Do I need to buy materials for my contractor?
Hello When signing the contract with the contractor we had agreed to pay for certain materials. Throughout the renovation we had put shelves in some areas and in the closets. Our contractor is making us pay for the plywood. He is making us buy all the paint when in contract it doesn’t say anything about buying paint. All it says is color selected by owner. We had been in construction for over a year now when in the contract it says 10 weeks. We have been so patient with him but this had made me get really upset when he sends my husband to Home Depot every time for supplies. Can we subtract these materials that we bought from the final payment that we owe our contractor?

homebuyer
in About Brooklyn 11 years and 2 months ago
6
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sages423 | 11 years and 2 months ago
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We have a very similar situation, I am wondering if we have the same contractor. Our contractor kept saying that all we are responsible for are bathroom fixtures (toilets, vanities, etc..); building materials are his responsibility. As the project progressed, he made us buy things such as caulk, tile adhesive, etc… I find this to be highly unprofessional, and at the end of the day, some things just were not worth fighting over. His argument was that if it is not spelled out in the contract, then we are responsible for it. As first time home buyers and going through our first renovation, we did not think we had to spell out every single building material in the contract.

janeinteriorsnyc | 11 years and 2 months ago
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In my mind, your husband shouldn’t be making trips to Home Depot for any supplies for a contractor unless it is written in the contract that the customer will be responsible for paying for all materials as well as going to the store and picking them up. In which case, your contract would probably be written stating that it covers the labor only. I expect contractors to finish the job in the specified time unless something unexpected is encountered on the job site that takes more time and we are all aware of this. They purchase their supplies, bring them to the job site and clean up debris and remove it in the end. And honestly, I think even in a handy man situation, the handy man should be going to purchase the supplies and cleaning up after themselves, not the homeowner. Most contracts with contractors don’t state that they will supply each piece of drywall and plywood etc. It is assumed that if drywall is being done, the price for drywalling includes the drywall supplies and labor, if plastering is being done, it includes the price of plaster and labor, etc. If painting is being done it states that it includes Benjamin Moore Regal paint (for example), so if you choose more expensive paint, the price would go up and if there is a color chosen, it is specified, otherwise color is not mentioned. In terms of the closets, if the rods and shelves are very basic or ones that I’ve specified that can be picked up at home depot, the contractor usually includes them in the price he charges to install them. If the shelves are custom wood shelves that I’ve designed that the contractor has a carpenter build, he includes the price of everything in his quote. If I specify using Elfa shelving, I usually order it and the contractor states in the contract that it is customer supplied and his quote only includes the labor to install it. I know people on this forum can be kind of harsh in judging others, but don’t be too hard on yourselves. It doesn’t mean that you necessarily hired the cheapest person and this is why you are in this situation. Sometimes situations just evolve or devolve and sometimes people just don’t know what they have the right to expect. And heck, you want to help to get the job done.. so your first instinct is to go get stuff when it’s needed to make sure that happens. But what’s going on doesn’t sound professional and professionals have built into their prices the time it takes to drive, park, shop, drive back, unload and park again, into the job price. They also know how to estimate how long a job realistically takes to finish so that they estimate correctly and don’t want to come back 20 times over the course of a year because they lose money every time they have to come back. And just so you know, the money you pay up front is for the materials, so that the contractor has the money to purchase them. I pay my contractors 30% usually at the beginning, and for example on a 4 week job, the balance is then divided into 4 weekly payments, and one payment is made each week, if the job is on schedule until the final week, when the punch list is presented and then completed and the final payment made. If the punch list is not completed, we hold back a percentage of the final week payment until it is. But I only work with great guys now… so that never happens anymore. Thankfully that days of needing to do that are behind me now. There are lots of things you can do in terms of payment at the end, including sit down and talk about the contract, your understanding of it and what you expected to pay and what he wants you to pay and what you are willing to pay and work it out so you feel okay about it. Also, if you end up paying for plywood, I know another poster mentioned mark up. but if I am paying for materials, them I only pay if I am given receipts. That is standard operating procedure.

lmtuzyjcftvgonr | 11 years and 2 months ago
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When you have a project where the owner supplies certain material, that should be CLEARLY spelled out on the contract. Call out every time being supplied by each party. The problem I see here is, your contract is most likely very general with nothing spelled out. Unless the contract states exactly who’s supplying what, your kind of out of luck. Plus to be honest going back to resident2, your better off buying your own material at times due to the markup of opportunity cost on the contractor. As a contractor myself, I always make sure my contracts are easily understood, CLEAR and agreed upon by my clients. — Mosfigul Aktar, Assoc. AIA Architectural Designer Construction Manager Phone: 917-495-6775 Email: MosfigulAktar@gmail.com Website: www.aktargroup.com

Augustiner | 11 years and 2 months ago
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This is what contracts are for. Regular Contractors don“t do this, because they have little reason to discuss plywood purchases. Probably you went with the lowest bid, and now you have to deal with the consequences. Nothing comes for free in Brooklyn (and most other places also).

dorkofwindsor | 11 years and 2 months ago
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This is a tough one, unless it is one basic shelf and one basic rod, more elaborate shelving should be specified in the contract. Anything more could reasonably be considered customized finish carpentry. Is the paint related to all this shelving? Has there been more done that was intended in the scope of the deal? What else is going on in this job that wounds like a nightmare?

resident2 | 11 years and 2 months ago
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Does that contract say that the price includes all materials? In most construction quotes/contracts etc. Who pays for materials, subs, inspections etc. is a large part of it. When contractors buy materials, there is often a mark up for the time and cost of picking up and delivering to the site. Especially for finish items. Basic sheet rock, 2 x 4’s, studs are often included in the contract and most builders can get it at a discount for you. But it should all be spelled out in the contract.