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January 25, 2008
Questions re Estimate/Contract/Payment
After acting several contractors recommended on this site for facade work, I finally made a decision. Of the five I contacted, only one was professional, responsive and hopefully trustworthy. The others either did not return calls, were rude or never submitted an estimate at all after promising to do so. One other company did submit a written estimate months later after many phone calls but it was for extensive work that two other contractors said I did not need to have done and was for an outlandish amount of money.
Anyway, now that I have chosen the contractor, I do have a few questions I'm hoping you can answer.
1. Is there any reason I should not pay cash? Of course, I will receive a receipt for any money paid.
2. Is it customary and/or acceptable to ask that a time frame or end date be indicated in the contract?
3. Is it customary and/or acceptable to ask for a warranty/guaranty on the work and if so, for how many years?
Please feel free to offer any other suggestions or advice. I had to take out a loan to have this work done and am trying to do everything I can to avoid problems.
After the work is completed I will post again, hopefully giving this contactor a great recommendation. I will also give more details regarding the other contractors I contacted. Thanks.
Comments
I predict this will end in tragedy
Posted by: guest at January 25, 2008 8:25 PM
Well, I hope your prediction is WRONG!
Posted by: guest at January 25, 2008 9:35 PM
When I did some work on my property I paid the contractor every day and i made him sign a paper that he got paid and the exact amount i gave him.
If he disappears I have his signature and the amount i paid on what date and also a description of the job.
I don't trust the whole profession.
It takes advantage of women., the elderly and the unknowledgable.
The profession attracts a great deal of misogynists in all cultures.
A great recommendation means nothing.
By the time they get to you the whole picture can change.
.
Unreliability is the name of the game.
Make sure they have a verifiable liability of a minimum of 1 million dollars and your name on the insurance as additionally insured.
You can do the work, just be super careful who you hire.
Also make sure they are licensed with dca for hic liscense.
Posted by: Ysabelle at January 25, 2008 10:46 PM
If the contractor is asking for cash, it is to avoid paying tax on the money. If you go along, you should share some of his good fortune by getting a lower price for the job.
By all means ask for a start and end date, but be aware it doesn't mean much for work like this. I don't know exactly what work you are doing but most outdoor work is subject to the vagaries of the weather. Not safe or comfortable to work in the rain, for example.
You should ask for a 10 year guarantee. You probably won't get it.
Posted by: denton at January 26, 2008 7:19 AM
Why put in the contract that you will pay X% more for a job completed Y days early and X% less for a job completed late?
Posted by: guest at January 26, 2008 9:20 AM
You can also state in the contract a penalty clause of x amount of dollars per day over the expiration date of the contract.
You have to be realistic too. that their might be unexpeted issues with the renovation..
Posted by: Ysabelle at January 26, 2008 11:04 AM
If they ask for cash try to get a discount.
The biggie reason they ask for cash is some contractors don't want to pay child support to their exes.
Another biggie for cash payments for the job is...... some of these guys are collecting workers compensation, some on unemployement, or maybe welfare checks.
The gamut runs from soup to nuts.
Posted by: Ysabelle at January 26, 2008 11:36 AM
"The biggie reason they ask for cash is some contractors don't want to pay child support to their exes." another ysabelle classic...yuk.
Posted by: guest at January 28, 2008 2:17 PM
To properly restore a facade is a labor and time intensive prospect, requiring highly skilled craftsmen, and thus they are entitled to bid what you may consider an "outlandish sum of money". Overhead costs, insurance, licencing etc, etc, are not free. Apparently you are looking for someone in a price range that you believe it should cost. Go ahead and scrape the bottom of the contractor barrel, don't delude yourself you know what the result will be. It amazes me that somone would be willing to save for example 50,000.00 to do a crappy job that devalues their house by 100,000.00. Short sighted and stupid, I also wouldn't want to come home every day to have to see that. Judging by the tone of your post is it possible that you didn't get estimates back because those contractors chose not to have you as a client? Most artisan contractors are decent people maybe they saw you for the cheapskate you are.
Posted by: guest at January 30, 2008 11:55 PM
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