What would you do?

[ceb58]

Tell the HO you will bring in another electrician to give him a price to complete the job. I will come in look every thing over and give him a price that will have him sleeping in your drive way begging you to please come back

 

[charlietuna]

This might be another "Item" to add to the list on the back of your proposal form:
"Contractor/Home Owner is responsible for the cost of addition labor and materials requiring changed due to other trade's actions"

 

[growler]

So now here I am and he also said that I wasnt getting the job from his dad now because of the price of the changes and that if he had it to do over he would have went with a lower priced electrician because I'm so high end.

Tell him to pay for the work that's already completed ( to include change orders) and then you will pull your permit from the job and he can't do whatever he wants.

He just thinks things are expensive now, just wait until he tries to get someone to take over the job. :wink:

 

[growler]

This might be another "Item" to add to the list on the back of your proposal form:
"Contractor/Home Owner is responsible for the cost of addition labor and materials requiring changed due to other trade's actions"

I have found that it's better not to make a distinction between a homeowner and a general contractor. For that one job the homeowner is the general contractor and it's better to treat them like it right from the start. Homeowners may think that they are some sort of protected species ( last of the incredibly dumb cud chewers ) but contractors are not. So I always refer to the homeowner as the acting general contractor when the HO's name is on the building permit. Once you let them know they are the GC then you can explain the facts of life to them, GCs that don't know what they are doing are apt to lose money rather than make money. Let them know that they are on the hook for the same responsibilities as any other GC.

 

[ike5547]

So he said he'll get the carpenter to fix it and I tell him that he cant its under my license and I dont want the liability.

If it is just a matter of re-pulling a few romex cables I would allow the carpenter to do it. It's not rocket science. It'll be re-inspected right?

 

[iwire]

If it is just a matter of re-pulling a few romex cables I would allow the carpenter to do it. It's not rocket science. It'll be re-inspected right?

It's not rocket science but I would never let a carpenter work under my permit and in my area it would be against the law.

 

[ike5547]

It's not rocket science but I would never let a carpenter work under my permit and in my area it would be against the law.

I would make a small exception in this case.

Apparently, the home owner is broke and BBE, understandably, will not work for free. If the carpenter can frame buildings I'm sure he can pull a few cables. Sometimes it's better to bend a little than to break, IMO.

 

[GUNNING]

hmmmmm.

hmmmmm.

Tell the homeowner you really like the house and will enjoy living in it.
After you get his attention tell him its not your fault. Then ask for payment for all work completed so far. Then send the property owner a demand letter. Then its off to court to perfect your claim. Then comes filing the paperwork at the courthouse. The wait period and finally the auction. Movin in 60 days! With no rent if you act fast enough!
OR, Negotiate. Tell the owner all he has to do is sign a promissory note. He's not the owner? He' not the bank rep? He's the son? Call the cops. Then foreclose.

I had someone tell me he didn't want me to do the job as I was twisting the last wire nuts. Its a tactic of negotiation to start arguing just before the job is done. Its maddening, its theft. Go for the jugular. Build a lock tight case. Get all the trades on it. Find a lawyer that can do the job for a percentage.
When you find you cant do that economically, negotiate some more. It helps to slow a job down when this is happening. They are paying for the money at this point. Get the bank involved. They are having the asset waisted. Thats a lot of trouble for not allowing the carpenter to not run some wires. Maybe the plumber has a history with the owner and knows something you dont. Either jump on the band wagon and stall or ....
Negotiate. Bend like the wind little grass hopper. Get what you can and run. Run Forrest RUN!!

 

[growler]

I would make a small exception in this case.
If the carpenter can frame buildings I'm sure he can pull a few cables.

If the carpenter were any good he wouldn't have damaged the cable in the first place he would have informed the GC that the cable needed to be remove before the wall was moved.

The HO didn't say he was broke just over budget and that's his problem.When I make mistakes I end up over budget to. Fixing someone else's mistakes for free is a good way to end up over budget.

 

[ike5547]

If the carpenter were any good he wouldn't have damaged the cable in the first place...

IMO, the owner didn't hire expensive electricians; he hired cheap plumbers and carpenters.

 

[ceb58]

I would make a small exception in this case.

Apparently, the home owner is broke and BBE, understandably, will not work for free. If the carpenter can frame buildings I'm sure he can pull a few cables. Sometimes it's better to bend a little than to break, IMO.

Originally Posted by iwire
It's not rocket science but I would never let a carpenter work under my permit and in my area it would be against the law.

And it would be against the law here also. The carpenter is not listed as a qualified individual under his license.

The HO is not broke. How many times must we hear that line. You are putting me over budget as the $15,000.00 counter top comes through the door. I cant believe you charged $120.00 for the can light over the shower. Which cost $20,000.00

It's plain and simple. His work was INSTALLED and INSPECTED. OTHER trades screwed up. BBE should NOT have to eat any of it.

 

[iwire]

The HO is not broke. How many times must we hear that line. You are putting me over budget as the $15,000.00 counter top comes through the door. I cant believe you charged $120.00 for the can light over the shower. Which cost $20,000.00

It is not limited to HOs, a company I worked for did a five floor office building for an insurance company, they nickeled and dimed us for everything. Our contract was about a 1.8 million, the mill work was close to four million, stained cherry walls and doors and what was not cheery was painted poplar.

It's plain and simple. His work was INSTALLED and INSPECTED. OTHER trades screwed up. BBE should NOT have to eat any of it.

I agree, not his fault it should not be his expense.

 

[bradleyelectric]

Over budget and broke are 2 very different things. The laundry room change is due to the HO deciding to change the walls. I've seen this so many times and it's just like was stated. They want you to work free and they have the best things money can buy. For some reason even people in the trades believe they should work for free. If it costs extra time than it is an extra expense.

I do put up a couple extra straps on something unrelated or neaten up a little something that catches my eye when we are on a job, but I don't make an extra trip to do it. I just point it out to a helper and tell him to fix that while I make out the invoice. If it takes longer than that, I suggest they have us do. Than it is for a price. My prices are much more than $65/ hr. for service work. I don't do new houses.

 

[bbe]

Well guys the guy never called today to set up the meeting so on my way in for the day I stopped by the house. The guy that i'm working for wasnt there but his father was , He asked what was going on and I told him . Surprising he took my side and said that his son had just gotten in over his head alittle and was venting at me so he said to just bill him for the repairs. So thanks guys for all your advice I appreciate it.