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39 Comments
- LordPhoenyx, on 07/14/2009, -1/+13Mike Holmes will come around to explain why every contractor screwed it up anyway
- aufte, on 07/14/2009, -1/+9Being a contractor myself, this is pretty dumb. People don't contract work they can't afford and contractors take a good chunk of the money up-front to avoid this. Also, contractors don't hire unexperienced apprentices, that's a loss of money, it doesn't take a genius to figure that out. It's also better to avoid cheaper contractors, besides being ***** who bring the price down for everybody, being cheap usually means cheaper work.
- greenmoonice, on 07/14/2009, -3/+11One the biggest myths of homes is that you need a 'professional'. Almost all home repairs can be done by the homeowner if the homeowner is willing to spend time to first learn about what needs to be repaired and has the determination to do it correctly. Fundamentally all homes are just giant wooden boxes with some wires and pipes in it you are not repairing a fast attack nuclear sub (which btw is my real job)
- d3dm, on 07/14/2009, -0/+7"It's gotta all come down!"
- inactive, on 07/15/2009, -2/+9Summary of the article
1)Waste money with an architect
2)Waste money with a real estate agent
3)Waste money hiring a municipal inspector
4)Waste time inquiring about permit when it's none of your job
5)Whine to the contractor about subcontractors so it costs even more money and take even more time
6)Waste the contractor's time trying to save 5% out of an item, even though he's already probably handing you the material at best price
7)Waste time and money inquiring about schedules - just working isn't enough, everything needs to be planned to the last detail
8)Waste money on your lender inquiring on your max, like you didn't know that
9)Waste time on that green building project
***** article, buried - coming from a contractor.
Here's another plan: take someone with a good reputation, make sure he's insured, and let him do the damn job. That's it. If he wants to preserve his good reputation, he'll already do everything that needs to be done. Work permit? Green building? Credit lines???? Really??????? - thegrantman, on 07/14/2009, -0/+7A client who has this many questions and demands raises a red flag anyway. They often listen to the expertise of someone they saw on Oprah, consider the tiniest flaw a major issue, and have a daily list of suggested improvements. Find another client.
- DouglasRClark, on 07/15/2009, -0/+4@stradf - I’ve grown up a builder’s son and brother. You’re 100% right in everything you just said, but it’s amazing how many people have NO idea about the shady ***** some contractors pull. Some of the things I’ve seen over the years........jeez. I’m just glad my family is honest and has built a good rep because of it.
- ChaosProfessor, on 07/14/2009, -0/+4#10 I will have sex with your wife
- AdmiralHalsey, on 07/15/2009, -0/+3This is where his comment of "have the determination to do it correctly" comes in. Most do-it-yourselfers don't follow this piece of advice. That being said, some things do take practice to do properly.
- Trigonometron, on 07/14/2009, -0/+3Benjamin Franklin used to diagram out the work he was having done. I have found that if you show them exactly what you want, you'll get it. If you just use hand gestures and a few general guidelines, you will get something that is sort of what you're looking for.
- jasonhoutx, on 07/15/2009, -0/+3I do HVAC contracting and I can't tell you how many horror stories we have walked into because of low price. Low ball cut throat contractors with no license or insurance give legit contractors a bad name. We are not cheap because we know what it cost to actually stay in business and do the job right.
oh well, the flip side is the low baller keeps me busy with repairing their screw-ups. - marklar69, on 07/15/2009, -0/+2Yep keeps me in business its funny when they burn down their house and I get to come rewire it.
- RickCarstens, on 07/15/2009, -0/+2 recession is out there in the market...and the contractors are making it worse.... this is awful
- theonlywizdum, on 07/15/2009, -0/+2The homeowner isn't supposed to know, and doesn't need to know. The homeowner has never been present on any of our jobs when the code inspector comes by. If you don't go with the bottom of the barrel, billy-bob building co. you will be fine. The building permits need to be taped somewhere in plain view, and they will be signed by the inspector as he approves each stage. The homeowner will not be fined for failing to meet code, the people that did the actual work will be.
- pak314, on 07/14/2009, -0/+1And when you hire the independent contractor remember one thing, details, details, details. If you leave the details up to the independent contractor, you WILL get screwed. YOU need to specify everything.
- Abomonog, on 07/15/2009, -0/+2You should also beware that many contractors hire illegal aliens for subcontracting work. This is especially true for framing and tile work and most likely to happen in a "safe haven" state such as Virginia.
- warriorpoetist, on 07/14/2009, -0/+2GET REFERENCES! and check the references! go to see some of the crews completed projects if possible. If you have a major project I can't imagine NOT doing this. Know exactly what kind of work you will be getting. Good contractors will gladly offer references and are proud of their work.
