Front Page Forum: Contractor Hell in Bed Stuy
Dear Brownstoner, Like probably everyone who’s done renovation, I am having a pretty much impossible time finding a decent, timely contractor who is affordable. Two months ago I hired a contractor by the name of Randy Blair at the recommendation of Dalila at Smiling realty in Bed Stuy. We signed a contract for renovation of…
Dear Brownstoner,
Like probably everyone who’s done renovation, I am having a pretty much impossible time finding a decent, timely contractor who is affordable. Two months ago I hired a contractor by the name of Randy Blair at the recommendation of Dalila at Smiling realty in Bed Stuy. We signed a contract for renovation of two floors in my house in Bed Stuy, to be finished in 10 weeks. He required me to get all the materials needed for the job up front because he said he wanted to move fast on this project and didn’t want waiting for materials to hold him up.
Within that timeframe, he opened up huge holes in the exterior walls, one for a new window and one for french doors to the backyard- these were left open for two weeks. It rained a few times and damaged the inlaid mahogany wood floors. This is just the beginning: Three weeks after signing the contract, he left for a one month vacation. Before he left he originally told me it would be for two weeks and that he would have a crew working at the house while he was away. Instead, his brother-in-law did two days worth of framing total blaming the no show electrician. It’s been two months and several thousand dollars in supplies and 1/3 the contract price up front–and basically only 1/8 of the work has been done. Help!!! Hiring contractors is such a nightmare! Can anyone help me find a better contractor or give me advice on how to legally deal with the one I hired/get a lawyer to help me deal with this. I can’t afford to float the mortgage while no work is being done. Any advice at this point is desperately needed.
Signed,
Bedstuy Bedlam
BigBubba –
Not most. Many perhaps, a lot probably, some definitely. People planning renovations should know they have a choice. Giving money to someone before they do any work is not my idea of a good business decision, but it seems you have a different way of doing thins. Good for you. Just because in your limited experience a deposit was required does not mean that it always is.
Just because a GC does not require a deposit does not mean that they are good or you should use them – Duh! If you are doing a renovation there are plenty of high quality, licensed GCs who do not require a deposit and I recommend you use them.
I think we can conclude that while most GC’s will require a deposit, it is possible that somewhere in the universe there is a GC who will not need one if you look hard enough. Personally, I would not make that my sole criteria for selection.
In my case, we were under extreme time pressure. Once you purchase a home and acquire a gigantic mortgage (at the same time you are renting a temporary home), having it sit there empty while you scour the borough for contractors is painful. Never in my life could I have ever imagined the kind of outpouring of funds the purchase and renovation of a brownstone could cause. If someone had actually told me the true cost before I started, I would have laughed in their face, and asked them what they were smoking. Anybody who hasn’t done this in the last couple of years, does not understand how seriously the costs have exploded. But that is another topic unto itself. My point is that we did not have months to search for a GC, so our options were limited. Some of the choice GC’s were booked well into the future, others had so much work they couldn’t even be bothered to submit a detailed bid. If you’re under any kind of time pressure, the market is going to dictate the terms. That’s just the kind of market we’re in.
Alo –
The AIA form has a space for a deposit, but it is not requried it. GCs also have the ability to put liens on property if they get screwed.
I’m surprised there haven’t been companies or associations sprouting-up that establish a reputation for having honest, reliable general contractors. I think the market would pay top dollar for excellence if only to avoid renovation horror stories.
Would it be possible to post the contact information for some of the reputable contractors that you’ve worked with in the past?
Anon, hmm you must have a new “standard” on your AIA form – the one I work with includes a line for an initial deposit on it. Y
You are completely entitled to your opinion, but my experience (and BBs) are just very much at odds with your sweeping statement that “good (contractors) don’t need the cash flow from deposits to afford materials to start a job.”
Again, in my experience good GC’s are business people and don’t want to be taken advantage of by clients-not asking for a deposit allows precisely that outcome. Haven’t encountered a GC yet who’d work without one, but that’s just my experience. Best wishes to all!
Bigbubba,
Yeah I’m talking pretty small jobs. One was for $1500 and the other was for $5000. Guess I was pretty lucky that it turned out ok — phew. I’ll never do that again after reading these comments.
And Sloper,
I thought it might be important for the contractor to know that I wouldn’t stiff him. I’m a total novice at this and as a paying customer I shouldn’t have to do this. I’m totally learning as I go.
I think for bigger jobs I would not give a 50% deposit!
Alo –
Respectfully – people around here provide opinions based on much less experience than mine, and I have a right to mine which is based on a fair amount of experience. BB’s experience seems to be different than mine. Maybe deposits are standard and I just got lucky, but I used two different high quality, licensed GC’s and neither required a deposit. I don’t know if you are a deposit taking GC or are just the kind of person that can’t accept that you did not get the best deal possible. People should know that they have options. Also – the “document” I refer to is the standard AIA owner/contractor contract – reputable participants in this industry should be familiar with it.
The “walk around the block looking for contractors” strategy is possibly the dumbest idea I have ever heard. Don’t trust building superintendents for suggestions on how to pick a contractor. My experience with supers is that they do things on the cheap and often take kick-backs from the people they hire.