay it on the line when I see him. We've already paid 50% at the contract signing. I verbally agreed yesterday that he could finish on Friday, rather than Thursday. I intend to tell him that he will complete the job according to the contract description by the end of Friday. I don't care how late he is here. I will not take off more time from work next week. I have no problem taking him to small claims court if he doesn't complete the work.

 

[Sandy V.]

Boy, do I empathize with you. We're finishing out our basement and remodeling our laundry room. I would LOVE to work 10:30 to 2;30; which is the "norm" for the ones at my house.

And we're lucky that I work at home 2 weeks out of every 3, because you're right - they don't show up on the day they say they will, or they neglect to call you if they're going to be late.

I just keep telling myself, "The finished product will be so nice." Because dealing with the unpredicatability drives me crazy!

 

[Tina]

Up until this point, we had done everything in the basemet ourselves except the drywall. We framed it, did the plumbing, electrical, everything. It took us 2 years but at least we were in control. Now I feel so helpless.

 

[WDWHound]

In our experience, 90% percent of home improvement subcontractors are dishonest and unreliable. I hate to generalize like that, but this was been our experience, as well as the experience of everyone I know. Most of them do not arrive on time (if they arrive at all) and will do a slip shod job unless you are there to personally inspect their work.

 

[chrissyk]

Most are horrible to deal with, show up when they darn well please, etc.

We've been lucky in who we dealt with overall, with a few exceptions. This is the second house that we've renovated. I don't have it in me to do this again, but I can't decide if it's better or worse than building from scratch.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

The Contractors on Property Ladder on TLC are always horrible.

 

[dvcfamily41801]

See I want to have our kitchen remodeled and I am scared to death about being left hanging. I said to my husband that I want to order everything and then when I can't walk in my LR or DR because there is countertops and cabinets and sink and flooring, etc. THEN they can come out and do it all! Tha way they can't say they are waiting for the countertop to come in before they can do the cabinets!!

 

[pattyT]

all I have to say as the wife of a general contractor the answer is 'NO'
to those who blame 'subs' - it is the Contractors job to hire responsible subs and keep them in line.
My husband has never advertised in 4 years - all jobs have come referred. I would recoment asking friends and family who they have had do work.
I am sorry you are having so many problems -
But to answer the original question
- Are all contractors losers... no
are there losers that are contractors - yes.

 

[Tina]

Thanks Patty for some positive feedback. Is there any chance your DH does tile work in Northern Virginia???

 

[pattyT]

Thanks Patty for some positive feedback. Is there any chance your DH does tile work in Northern Virginia???

He doesn't like to commute over an hour - cuz it takes away from 'work time'
sorry - lol
and right now he is FINALLY working for me (see blog)

 

[NCRedding]

Tile work is the worst. We added a bathroom that went at lightening pace--well under the time expected. Then came the tile--the project slowed and we ended up being 1 month late in completion.

We have a great contractor in town that we work with (it might help that he is the first boy i ever kissed, so I have some "stuff" to hold over his head). The subs unfortunately appear to be poor--especially if they are preachers on the side. Seems like the ones that lie to me the most around here are the pastors of a small church-it is a little disheartening.

 

[corie161]

all I have to say as the wife of a general contractor the answer is 'NO'
to those who blame 'subs' - it is the Contractors job to hire responsible subs and keep them in line.
My husband has never advertised in 4 years - all jobs have come referred. I would recoment asking friends and family who they have had do work.
I am sorry you are having so many problems -
But to answer the original question
- Are all contractors losers... no
are there losers that are contractors - yes.

I completely agree, also as a wife of a contractor. And my husband definately does NOT work 10:30 -2:30. The also have most of their work as word of mouth or throught he local lumberyard.