Our contractor was busy at work each day until the October
snow storm. On most days, they called giving me an update. Most of the time,
though, the update was to inform me of "something" they found. His
phone calls eventually turned into a fear of answering the phone. I'll be
honest though, after he would mention that "something", he would add
that it'll be either a small fee or nothing at all. He said that he was once my
age and he knew that it was hard on the pockets when buying the first home.
That's nice and all, but it means nothing when that same person throws it in
your face that he did "extra work" while also throwing a hissy fit
after I gave him a two item punch list.
The freebies that he offered were the removal of the
plumbing that interfered with the beam replacement (that he did not put back
into service), removal of a concrete threshold under the coffin door (which he
left for me to dispose of) and a couple of other things that at this moment
escape me.
One major call was to notify me that an additional length
of sill required replacement. A length equating to over $3,000 in additional
work, that's $3,000 missed that his son, the estimator, did not account for
during his walkthrough. As we're funding this work through negotiations from
the seller, we have a fixed amount to spend based on what his son estimated.
Anything additional, we pay for out of pocket.
The work was just about complete when the October snow storm
hit. I notified the two man crew that they will be unable to work at our home
since there is no power to run their equipment. They understood and requested
an update when power was restored.
A day or so before the power was restored; I contacted them
with news that I purchased a 5,000 watt generator (see No Power, No Heat.) which
would allow them to continue working. Their reply was to give the power company
another day, which coincidently, came on the following afternoon.
Work commenced and was primarily a finishing task. The
final beams were placed and the sill mortared. Temporary support columns
removed and angles with bolts screwed in to reinforce joints were installed.
I walked through the basement a couple nights before
completion and noticed my oil tank still disconnected. The plumbing removed was
not apparently going to be replaced. Specifically, plumbing required to fill
and vent the oil tank as well as a spigot for the outside water. There was also
an electrical box left unsecured (not really a big deal).
I sent an email to the owner to make sure that
"we" didn't forget to put back what was taken down. After all, winter
was approaching and the oil tank will need refilling eventually.
His response was not something I would have expected. He
suggested that I should contact my oil supplier to re-install the pipe (which
would cost me money) as he did not want to assume any liability for an
incorrectly installed pipe that he removed. I obliged, contacted my supplier
who replied that if our contractor would drill the hole through the sill,
they'll re-thread the steel pipes and install them at no charge. The oil
company added that they would assume the liability since they're making the
connection. Otherwise, having the oil company do the whole job would cost me
$100 to $200, plus tax. Having already paid thousands extra, I was running
short on cash and wanted to reduce expenses. It made sense to have my
contractor drill the hole. He's onsite with a drill. He is also familiar with
the structure and would know precisely where to drill without affecting the
structural integrity of a brand new sill that he just installed. Plus, his cost
is negligible as he's already there whereas the oil company would have to
mobilize to visit our property.
Playing the middleman, I relayed the suggestion to my
contractor. Yet again I was surprised (perhaps I should stop being
surprised...). My contractor lost his composure and literally began yelling at
me over the phone. He must have misunderstood me as he became irate stating he
(the contractor) shouldn't take the liability, that I should treat my
contractors better, that we (the clients) are all the same, if we only knew the
work that he did... etc. it was a very long winded, one sided
conversation. The discussion became offensive with the contractor
unwilling to reason. He then started to reveal a convoluted final thought.
According to his "professional" opinion, technically, I owe money back to the seller.
Citing that (and this is the best part) the overall cost of work in the initial
estimate was less than estimated so I ought to give 'X' dollars back to the
seller. Wow... not that his son failed to properly estimate the cost of repair
which forced my wife and I to pay out of pocket an extra $3,000 above the
monies we received from the seller means anything...
Our phone conversations abruptly ended after that last
call. By the time I got home from work, the contractor had packed things up and
left. Don't get me wrong, he was scheduled to leave that day anyway, but the
remaining details showed their ill-placed frustration. The clapboard siding
that was replaced lacked adequate caulking. A junction box by the coffin door
was not secured properly. The interior wall by the coffin door was
miss-aligned. The main power feed to the home was improperly secured after
completing investigative work leading to the water in my electrical panel (see
Water in my electrical panel). One section of flooring depressed in the old kitchen where
they replaced the sill. Though our contract with him stated that we are
responsible for waste removal, he told me (and I have it recorded) that he
would remove the debris for us free of charge as our project is very small. I
still have several construction bags in my backyard with wood, concrete, etc.
inside after dumping quite a few already.
I hate fighting with contractors. I
do it at work; I don't want to do it at home as well. I tried being the
"bigger" man and mailed them a "thank you" card with the
remaining balance due. I was planning on putting in two $100 bills for the
father and son team as a "thank you" tip. After being treated the way
I was with degrading comments and mild stupidity, I changed my mind.
If you're reading this Mr. G., you should treat your
customers better. You never know when they may be a repeat customer. I and
my 250 year old home will not be.
Enough with the
rant, so what was done and how much did it cost?
Ah, yes, the important stuff…
The two man crew did work long and hard while they were on site.
Each piece of timber beam had to be custom fitted and hoisted into position.
This is not like having a couple of 2"X10"'s nailed together and
plopped into place. No, each beam and sill's depth was cut to fit into
position. The sill is placed on top of an uneven stone foundation. Like a
puzzle, each segment had to fit. The
home had to be lifted a fraction of an inch to allow the removal and
installation of the new beams and sills. How they lifted the home is the secret
as is how they lifted the heavy beams into place. Mortise and tenon connections were also
created. The notches for the tenons were
made using a circular saw and a large chisel.
Specifically how, must also be a secret.
Though to be quite honest, most methods can be researched online via
youtube.com.
The initial estimate was $13,320. For the:
1. Removal and
replacement of 26 linear feet of sill.
2.
Removal and
replacement of 23 linear feet of beams at 6” x 6”.
3.
Remove temporary
supports and replace with permanent Lally columns.
4.
Install a 2” x 6” oak
to reinforce the beam under the old kitchen’s fireplace.
5. Install additional horizontal
and vertical support beams and posts on the right side of the chimney base.
6.
Reinforce the diagonal
braces under the kitchen hearth.
The following was added:
- Additional sill removal and replacement, $3,135.00 (labor expense).
- Investigative work to explore a trouble area: $85 for one hour of time.
- Additional material and Permit, $2,478.81.
- Additional material, $89.60 (clapboards).
So, this all cost a whooping $16,468.41.
But, how much did we pay?
We received three checks from the seller’s attorney totaling
$13,320 based on the estimate.
We received a $250 discount for scheduling before a set
date.
Out of pocket we paid $2,898.41.
Nothing in the attic was done. No ventilation, no additional supports. It was a disappointment for me, but I did not
want to continue the relationship plus, having paid more than what we had
expected to pay, our finances were short.
I’ll have to save the work in the attic for another day.
