Home Construction Workers... Where do they use the bathroom on a job?

[AKL_Megs]

This is a weird question, but our neighbors are having work done on their house. On Friday, they had new siding put on their house and garage. The workers (about 10 of them) were at the house working from 8am until about 7pm.

Today, some masonry workers are there building a new porch. THEY have been here since 7am. There are 4 workers.

I couldn't help but wonder, where do they go to the bathroom?

So... do they take a drive up to McDonalds when they "gotta go"?

 

[luvmy3jewels]

In our area, the building inspectors require that a portable toilet be on-site for all new construction projects. If there isn't one on-site, then I would be willing to bet that the workers are making use of "nature's" facilities.

 

[VillageMama]

We were given the option of allowing the construction workers to use the bathroom inside of our house or renting a port-o-let, which was placed on our driveway.

We decided to rent the port-o-john. It was not a pretty addition to our landscape for those few weeks but I didn't want the traffic of having folks coming in and out of the house all day.

 

[PatsMom]

My father worked in construction all his life and my two brothers worked with him for a lot of years. Dad is dead now but my brothers will tell you that their willingness to unzip and pee wherever they happen to be is a left over from their construction days. I think if they had to sit down, they would take a break and head for home or a restaurant or something. But peeing could happen anywhere.

One of my brothers is always in trouble with his wife because he pees in the back yard. He tells her to be glad he doesn't water the shrubbery in the front yard because it wouldn't bother him a bit!

 

[Piglet843]

In my friend's house that her and her husband were building - they
did their business in the duct work and vent holes....

They got caught...
and fired....

 

[PixieTopaz]

When I had my roof redone it took 2 days. They took breaks and went to a neaby gas station.

 

[walden]

For large construction jobs around here either use of the *facilities* or renting a port-a-john is usually written into the contract. Your choice. Don't balk at it! Trips to McDonalds take time could go on the clock and you want that job done as quickly as possible with happy workers!

ETA OMG, Piglet. They used the duct work and vents!

 

[Pooh Crew]

When we remodeled our old house, one dropped his pants and peed in the corner of the room they added onto our house. It was fully sheetrocked in--just waiting for paint and carpeting. Nice, huh? I was 8 months pregnant and had three children sitting there in the next room--we all saw him, but I was too stunned to say anything!

Just one of the many reasons I will NEVER, EVER, EVER have any remodel/construction work done on my house again. NEVER. EVER.

 

[krcit]

Anytime I've had work done here, the workers use my bathroom. I do see port-a-potties(I typed port-a-pooties at first)on new construction or really big jobs.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

While I am unsure what will be done when work commences on my home in a few weeks--often times on major construction, they'll bring a port o toilet to the work site.

I have no idea their potty plans though for the work we will have done as this estimate didn't include a quote for that fun item.

And if anyone pees in a corner of the room--I'll have words with the contractor. MAJOR words. How gross!

 

[AKL_Megs]

Gross... about the peeing in a corner.

My neighbor doesn't/didn't have a Port-O-Potty in her yard...

Thanks for the info! I am sure they took a pee behind her garage, now that I think of it!

 

[starann]

My husband is a building/fire inspector and has heard it all! He had a home owner who had roofing guys from Home Depot (Well a subcontracted company for HD) peeing off of the roof of the house.......and using a bed side commode in the garage (the commode was there from when the homeowner had surgery, but was not intended to be used for these guys, it was i nthe garage for storage). The home owner didn't even know the commode was used until it started to smell.

Needless to say, home deopt got a fuming call from the home owner!

 

[PatsMom]

Gross... about the peeing in a corner.

My neighbor doesn't/didn't have a Port-O-Potty in her yard...

Thanks for the info! I am sure they took a pee behind her garage, now that I think of it!

Be glad they stayed behind her garage.

 

[Muushka]

I must be in the minority.

When ever we have work done on our house, we allow them to come in our house and use our bathroom.
We have a powder room right off the foyer so it is not that big of a deal.

They very much appreciate it and for the most part, their work reflected their appreciation.

 

[goofy's friends]

We had the upstairs built in. Didn't even think about this issue until we went up one day to check progress and there was a milk jug in the corner full of stuff. DS (2 at the time) wanted a drink of the lemonade

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

That makes me mad that these people could be so classless and pee in someone's yard that they've been hired to do work on. Sure, pee in your own yard all you want but how ridiculous do you have to be to just pee where ever in someone else's yard.

Urgh, that makes me SOOO mad.

 

[PatsMom]

My husband is a building/fire inspector and has heard it all! He had a home owner who had roofing guys from Home Depot (Well a subcontracted company for HD) peeing off of the roof of the house.......and using a bed side commode in the garage (the commode was there from when the homeowner had surgery, but was not intended to be used for these guys, it was i nthe garage for storage). The home owner didn't even know the commode was used until it started to smell.

Needless to say, home deopt got a fuming call from the home owner!

Most of the roofers I know would pee from the roof if they thought no one was looking. It saves a trip down and then back up. The commode is gross - better to pee on the ground where it won't smell. Most of the guys I know wouldn't do something like that or pee inside the house either. Peeing out the window is an entirely different story.

 

[abdmom]

I've had workers here for the past 3 months 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Some Saturdays too. They have a port-a-potty on the front lawn. They also use the inside bathrooms. They would be soooo gone if I saw any of the antics that previous posters have mentioned. This morning, I had the foreman give one of the workers heck for the cigarette butts in the backyard.

 

[Silent1CB]

I had 4 workers here for 2 days replacing a large window. Scaffolding & all. They used our bathroom since they were in & out of the house anyway. They were thankful. They don't like having to keep taking breaks to run down the street to find a place. It holds up the job.

A former co-worker told us she had a handyman guy working at her house for the day. He asked to use her bathroom. She wouldn't let him in, so he pee'd out on the backside of her garage. She was mad. I would have let the guy in personally.

 

[walden]

Some of these stories

This is why you must get references before contracting for a job. Note to self: add to list of questions for referees: "Did you at any time notice anyone defecating or urinating in places other than the designated bathroom/port-a-potty!"

We have been lucky. When we bought our present house we had the bathrooms renovated and some other work done before moving in. The guys had a port-a-potty and it was a horribly cold winter. I treated them like human beings, stocked the kitchen with snacks, non-alcoholic beverages, a spare coffee-pot, tea and coffee and told them to help themselves. Result: on time, under budget, beautiful job!

So we had the same people back to renovate the kitchen 3 years later. A kitchen reno is just awful as far as disruptions go. Mess is unavoidable, but they did their best to keep it to a minimum. We gave them the use of the downstairs powder-room, and I provided the odd take-out lunch. Again, beautiful job, under budget and within time, they cleaned the powder room frequently for me and positively scrubbed it on their last day.

When I thanked them, they grinned and told me that they did their best work for people who treated them nicely. They told me a few horror stories about other worksites. They anticipate being treated like dirt and usually are. I particularly enjoyed the story about the homeowner who wanted them to paint her house without setting foot on her lawns or put ladders in her flower beds. They apparently walked on that contract after recommending that she hire them a helicopter. . .

A little consideration towards people goes a long way. Just saying.