Oh yeah..I'm gonna'hire THIS guy..

[youthere]

My husband and I are courting the idea of putting an addition onto our house, so we called a bunch of different contractors to get estimates on the cost. I've had four come out for estimates that were courteous and professional and then there's the joker that showed up this morning....
First he shows up in a rusted, mufferless escort (not in itself a crime, but certainly unusual for a "general contractor"). He steps out of his car smoking a cigarette and promptly flicks his lit butt into my yard (again, not a sin, but rude to say the least). I walked over, stepped on it, picked it up and handed it back to him. He didn't apologize but sheepishly stuck it in his pocket (gross). Then, as we are walking around the outside and I'm telling him the work we would like done, he tells me that he just started a factory job in the city so it "might take him awhile to finish the work" and if he gave my husband a list of materials "would he be willing to pick them up for him". At this point I'm fighting to keep from laughing. Then the guy asks me if I have a tape measure he can use....the guy is supposed to be a licensed contractor (and he is registered with my state, I checked) and he doesn't even carry a tape measure? Yeah..I want THIS guy working on my house. :eyes:

[trof]

1. Some folks wonder why they just can't seem to get ahead.

If you got 4 guys to actually come out and give you an estimate, consider yourself blessed.

On our remodeling job I got 3 to finally show up.
One 'hated to give estimates. They never come out right.'
:eyes:
One promised to get back with an estimate and never returned.
The job went by default to the one who actually came back in two days with a WRITTEN estimate.
Good luck.

[youthere]

3. LOL..even though it isn't funny..

One of the contractors I called kept telling me on the phone how busy he was, and as I kept talking to him he finally fessed up that he wasn't actually "busy"..he'd fallen off a roof and had broken his leg and foot.

The guy that "hated to give estimates" I would have told "I hate to hire contractors who hate to give estimates..the work never comes out right."

[Debi]

2. My cousin is a good person and just going through a rough patch

right now...just give him a little business and he'll be fine :rofl:

[youthere]

4. ....

:spank:

[Debi]

5. C'mon - you know it made you giggle. n/t

[youthere]

6. yeah..yeah it did.

geez what a hoser. (the contractor...not you)

[grace0418]

7. Whoo boy, that sounds like a bad comedy movie.

How does someone like that actually get licensed?

[youthere]

8. Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

And you know, I could have overlooked all the other stuff, and still might have given him a chance, but the tape measure thing blew me away. How can you NOT bring a frickin' tape measure?

[NewJeffCT]

9. I'd have been wary at the sight of his car

If somebody is going to be putting an addition onto my house, I would prefer somebody that looks like they are successful in the home remodeling/building field, not somebody who looks like they are scraping their last 2 cents together to buy a car for college.

[youthere]

10. Yep..that put me on alert.

[YankeyMCC]

11. Hey at least you can get contractors out to your house

We had a large remodeling project after contacting nearly a dozen contractors only one actually showed up and then never followed up with an estimate.

Similar thing happened a few years ago when I tried to get our road repaved (it's a private way that the town does not pave).

[youthere]

12. There's a building slump in our area, the contractors are looking for work..

so that's good for us, I guess.

[NewJeffCT]

13. sounds like my experience when I wanted a deck installed

I called a good half a dozen supposedly reputable contractors. Three called me back and two came out to my house and I wasn't able to get estimates from either of the two. Both took all the measurements and everything & promised to get back to me. I even followed up with one and he said it was "in the mail"

I later got a good estimate from the folks at Home Depot (who just were getting into installing decks in my area... but, at least they were responsive!) and then I did some research about environmentally friendly products with some help from folks at DU. I was already interested in the Trex material, but DU turned me onto Ironwood or Ipe wood. I ended up finding a local deck maker who installed ironwood decks and had them out for a good quote and used them.

But, the whole process took way longer than we wanted because that whole first round was wasted.

[youthere]

14. Oh fer cripes sake!

What a headache...and all for a deck!

[NewJeffCT]

17. I'm not sure this happens to you or not

But, I've noticed this the past few years (since we sold our home ourselves in 2004)... but, when dealing with financial matters do most people tend to try to talk to your husband first? I guess since I am the "man" of the house, people tend to ask me first. (After we did the deck, we were thinking of finishing the basement of our house)

I just find that aspect of sexism to be alive & well, because my wife negotiates purchasing & sourcing for one of the world's biggest corporations and I just get out of her way & keep silent when it comes to dealing with most of the major financial issues of the house. Yet, people assume that I'm the person to speak with first. I kind of doubt it's because people are intimidated by my 95 pound wife.

[youthere]

18. Absolutely..

This same guy asked me it would be better if he could come back when my husband is here.

[Chan790]

25. Sexism in construction...

No. Never!! :sarcasm:

Every guy that comes out to work on the house...wants to talk to my stepfather, a man who once nearly severed his finger with a tape measure. People call and talk to my mother (a licensed G.C. from a previous lifetime.) and after she tells them exactly what she wants they tell her to "Talk to your husband and get back to (them)".

She finally exploded on one guy telling him "Asshole, I'm the G.C on this job...I make $90K and my husband makes $35K...I make the %^#$% decisions. He just goes along with them."


Edit: Emoticon fix.

[NewJeffCT]

27. It's not just construction, though

when we were selling our house by ourselves, people would go to me first as well. I think most realtors are women, too.

[LaraMN]

15. Well, in a country that will hire this guy:

Perhaps the dude thinks his behavior is the status quo.

[madinmaryland]

26. God Dammit! We did NOT hire that guy. He was SELECTED.

:grr:

[Rabrrrrrr]

16. Elitist!! A true liberal doesn't expect people to be "qualified" or other bogus

labels that separate people.

Why do you hate people so much?

Why are you even here on DU if you are so into separating people?

Next thing, you'll be telling us that there are differences in peoples' intelligence.

:eyes:

[youthere]

19. I can't help it...

the liberal media has brainwashed me.

[mzteris]

20. Well dang.

I opened this thread expecting a pic of a hawt guy! wah.

[fudge stripe cookays]

21. Ugh. I feel for you.

reprehensor and I just finished a renovation of our master bathroom. We had to go through five...count em...FIVE contractors before we finally found one who would do everything. Here at DU, even! (Thanks bob!:hi:)

The first moron that showed up drove up in a big loud truck with a rebel flag in the back window. OK, not only am I a flaming liberal who sees red at the sight of the rebel flag but ALL of my ancestors (ALL OF THEM) fought for the union!

How professional is that??

THEN, he checked out the space and gave us an estimate. Verbally. When we looked at him expectantly to see what he had written up, he was like..."Oh, do you want a copy of this?"

Um...yes, genius.

Needless to say, he did not get our business.

[youthere]

22. Ugh is right...

If I see one yellow ribbon magnet I swear I'll come unglued.

We haven't found one that will do everything yet. They either don't do foundation work (and we'll have to have a foundation poured) or they don't do metal roofs (the addition will have to be tied into the existing roof) or they don't do wiring or plumbing. The best we've found so far is on guy that is willing to do everything except the foundation..so we'd have to find another contractor for that.

What a headache...but at least THAT guy brought a tape measure.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

23. No insurance, no bond..just take the money and run.

[Elidor]

24. Was it THIS guy?

It sure sounds like him.