Why don't contractors follow thru?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here -- so comforting to hear that others have this issue too. I thought maybe we had three heads or something! But I'm sorry to others dealing with it.

To the poster who mentioned ADHD, I wondered about that. I'm not sure how to help overcome that, though, other than being patient and following up several times, which I have done. If anyone has other ideas on ways to help folks who are maybe not naturally task completers, that would be helpful.

I had used Thumbtack to get contractors to bid on my job this most recent go round, in hopes that those folks would be more motivated. Of the seven or so people I was dealing with, I only got actual estimates from TWO!! The rest just wasted my time.

OK, as a former contractor, the ADHD comment made me laugh. That ain't it, I assure you.

The problem was correctly identified up thread. There's too much work and not enough people to do it in this area. That they're "maybe not naturally task completers" is generally not true, but again, they're juggling too many things.

I will suggest you make a deal that involves a substantial cash bonus for completing the work on time. Barring that, wait for a recession to do your renovations. In the latter case, you will get the undivided attention of the most skilled people for the least amount of money. Good luck to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH and I learned to do things ourselves. Seriously. Much easier.

We have done a lot of work ourselves but are doing a basement remodel and want to pay for the structural stuff. Takes too long to figure out the basics especially if you are pulling a permit - finish work, no problem.

Okay I do have one idea for you: We found a great "do-all" type of guy through our realtor. He's the guy she sends out for all the pre-listing repairs or general fix-up. When there's something we can't/won't do, we call him. We might get him only on weekends if real estate season is busy, but he always does a good job. Perhaps contact your realtor for someone similar?

[Anonymous]

If a project isn't worth a trades person's time they won't take the time to bid it, or they'll stop half way through if they figure out it's not profitable. Bidding a job costs around a days lost labor, which is a lot of money.

Plus, these aren't folks who love paperwork or have worked in an office. These are hands on cut and saw type folks who hate to touch a computer or file papers if they can avoid it. There is so much work if you stop returning phone calls it likely won't slow down them down, unless they are crappy at their job, because they'll still get referrals from the clients they do work with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH and I learned to do things ourselves. Seriously. Much easier.

We have done a lot of work ourselves but are doing a basement remodel and want to pay for the structural stuff. Takes too long to figure out the basics especially if you are pulling a permit - finish work, no problem.

Okay I do have one idea for you: We found a great "do-all" type of guy through our realtor. He's the guy she sends out for all the pre-listing repairs or general fix-up. When there's something we can't/won't do, we call him. We might get him only on weekends if real estate season is busy, but he always does a good job. Perhaps contact your realtor for someone similar?

Anything a handyman can do, we can do. We just don't want to do the framing, electrical or drywall and a few other things because we are pulling permits and it makes it more complicated. We need someone to come in every day, not just fit us in.

[Anonymous]

Same here, and I am in a different part of the country.

[Anonymous]

You may need to serve as the contractor. Hire a handyman/carpenter to do the framing and drywall. Hire an electrician to do the electrical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You may need to serve as the contractor. Hire a handyman/carpenter to do the framing and drywall. Hire an electrician to do the electrical.

That is what we are doing but finding people is not easy. We are having a tuff time finding an electrician. A handyman is not what you want for framing. You need someone with experience. Fortunately we found one through the grape fine.

[Anonymous]

Stop using angieslist, those people are terrible anyways. FYI to get listed a contractor must pay 20-50k a year.

Find youself someone else.

[Anonymous]

Try to hire the non white workers

[Anonymous]

It might be you...

I'm a contractor, if I don't like you I won't bid your job.
If you cut your husband off mid sentence or if he rolls his eyes when you begin speaking I'm out. Trying to get two people though something as stressful as an interior renovation is 1000x more difficult when the clients can barely be civil to each other...if you're terrible to your wife what terrible things will you do to me?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It might be you...

I'm a contractor, if I don't like you I won't bid your job.
If you cut your husband off mid sentence or if he rolls his eyes when you begin speaking I'm out. Trying to get two people though something as stressful as an interior renovation is 1000x more difficult when the clients can barely be civil to each other...if you're terrible to your wife what terrible things will you do to me?

Then be upfront and tell someone you are not interested and stop wasting their time if you are only looking for a perfect client. No one, including you is perfect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It might be you...

I'm a contractor, if I don't like you I won't bid your job.
If you cut your husband off mid sentence or if he rolls his eyes when you begin speaking I'm out. Trying to get two people though something as stressful as an interior renovation is 1000x more difficult when the clients can barely be civil to each other...if you're terrible to your wife what terrible things will you do to me?

Then be upfront and tell someone you are not interested and stop wasting their time if you are only looking for a perfect client. No one, including you is perfect.

I do this exactly, I politely say that this job is beyond my scope and I refer a hated competitor; I never leave people hanging.
I'm as close to perfect as they come and you my dear I'm sure would get the referral out.

[Anonymous]

Save your money and try to set it up in November when work is slow and people are focused on the holidays (including contractors who need extra money that time of year)

They will call you back in November.

[Anonymous]

National Harbor building has taken a lot of contractors and tradesmen out of the local work force temporarily.

Agree with winter scheme for bids/jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It might be you...

I'm a contractor, if I don't like you I won't bid your job.
If you cut your husband off mid sentence or if he rolls his eyes when you begin speaking I'm out. Trying to get two people though something as stressful as an interior renovation is 1000x more difficult when the clients can barely be civil to each other...if you're terrible to your wife what terrible things will you do to me?

Then be upfront and tell someone you are not interested and stop wasting their time if you are only looking for a perfect client. No one, including you is perfect.

I do this exactly, I politely say that this job is beyond my scope and I refer a hated competitor; I never leave people hanging.
I'm as close to perfect as they come and you my dear I'm sure would get the referral out.

If you are not willing or able to do it, why would I want a referral. Every time a contractor has done it, the people we have been referred to seemed terrible. We are acting as our own GC. It took us a while to realize we could pull our own permit and hire out the major stuff. We got lucky and have a wonderful framer, AC/duct person and plumber. Now we just need an electrician. Glad you'd refer me out as I don't need a GC, I need workers. The workers love us - we feed them, get all the supplies they need before or on request immediately (as in you ask, we go now so you don't stop working), lend them tools if they forgot theirs, etc. A GC for smaller jobs, basically if you are doing a remodel and not an entire house is a waste of time and money.