Interesting approach. I feel like residential makes me want to shoot myself, but you know that could be really nice not dealing with homeowners, just having a drawing in front of you that is set in stone, no changes indecisions additions.....
Exactly. And knowing that every one of them is the same. You walk through once and get your layout and just go one right after the other
Me: did you decide on the bathroom floor heat?
Same. I just dumped my GC of three years because they went from being the best to being the worst.
Note "client" can also be incompetent GC
Minimum tends to vary in meaning from one person to the next. If you can't tell me what you want then I put together a proposal that tells you what you will get with it, anything you decide to change may effect the outcome. I
Had troubles with that aspect on the last new house I did. Owner was in military and overseas, his family also with him, but were planning to move to the house after it was finished. GC who I have worked with for years and get along great with was mostly who I got every detail on for this project. And many questions I had he needed to get back to me after talking to them. I had a lot of rough in done and still no final details for cabinets. We had a basic plan that was used for estimating before construction even began, I was eventually told to go off of that, it will be "close enough" Most of it was but there were details in the final cabinet plan that would have been nice to know and only a couple items that were specifically known ahead of time that were going to be different. Ideal placement of an island was not where I placed outlet boxes for some lighting pendants, we ended up centering the island on my outlet boxes though it would have looked even better for the range and hood behind it to be centered with it as well. There was also a wall cabinet with a microwave shelf in it that I had no idea was going to be there. Luckily no flooring or subflooring materials were in yet when this was discovered and I was able to cut holes in the floor to help assist in fishing a cable for that microwave as well as cut a hole in wall that would be hidden by base cabinet below the microwave location. All my countertop receptacles turned out to be in ok locations though.
Efficiency is the #1 make-or-break factor
Sometimes it's just easier/faster to go up and over rather than trying to drill around corners. Yes, it takes a bit more wire, but you make up for it in faster labor.
Jesus Christ, just found this out, add it to the list:Me: did you decide on the bathroom floor heat?
Client: no, we are still trying to decide
Me: do you have the kitchen layout yet?
Client: almost
Me. That one room you have a bunch of stuff stored in, I need to get to some stuff in there.
Client: ok, I'll see what I can do
Me: have u framed those remaining walls?
Client: not yet we are trying to decide a couple things.
Client: oh I know we already spent hours going over it, but we are not sure about the lighting layout.
Me: can we get a dumpster and someone to clean up the job site a bit?
Client: I'll see what I can do.
Me: can we get a porta John? Ya know electricians have to s##t like everyone else
Client: no, the toilet that we took out is sitting right there in your way. There are some garbage bags there, just put one in the bowl and dry dock it. Just piss in the backyard like mongrel heathen cringer scumbag. The lady next door is retired and working in her garden all the time, she loves it.
Me: are you going to finish demoing this wall?
Client: no, just waste your time and demo out whAt you need. The plumber already struggled with it and wasted a bunch of time, so it's already 2/3 demoed. Theres no dumpster so just leave the plaster and lathe and a pile on the floor so it will be in your way.
Note "client" can also be incompetent GC
I'm 1 hour away OP is a good electrcian but his business isn't set up for cheap new resi which isn't bad it's just different.
LNI doesn't even let the tile guys lay the cable anymore we're supposed to put it in now. Idk sounds like you've got too many dysfunctional contractors there. We have it bad here too. Either silly Bubba types or college only construction management degrees types. Only about 3 general contractors in town who I'd slap my recommendation to.Jesus Christ, just found this out, add it to the list:
Me 6 months ago: if your under tile heat is a cable type, IT MUST BE INSPECTED before tiling over. If it's a mat type no inspection required. Remember the last house we did the inspector made us rent an IR camera to show clearances were met. SAVE DOCUMENTATION showing it's a mat type of that's what you use. Cable type will need a separate cover inspection.
Client: today with final inspection tomorrow sends me pic of a cable type mostly thin setted over and asks if this is a mat type.
The decider for me is windows for that type of thinking. If I need to nail plate like crazy to drill I'll go over or under.
We should be the last trade or there at same time as hvac. Plumbing goes first always.
I've never installed under tile heat. Ran power to the controller several times. Tile guy's have always done the heat cable, mat, or whatever. After seeing how involved it can be and you still are potentially at the mercy of a tile installer messing something up, I'd rather let it be their problem if it doesn't work after they are done installing the tile than to stay around and watch/check things as they progress with tile installation. Is also not my problem other than the supply circuit, which is no different than a lot of other things I deal with, if it fails say 6 months or a year later.
I agree just saying that's LNIs take.
That's how the ditra system is
