DIYbanter - View Single Post

wrote:
On 7 Mar 2006 07:15:24 -0800, "CanopyCo" wrote:

Get the contract in writing, and make sure there is a clause in there
where he pays you if the job is not completed in full in X number of
days, for every day after X days that the job is still not finished.

That will be the first signal to the contractor that you are going to
be a very high maintainance customer ... and that he should turn down
the job.

Standard professional contract around here.
I have been doing construction for years, and any job where I am the
contractor (not the subcontractor) had this type of contract involved.

If he balks at this, then he is trying to shaft you, or is incompetent
and can't even guess at how long the job will take.

After all, if he thinks "I can easily do this job in one week", then
all he has to do is make the contract for 3 months and you are both
still covered.

If he can't do a one week easy job in three months, then he is shafting
you.
And if he never finishes the job at all, you have recourse without
needing a lawyer.

Do you really want someone ripping the roof off your house who cannot
give you any idea at all how long it will take to put the roof back on?

And not the company owing you, but the contractor personally.

Maybe the contractor could give you $50 000 cash up front ... and when
the job is done to your satisfaction, you could give h im back the
50 grand plus the value of the job.

No need for either one to trust anyone with any money.
Just do the job in 5 times the amount of time he thinks it will take
and all is well.
After all, he should be able to give you an idea how long it will take.
Multiply that by 5 and write it up.
Now if he just takes you money and runs, you have easy recourse.
If he even tries to do the job, he can finish it in 5 times the
expected time.

I knew of several guys that start jobs, then stick you up for more
money to finish them.

That's why you do a reference check.

Reference checks are worthless.
You have to ask him who to talk to, and he will only tell you the
places he wants you to see.
Never the ones where he copped an attitude and just walked off the job.

And it is really hard to find someone to take up a job that was started
by someone else.

Unless the market is dead and the contractor is starving, It is going
to be really hard to find someone under the terms you're suggesting.

Ken

Obviously you haven't a clue.
I do construction for a living.
Do it all over the US.
And every job had the same sort of contract involved.

Now, if you only deal with shade tree guys instead of professionals,
then getting them to do this may be a problem.

But then, would you want someone ripping the roof off your house that
could not give you any idea at all when he would finish it?