Also pay attention to what the contractors are doing DAILY. If you notice something questionable, find out if its to code, or a corner being cut. And don't pay in full until the job is 100% completed. - AdmiralHalsey, on 07/15/2009, -0/+2Contractors don't like figuring out the details themselves, but are not able to offer up the time for each person to coach them through every minor decision.The consumer needs to have educated themselves beforehand. Anything you don't specify will not turn out how you imagine, this isn't a contractors fault. Be educated.. especially on prices because people will try to rip you off, as with anything. There are good contractors and bad ones, use people who are reputable and stand behind their work.
- Gough50, on 07/15/2009, -0/+2settlesdown "This is why you hire a 3rd party construction mgmt company."
As a contractor, one of the few red flags that will cause me to walk away from a job is the involvement of a construction manager. They are worse than architects. When I started in the building trades, one of the most basic tenants I learned was that the chain of command follows the flow of money. CMs are in fundamental violation of this principle. Typically, they have no financial risk in the project, so it's no skin off their nose if the project takes twice as long as planned. Also, none of the states where I work have any licensing or professional standards for construction managers. Most of the CMs that I know went that route because they couldn't get licensed as contractors. Either that, or they have an associates degree in Construction Management, which may or may not reflect any real-world experience. - DirtPile, on 07/14/2009, -1/+2#6 Contractors will win your graces before allowing their staffs to take heinous dumps in your toilets.
- settlesdown, on 07/14/2009, -0/+1This is why you hire a 3rd party construction mgmt company. An average contractor can eat the average Joe for breakfast. Construction is one of the only places where you truly do get what you pay for.
- oilfighter, on 07/15/2009, -0/+1bad personal experience?
- damnshoes, on 07/14/2009, -1/+2What the!? This guy is Inactive but hes digging?!! :O
- d3dm, on 07/15/2009, -1/+2Who pays the fine when the city finds out that there was work done on my home by a contractor that didn't pull the proper building permits and didn't have the job inspected?
How is the homeowner supposed to know what is up to code and what isn't? - theonlywizdum, on 07/15/2009, -0/+1For this house we built last year, the homeowner didn't want to pay us to draw up the plans on our autocad program. When we asked for the plans, the he gave us a sketch on a piece of printer paper. Communication is key, it helps if you know what you want before we start working, and it helps even more if what you want is legal. We have fought with countless people because they don't like the look of a high railing on a porch that's more than 3 feet off the ground, and want us to "just lower it". This is a code violation, and the time to discuss it is not after we have already built the porch.
- matttaylorsui, on 07/15/2009, -0/+1I like the attitude...it keeps us contractors in business
- theonlywizdum, on 07/15/2009, -0/+1This is a terrible business model for a contractor, since most of their work is by referral. There are very few like this, since they won't be around much longer after screwing over their customers. The most important thing to do is ask around about your contractor, and don't go with whoever is cheapest just because they are cheapest. This is your house, it is something you will have for a long time, not something you want to cheap out on.
- bjs3171, on 07/15/2009, -0/+1or you could just hire a reputable contractor that knows what the ***** he's talking about.
- ThanatosST, on 07/15/2009, -0/+1I love to do handyman jobs around the house. However, plumbing/electrical more than just your basic running wires/installing a sink I would rather get someone to do correctly and watch them closely than try myself and ***** up my house big time.
- ChaosProfessor, on 07/15/2009, -0/+1na i was a contractor screwing the guy's wife is like the first thing they teach you
- bjs3171, on 07/15/2009, -0/+1so? if they can do the work, who cares?
- bshensky, on 07/15/2009, -0/+1He just feasted for FIVE BUCKS on a WTF AMMO BASTED BACON INFUSED ENCEPHALITIS CORN DOG NACHO MEGA HEMORRHOID DOOGIE HOWSER BASTED IN CARNIVOROUS MEATCAKE DIPSWITCH EVANGELINE BEST-OF-BREED JEEP-STACKED SMOKEHOUSE FUZZY DICE SLAPSTICK CHICKENBALL PIZZA GILMORE HALFBREED TONY-AWARD-WINNING SPATZEL.
- marklar69, on 07/15/2009, -0/+1There is only 1 thing that should be on this list.
#1 Use a contractor that has been recommended by a professional tradesmen and ask for references
Use Mike Dooley construction in Fort Worth awesome crew and expert cabinet maker. - bjs3171, on 07/15/2009, -0/+1what's awful? all this is, is a list of things to look out for when having work done. what the hell are you talking about? A good contractor has no desire to over pay for fixtures, and start work with no plan.
this list is stupid, and could have been summarized as "find out about permits, get references, and have a plan. The End." - bjs3171, on 07/15/2009, -0/+1I suspect a good contractor would indeed tell you most of these things.
- inactive, on 07/15/2009, -1/+2That's a "checkmate" right here...
- tibbon, on 07/14/2009, -1/+1Wasn't this up here like 4 days ago?
- IUAndar, on 07/14/2009, -2/+2Never hire them to start on a Monday. They'll still be hungover from the weekend and will work like molasses.
- isunktheship, on 07/14/2009, -4/+2He won't tell you where you can FEAST FOR FIVE BUCKS
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