Over the last several weeks I have spent over $14K remodeling a house purchased for my elderly parents to live in. Because I am in a hurry did get it finished I hired contractors to do work I could do myself and also figured professionals would do a better job than I could. Other than the HVAC replacement done by someone I have used for years, this assumption has proved false, the plumbers who did do a good job finishing the shower rough charged me $240 for less than one hour of work and $20 dollars in parts, having been quoted $90/hour when I hired them when I asked why the extra I was told they charged from the time they left and returned to the shop, so I paid them $90 for a one hour drive. The sheetrock guy I believe purposely tried to use standard drywall after I told him I wanted blue board in the bathroom, left his workers unsupervised when he told me he would be onsite the entire time and then when I asked him to come back and finish skimming 10 of tape left undone he explained they never mudded tape that would be behind the shower surround. The tile guys did a beautiful job laying the pattern but the slope of the walk-in shower still has me wondering if it will drain into the drain or out into the bathroom floor they also did a very poor job of cleaning after grouting. Lastly the shower door installers did not arrive when I was told they would be here, did not call let me know what was going on and while I am very happy with the glass shower door install I just noticed they gouged the freshly painted drywall in three places when they were moving the doors.
None of these contractors were the low bids, all of them were employees of the company not outsourced, and two of them were recommended by someone I know very well. It seems you can't pay someone enough to do a top shelf job anymore; all they seem to excel at is cashing the check. The entire approach of the owners is tell you what you want to hear, do the work as cheaply and quickly as they can and make the customer find the problems and come back and fix them if absolutely necessary.
Is this the general state of affairs in the remolding world or is it just me? Should they have to fix every minor issue or do you just fix it yourself and forgo the headache?
I call myself a Contractor, but in reality I'm more of a high paid handyman. I've built spec houses with subs and I've had employees working for me to speed things up. What I've learned over time is that I'm just not comfortable telling others what to do, or expecting them to do it the way I want it done. By listening to my clients, I've learned what they hate, and what I should do to make them happy. I've also learned who to avoid and when it's not about the money.
In your case, it sounds like you are in a hurry, and that's the worse thing to be when hiring people. My booked up to July, maybe August. I'm still writing bids for those interested in waiting, but for those that found somebody to start right away, I'm getting calls from them to come fix what they did wrong or didn't do at all. I only do one job at a time and I stay on it until it's done. I do not take deposits or upfront money. Every payment is in my bid and I round up my materials estimate to be sure I always come in under budget. I'm either the most expensive guy out there, or at least one of them. My clients tell me that when they get their bids, they hire me because of my FB posts, and how organized my bid is. They also tell me that I was the most expensive, but with all the stories they have heard and experienced, the cheapest bids usually cost the most by the time the job is done.
Clients all want the best job possible, but rarely do they know what they want. It's my job to figure that out and make it happen. My current client does not understand measuring, or being able to fit everything she wants into a space. It's part baby sitting, part teaching and part designer to make it all happen.
When I meet a client who starts laying it on the line to me and telling me how I'm going to do things, what he's going to pay, or something along those lines, I decline the job. Some people just come across like they are wanting to have a fight, and I'm fortunate enough to have enough work out there that I can pick and chose the jobs I take.
I read years ago that if you underbid a job, accept that as a learning experience. Never increase your price unless it's something extra that they have added to the job. On the job that I'm doing right now, my client changed her mind on having granite counters installed. She saw oak wood flooring used for counters on some website and wanted me to do that for her counters. I added $2,000 in labor to do this and should have charged more, but it's all part of making the client happy and learning something new. Here is a picture of where I'm at two days ago.
In every job that I've done that another contractor messed up, they all tell me the same thing. They knew he wasn't doing a good job, but they stuck with him in the hope it would get better. You have to trust your gut and know how to fire them. Don't hire friends or family. Talk to and get bids from at least five contractors. More is better. NEVER believe anybody who tells you this is the best guy around, nobody is the best. There is only those who finish the job and do what you want, and those who failed. And never be afraid to google or youtube how to do something.
