Some people shouldn't be allowed to play with tools

[Jim greengo]

Stopped to bid on a new furnace and ac install,looks like I'm going to have e to rebuild the whole house for them.
Everything the half assed butchering contractor did for them needs to be redone before I can even think about the mechanical work!
I walked around the basement like a Japanese tourist taking before pictures incase the city asked me a out any pre existing problems.

 

[Jim greengo]

We've only just begun

 

[Jim greengo]

And the beat goes on

 

[acmikee]

and he has a license.

 

[Jim greengo]

And on

 

[Jim greengo]

I could've spent all day walking around taking pictures of the screw ups that wanna be contractor made on these people's house.
I lost track of how many floor joists he butchered up in the process of plumbing that mess,this is why we have building codes folks.
People like that are why it costs so much to get things done right.

 

[Jim greengo]

and he has a license.

I'm guessing the guy doesn't even have a dog license,they said he took off to another country where he came from origionally on vacation as soon as he cashed the check.
I'm guessing it was more of a one way retirement trip with their money.

 

[acmikee]

is this new house or an addition.
looks like a cement slab is the framing in the wrong spot or is the plumbing in the wrong spot. also looks like they will have to rip it all out. the home owner paid him for this work.

 

[JoeMcGov]

But the contractor got his invoice turned in for payment every Friday by 1:00pm.

 

[Jim greengo]

It's an existing house in an old part of omaha,the guy was a complete hack.
Didnt use any pressure treated wood on an plates,everything else was just scabbed together to say the least.
Here's a picture of one of the joists that got in his way.
I'll get a better picture when I go back over there.
I explained to her that that's what holds her floor up,and he just chopped them off.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Wow, I hope the contractor will stand good on his plumber's work.

 

[Lassen Forge]

I'll get a better picture when I go back over there.

Like to live dangerously, don't you? Some of those belong in the WTF picture thread...

I'd also explain to the homeowner if he knows what the term "red tagged" means. Probably on the phone - I'm not sure I would bid on something to be installed in that mess, let alone be under that floor when everything comes tumbling down. I can only see that going bad in a hurry...

 

[Tom White]

Everything the Mexican contractor did...

...like a Japanese tourist taking before pictures...

Do you always like to call out foreigners or is this a special occasion?

 

[OHMS LAW]

Do you always like to call out foreigners or is this a special occasion?

Prob SOP

 

[Lassen Forge]

Damnedyankees...

 

[CJM8515]

i hate it when people whine about political and cultural correctness...

 

[Jim greengo]

Do you always like to call out foreigners or is this a special occasion?

Well since I've been married to the same mad Mexican woman for 30 plus years ,I think I'll be ok.
That and the fact the guy from another country took off and went back to another country after butchering up the house,before the ink was dry on the check.
I think it's ok to call him a half assed butchering contractor what do you think?

 

[Jim greengo]

Prob SOP

Read my response to the previous post.

 

[four.cycle]

The "Mexican" part is okay, but I'm not sure that he meets the qualifications for "contractor".

 

[Jim greengo]

A couple more from basement,I'll take some shots of 1st and 2nd floor this weekend.

 

[ddawg16]

Not sure what is worse.....the plumbing or out of focus pictures.....

 

[Jim greengo]

The "Mexican" part is okay, but I'm not sure that he meets the qualifications for "contractor".

I'd say hes a butcher myself,but he seems to like passing himself off as a contractor.
Now if I had called him a butchering redneck white boy from south Omaha nobody would of cared I bet,but I believe in truth in advertising and putting the blame where it belongs.

 

[Jim greengo]

Not sure what is worse.....the plumbing or out of focus pictures.....

I took them with my phone,was trying not to make it too obvious to the customer.

 

[Jim greengo]

Like to live dangerously, don't you? Some of those belong in the WTF picture thread...

I'd also explain to the homeowner if he knows what the term "red tagged" means. Probably on the phone - I'm not sure I would bid on something to be installed in that mess, let alone be under that floor when everything comes tumbling down. I can only see that going bad in a hurry...

As long as my stuff passes an inspection I'll be ok,that's why I took lots of before pictures.

 

[four.cycle]

Hey! My old man was a redneck white boy from South Omaha! Watch it there!

Is Joe Tess' place still open? (Been a while since I was there.)

I suppose this chucklehead took the money and is out of country now, leaving the homeowner with zero recourse, correct?

 

[Jim greengo]

Hey! My old man was a redneck white boy from South Omaha! Watch it there!

Is Joe Tess' place still open? (Been a while since I was there.)

I suppose this chucklehead took the money and is out of country now, leaving the homeowner with zero recourse, correct?

Yes it is,not nearly as good as it was 40 years plus ago.
My grandma used to live across the street.
I too began my career as a sob on 17th and madison,before moving to Louisville as a kid.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

IDK if I'd want to even get involved...

