O for six

[Kapt]

I don't get it. No one seems to want to pour my slab. They either don't return my calls or they come out and give me an estimate and that is the last time I hear from them. Is the job too small and not worth there time? Or am I just calling the wrong people?

My garage is done except for the slab. It's graded, stone is down and compacted, foamboard and rebar/pex. Nothing out of the ordinary.

If anyone has contacts for the Md/DC area, please let me know.

I'm almost ready to pour it myself.

 

[PAToyota]

How many square feet? This time of year it seems most contractors are overbooked - lots of times they never show up for the look to give an estimate.

But your's sounds like a quick and done deal - especially if it is under roof they could save it for a rainy day when they can't work outside...

 

[bmwpower]

I couldn't get people to call me back either. Had to settle for someone of lesser quality due to winter coming and no other options. I should have waited until spring....

 

[brownbagg]

garage is done, we alway pour the slab before the walls.

 

[PAToyota]

Brownbagg, could you elaborate? I'm not sure how you could pour a slab before the foundation walls. Unless you mean pouring just a slab and then building the framed walls up from that... Especially in a garage I prefer to set the frame walls up on a block wall of at least a couple courses so that you can washing things down without rotting out the framing over time...

 

[Der Bugmeister]

Or, he could be talking about the same thing I'm planning - pour foundation walls, backfill, pour floor slab, then start framing...

 

[hdroadkingc]

Could be a Pole Building.

 

[Herb]

Well, I know what he IS talking about, and that is the fact that many contractors, at least in my experience, are forever bitching about deadbeat customers that they can't collect from, yet these same A**HOLES NEVER RETURN CALLS. Even if you PROMISE to pay 110% (Oh no, that's not neccessary), CASH, UP FRONT, KISS THEIR A** FOREVER, many are just too busy with big builders to care about the people that would bend over backwards to have a good tradesman come to their home. Well, I tried to keep it as clean as I could, but I have been both pissed on and pissed off too many times!

 

[jhchoppers]

You might try posting an add on craigslist.com in the service section. Here in the St. Louis area, there are posting for concrete guys looking for work.

 

[SteveU]

I had a similar deal trying to get an estimate on putting in a mercury light & putting electrical service into my barn, couldn't get anyone to come out & give an estimate. Wound up wiring the light myself & am just running the barn off the underground feed from the house.

 

[chicane]

Well, I know what he IS talking about, and that is the fact that many contractors, at least in my experience, are forever bitching about deadbeat customers that they can't collect from, yet these same A**HOLES NEVER RETURN CALLS. Even if you PROMISE to pay 110% (Oh no, that's not neccessary), CASH, UP FRONT, KISS THEIR A** FOREVER, many are just too busy with big builders to care about the people that would bend over backwards to have a good tradesman come to their home. Well, I tried to keep it as clean as I could, but I have been both pissed on and pissed off too many times!

+2...as I have often said, if you want something done right (or at all) do it yourself. Fortunately most garage guys tend to be DIY'ers by nature so it's not a huge deal for us to get our hands dirty building our own car palaces.

But I think what was said above is true, you have to catch them at the right time of year and spring/early summer is not the right time of year.