Any contractors/builders out there?

[toldozer]

29 minutes ago, Floppin said:

Either the subfloor and tile backer (cement board, kerdi sluter, etc) is moving or the thin set wasn't spread evenly and there's voids. Does it sound hollow when you tap on it in places? That's a sign of voids in the thin set

I'm sure it's improper install.  His tile guy was a complete fug face.  Installed tile in hall bath wrong, our primary shower wrong TWICE and backsplash in our kitchen wrong. I learned just because a gc has good references it don't mean poo. Could be completely different subs on every project he does. I loathe the guy we used and he was sooo nice and accommodating when we started but there are parts of my house I hate more now then when everything was 60 years old.  Would you recommend getting a quote to fix it and then trying to file a suit against the previous contractor? I don't want him back in my house and I'm sure he wouldn't come. He tried to add on 5000 dollars worth of additional cost outside the bid after we were done on work that wasn't in the scope and that he never discussed with us. We refused to pay

[OnlyPantherFaninMaine]

Got quoted today for insulation, drywall, taping, labor and materials down there. Was quoted at $8,800 by my neighbor’s son in law who owns and operates a drywall company with his father. Trust them both and is honestly about what I expected. He came down and measured just about every wall and ceiling down there. Does that sound reasonable or on the high end again? Includes ceiling all all of the soffits. 

[OnlyPantherFaninMaine]

15 hours ago, OnlyPantherFaninMaine said:

Got quoted today for insulation, drywall, taping, labor and materials down there. Was quoted at $8,800 by my neighbor’s son in law who owns and operates a drywall company with his father. Trust them both and is honestly about what I expected. He came down and measured just about every wall and ceiling down there. Does that sound reasonable or on the high end again? Includes ceiling all all of the soffits. 

@thefuzz@Floppin@LinvilleGorge

Thoughts on this quote? Any insight is greatly appreciated! 

[LinvilleGorge]

9 minutes ago, OnlyPantherFaninMaine said:

@thefuzz@Floppin@LinvilleGorge

Thoughts on this quote? Any insight is greatly appreciated! 

It's hard to comment when I have no idea about the local market. It feels high to me, but so did the framing quote. But it very well might just be the going rates for the area.

[Floppin]

4 hours ago, OnlyPantherFaninMaine said:

@thefuzz@Floppin@LinvilleGorge

Thoughts on this quote? Any insight is greatly appreciated! 

Drywall is currently going from 15 to $25 a board both to hang and to finish so roughly $30 to $50 per board at the end of the day

[Floppin]

21 hours ago, toldozer said:

I'm sure it's improper install.  His tile guy was a complete fug face.  Installed tile in hall bath wrong, our primary shower wrong TWICE and backsplash in our kitchen wrong. I learned just because a gc has good references it don't mean poo. Could be completely different subs on every project he does. I loathe the guy we used and he was sooo nice and accommodating when we started but there are parts of my house I hate more now then when everything was 60 years old.  Would you recommend getting a quote to fix it and then trying to file a suit against the previous contractor? I don't want him back in my house and I'm sure he wouldn't come. He tried to add on 5000 dollars worth of additional cost outside the bid after we were done on work that wasn't in the scope and that he never discussed with us. We refused to pay

That's up to you man. Because at the end of the day right or wrong you have an unpaid bill to him. The fact that the work was not discussed ahead of time and it's outside of your original scope doesn't matter much as far as his ability to put a lien on your property. Because it is work completed. Now you might win both cases at the end of the day but you'll be tied up in court both trying to remove the lien and in your own lawsuit.

[toldozer]

5 minutes ago, Floppin said:

That's up to you man. Because at the end of the day right or wrong you have an unpaid bill to him. The fact that the work was not discussed ahead of time and it's outside of your original scope doesn't matter much as far as his ability to put a lien on your property. Because it is work completed. Now you might win both cases at the end of the day but you'll be tied up in court both trying to remove the lien and in your own lawsuit.

So situation is this.  We're at the beach.  We get a call. "Hey I think we should rewire the kitchen but it doesn't necessarily need to be done".

 

Ok we need an estimate on cost and we will decide if we want to do it.