Tommy

 

[Jim greengo]

Hey! My old man was a redneck white boy from South Omaha! Watch it there!

Is Joe Tess' place still open? (Been a while since I was there.)

I suppose this chucklehead took the money and is out of country now, leaving the homeowner with zero recourse, correct?

Yes he did.

 

[Jim greengo]

IDK if I'd want to even get involved...

Tommy

I bid repair work like that high to make it worth the frustration!

 

[four.cycle]

IDK if I'd want to even get involved...

I'm not a general contractor or a plumber - just a "fix it" guy, painter, and landscaper now - stuff that doesn't cause too many headaches.

I've walked into a few deals where the guy the homeowner had previously hired did such a hatchet job I had to gracefully extricate myself from the situation and walk away.
Sometimes discretion is the better part of valor.

 

[Jim greengo]

I'm not a general contractor or a plumber - just a "fix it" guy, painter, and landscaper now - stuff that doesn't cause too many headaches.

I've walked into a few deals where the guy the homeowner had previously hired did such a hatchet job I had to gracefully extricate myself from the situation and walk away.
Sometimes discretion is the better part of valor.

The trick is to know just how far you want to get involved and let them know.
And always put it in writing that you're only bidding on repairing what you can actually see,anything extra is time and materials.
I've been doing this for a long time,I've learned lots of stuff the hard way.

 

[four.cycle]

Well... you're working in a completely different realm.

Right now one of the gigs I have lined up is repairing and repainting an entry way in which the mud-and-tape guy did a complete screw-up job - left the masking tape on a portion of the window casement that should have been textured and painted. Actually a relatively easy fix (for me) because I've done a lot of that sort of thing.

Looks like you've got an entire house to deal with though - just from the photos it does look like a big can of worms.

Best of luck with it.

Took me a few minutes to remember - it was 1981 when I had catfish for lunch at Joe Tess' place - longer than I had thought!

 

[Jim greengo]

You've got more patience than me if you can do drywall and paint.
I think the last time I was at Joe tessa's place was mid 80s when I was home on leave,grandma drug me across the street.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

Thinking of having You committed to a nut house if You even think of going back there.

There is no starting point on that mess; but You can end Your involvement NOW..

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I bid repair work like that high to make it worth the frustration!

Well, if the homeowner has unlimited funds, this can be your Golden Gate Bridge lifetime painting job...

Tommy

 

[four.cycle]

You've got more patience than me if you can do drywall and paint

Fortunately the homeowner has the patience on this one, because for such a simple little fix it will take a few days - allowing each coat to dry overnight before commencing to the next step. I told them that and they're okay with it. The hassle part of it is that the site is 45 minutes away, and it will only be maybe 30 to 45 minutes a day working time at each step of the process.

Not a big deal though - they also want me to prime and paint the new two-car garage as well, so at least there's enough to do there to warrant the driving time back and forth.

I'm leaning toward agreeing with a few of the other gentlemen here on that house - unless the homeowner is braced for some major additional expense I'd consider walking away. Make sure your terms are clear before you get your hands dirty.

But then, you and I are both engaging in correcting the screw-ups from a previous contractor - sounds like you've been doing it long enough you know what the score is.
This gig I've got now - the "contractor" had the house ripped to pieces for 11 months and still left all kinds of stuff unfinished - little nickel and dime stuff - cheap fixes, but time consuming to deal with properly. Fortunately they understand that it will be hours and hours and hours, and I don't work cheap.

Just my two cents.

 

[Jim greengo]

I gave her a pretty high estimate to make it worth me spending a week fixing the obvious plumbing problems,and the new furnace/ac.
$15,000.00 for labor/materials ,not including anything under floor or inside walls that cant be seen.
I'm only working on the mechanical systems of house(plumbing/hvac/ electrical for furnace/ac).
No concrete tear out or replacement,she has a laborer for that,no framing or drywall repairs either.

 

[four.cycle]

 

[jd_1138]

I gave her a pretty high estimate to make it worth me spending a week fixing the obvious plumbing problems,and the new furnace/ac.
$15,000.00 for labor/materials ,not including anything under floor or inside walls that cant be seen.
I'm only working on the mechanical systems of house(plumbing/hvac/ electrical for furnace/ac).
No concrete tear out or replacement,she has a laborer for that,no framing or drywall repairs either.

Wow nice chunk of change. How long will it take to fix?

 

[Jim greengo]

Wow nice chunk of change. How long will it take to fix?

I figure I'll spend a good chunk of a week on rough in stuff,maybe a couple days on finish stuff.
I'll plug in a couple space heaters and stay nice and warm in there.
The chimney liner will have to wait till it warms up,so I can get the tinner to climb that steep *** roof.;my old *** has no desire to do a chimney liner anymore.