GC's Gone Wild

[George Stolz]

Suppose you had a solid contract with a builder operating in several towns. Most of the projects are well run, but one of the builder's contracts has a ill-prepared (for lack of a better obscenity) GC overseeing it.

What would you do? The ill-prepared GC continually requests urgent calls to go to "finish" items that are not ready (i.e. house has no tile in kitchen for months, but 4 trips are made to tweak piddly odds and ends in the meantime; calls to trim out units the same day the painters are to show up, etc.)

For a GC working out of a van (small-time remodeler, basement finisher), I would elect to never work for such a contractor again. But with a multi-project builder with one bad apple, what would you do?

 

[jeff43222]

Re: GC's Gone Wild

I'd call the builder and inform whomever this guy's boss is that he doesn't know what he's doing. If that idea doesn't sound palatable, you can inform the clueless guy you aren't coming back to the jobsite until it's ready for you. Does the contract say that you're on call anytime the GC has a whim and wants you there? Perhaps it's time to include a clause in the contract that you only make so many trips, and if the GC wants you to make more, it's gonna cost him. I think he'd get more organized if there were a financial penalty to consider.

I don't do much work for GCs, but so far it's worked out fairly well. I did a kitchen under a GC earlier this year, and he didn't call me until I was actually needed onsite. I'd probably not take any more work from a GC like the one you mentioned.

[ July 24, 2005, 10:37 AM: Message edited by: jeff43222 ]

 

[George Stolz]

Re: GC's Gone Wild

Our bid has this statement at the bottom:

This bid includes hook-up of the dishwasher, hood and hangling light fixtures one time. All appliances must be on site when trim is scheduled. If extra trips are required because appliances are not on site when trim crew arrives, additional charges will apply.

I think the boss' concern is this: Change orders are sent to the GC directly from his main office for approval and payment. If my boss floods the GC with change-orders, the GC isn't going to pay them. That would be an admission of incompetence, for one. Then the putz would probably cry foul, as if my boss is hard-balling him.

We tend to bend over for this kind of thing, in light of the fact that it is a big contract, and the overall profits outweigh the silly little trips. But it is disheartening for us, to keep getting pulled off real work to go through hoops for this bozo.

 

[mdshunk]

Re: GC's Gone Wild

I would just file it away in the memory banks that this particular site GC is the way he is. With that known, you can drag your feet for a good while each time he calls. When you finally do make it to his site, then you can do several of his smaller piddley items at once, perhaps making a worthwhile trip out of it. Plus, by being "hard to get", it may make him think a little harder about what it is he wants you to do when he does call. I use this approach with a few with some luck.

Just a thought.

 

[tx2step]

Re: GC's Gone Wild

You might want to casually ask the builder whether this particular GC will be running any more of their houses.

If so, then in the future, you'll need to know which ones he is going to run, so you can "adjust" your price for those projects to offset this guys personal building practices. A smart builder will get the message very quickly.

You might also want to get some of the other trades to ask the builder the same thing, so you aren't the lone ranger.

 

[charlie tuna]

Re: GC's Gone Wild

as long as your in the electrical contracting business you must realize -- the gc is spending your money!!!! if you are an organized ec and get teamed up with an unorganized gc you are not going to be happy and he will cost you money. if this gc gets a group of unorganized subs they can all work together in harmony --because they expect delay and lost time issues. this is one of your biggest jobs--- staying away from these guys. when you find one -- stop bidding with him---period!!!