 

"Sure I'll get you a quote tomorrow"

Followed up for the next week. Oh yeah I'll check oh yeah I'll check.

 

Finally stopped asking.  At the end.  "Hey we ran two new lines in your kitchen , its 5 grand".

 

Nah I don't play that poo. I don't think the electrician even did it and he was just trying to pad his margin. I could rip everything open to find out but would rather not. 

 

 I asked him why we never got the estimate that we requested no less then 10 times and he said I can't expect my electrician to provide an estimate.

Edited August 18, 2023 by toldozer

[Floppin]

6 minutes ago, toldozer said:

So situation is this.  We're at the beach.  We get a call. "Hey I think we should rewire the kitchen but it doesn't necessarily need to be done".

 

Ok we need an estimate on cost and we will decide if we want to do it.

 

"Sure I'll get you a quote tomorrow"

Followed up for the next week. Oh yeah I'll check oh yeah I'll check.

 

Finally stopped asking.  At the end.  "Hey we ran two new lines in your kitchen , its 5 grand".

 

Nah I don't play that poo. I don't think the electrician even did it and he was just trying to pad his margin. I could rip everything open to find out but would rather not. 

 

 I asked him why we never got the estimate that we requested no less then 10 times and he said I can't expect my electrician to provide an estimate.

Oh I have no doubt that it was probably some shady bullshit that he pulled. I'm just saying, if it's unpaid documented work on the house he has the legal ability to put a lien on your property so just weight that hassle against any possible suit you wish to file. That's the unfortunate reality and why the contractor profession gets a bad name at times.

[toldozer]

6 minutes ago, Floppin said:

Oh I have no doubt that it was probably some shady bullshit that he pulled. I'm just saying, if it's unpaid documented work on the house he has the legal ability to put a lien on your property so just weight that hassle against any possible suit you wish to file. That's the unfortunate reality and why the contractor profession gets a bad name at times.

That's the thing it's not even documented. We asked him for a breakdown of the 5k additional work and he never provided it

[Floppin]

16 minutes ago, toldozer said:

That's the thing it's not even documented. We asked him for a breakdown of the 5k additional work and he never provided it

That doesn't mean he didn't document or have invoices from his electrician. Just saying to be careful before you file suit. Usually unless it's a substantial sum it's not worth your time in most cases.

[toldozer]

9 minutes ago, Floppin said:

That doesn't mean he didn't document or have invoices from his electrician. Just saying to be careful before you file suit. Usually unless it's a substantial sum it's not worth your time in most cases.

I'm going to assume it's going to be pricey to redo the flooring in our bathroom. Tub and vanity have to be removed. Tile has to be ripped up without damaging the shower.  Cracking roughly around where these seams would be under the tile

Edited August 18, 2023 by toldozer

[LinvilleGorge]

53 minutes ago, Floppin said:

Drywall is currently going from 15 to $25 a board both to hang and to finish so roughly $30 to $50 per board at the end of the day

We just subbed out hanging new drywall in a house built around 1900. I can't remember the exact number but it was in the low 20s. That was for roughly 3000 square feet plus skim coating the ceilings. 

[thefuzz]

23 hours ago, OnlyPantherFaninMaine said:

@thefuzz@Floppin@LinvilleGorge

Thoughts on this quote? Any insight is greatly appreciated! 

Tough to say.  My guys are some of the best I've ever seen, and I've been in housing for 20 years....but they are expensive and slow.

That sounds a bit high to me, but not out of bounds if they do a great job.  Get the specs on the insulation as well.

Is it wired yet?  If not pull you some 20's.

[OnlyPantherFaninMaine]

So when this whole framing process began, my builder told me his labor costs were directly tied to the cost of the lumber. He quoted me and charged me at 2X the lumber cost. 
 

Today I was reimbursed just under $500 by the lumber company for the lumber that was not used and returned. Am I in my right to follow back up with the builder and ask if I am now owed back close to $1000? If his labor costs are truly tied to the lumber at 2X, this seems to make perfect sense to me and is what agreed upon. Yay or nay?

@LinvilleGorge @thefuzz @Floppin

I don’t want to fracture our relationship but it was his words mine about labor costs being determined by the lumber cost. 

Edited August 22, 2023 by OnlyPantherFaninMaine