ᐅ Construction Company – Start of Construction, Communication. Tips, Experiences?
Created on: 23 Jan 2021 11:42
R
Robbs84
Hello everyone,
I’m running out of patience dealing with our construction company (general contractor). We signed our building contract in October 2019. Since August 2020, we have had the building permit/planning permission, but we are still waiting for construction to start. Our frustration has been growing because it feels like no one there really cares when our build will begin. Unfortunately, our contract doesn’t specify a fixed start date, only an 11-month construction period guarantee starting from the completion of the foundation slab. So, we are still waiting for any activity on our lot—it's been 15 months since signing and 5 months since getting the permit.
The second issue is related to the first: communication with the site manager and subcontractors. They don’t reply to any emails whatsoever. When we call, they do return the calls, but we’re always given vague phrases like “we’re trying to start soon,” “we’re waiting for good weather,” or “we’ll get to it shortly,” etc. Initially, they said they were waiting for the surveyor, then blamed the weather, then said “it didn’t make sense to start because of upcoming holidays,” and so on. Now we suspect they’ll wait until April due to weather, even though we were told it could start in January. Somehow no one is being honest or straightforward with us!
On the phone, everyone is very polite, and we as homeowners are polite too, but frankly, we feel increasingly ignored and like we’re being fobbed off. Phone calls with polite but firmer requests to improve communication and focus more on our project have made no difference. So we feel powerless and completely at the mercy of the contractor regarding the start of construction—it’s frustrating and really not what we are used to professionally or personally. Is this normal in the construction industry?
Overall, I don’t think the company is unprofessional, but they do seem disorganized and just follow a routine. We try to stay friendly and patient, but it’s starting to wear on us, and we wonder how the actual construction will go.
Thanks for your replies—I’m looking forward to hearing about your experiences.
I’m running out of patience dealing with our construction company (general contractor). We signed our building contract in October 2019. Since August 2020, we have had the building permit/planning permission, but we are still waiting for construction to start. Our frustration has been growing because it feels like no one there really cares when our build will begin. Unfortunately, our contract doesn’t specify a fixed start date, only an 11-month construction period guarantee starting from the completion of the foundation slab. So, we are still waiting for any activity on our lot—it's been 15 months since signing and 5 months since getting the permit.
The second issue is related to the first: communication with the site manager and subcontractors. They don’t reply to any emails whatsoever. When we call, they do return the calls, but we’re always given vague phrases like “we’re trying to start soon,” “we’re waiting for good weather,” or “we’ll get to it shortly,” etc. Initially, they said they were waiting for the surveyor, then blamed the weather, then said “it didn’t make sense to start because of upcoming holidays,” and so on. Now we suspect they’ll wait until April due to weather, even though we were told it could start in January. Somehow no one is being honest or straightforward with us!
On the phone, everyone is very polite, and we as homeowners are polite too, but frankly, we feel increasingly ignored and like we’re being fobbed off. Phone calls with polite but firmer requests to improve communication and focus more on our project have made no difference. So we feel powerless and completely at the mercy of the contractor regarding the start of construction—it’s frustrating and really not what we are used to professionally or personally. Is this normal in the construction industry?
- What are your experiences?
- How was the communication with your contractor, site manager, and tradespeople?
- How long did it take from permit approval until construction started for you?
- Did anyone begin building during winter? Do you really need 2–3 weeks of temperatures above +5°C (41°F), which is unrealistic in a normal winter, or can it be done in stages?
- Did you contact the site manager frequently? Were you considered pushy? We want a good relationship with the site manager since we need him for the project, so we hesitate to “pester” or get too firm in our tone.
Overall, I don’t think the company is unprofessional, but they do seem disorganized and just follow a routine. We try to stay friendly and patient, but it’s starting to wear on us, and we wonder how the actual construction will go.
Thanks for your replies—I’m looking forward to hearing about your experiences.
hausnrplus2523 Jan 2021 17:06NKB2020 schrieb:
In our contract, it states that construction will begin within 3 months after the building permit / planning permission is granted and once all obligations of the homeowners are fulfilled. It actually started after 2 months, but since they had previously given us the impression that they could start immediately at any time, this waiting period was confusing to us. I hope your project gets underway soon! I think that’s a good tip.
Unfortunately, we also did not specify a start date for construction, only a completion date with corresponding penalties. We considered specifying a timeframe at length.
But in the end, the start of construction depends on the building permit, and it is understandable that the company can only schedule work once the permit is granted. Still, a completion deadline must be set, because otherwise, an excavator might show up one day and then nothing happens for months.
We decided against setting a start date because of the uncertainty around the building permit, plus we want to subcontract the groundwork and concrete work ourselves, and also partly out of trust in the company. Hopefully, that was not a mistake.
Setting the building permit as a deadline is a good tip for anyone who has not yet signed a contract.
Wishing you success for a prompt start!
We haven’t set anything in stone either.
When we inquired after the building permit, we were told to wait several weeks... I assume the general contractors (GCs) only start scheduling the project once the building permit is granted. Before that, there’s no magnet with our name on their planning board. Only then does the back-and-forth scheduling on the annual planner begin.
It will be the same for you.
Of course, no contractor admits that you’re just one of many and that your project is at the back of the queue. You basically have to wait your turn.
Do you work in the office?
One less site manager. He’s almost every day on the construction site... the office staff handling emails have no authority...
Minimal. The boss was gruff.
No, we weren’t pushy. If they say nobody will be on site every day, then that’s how it is. At neighbouring plots, sometimes no one showed up for a week either...
And then there’s COVID. Instead of four tradespeople, only two, causing delays, and then someone in quarantine... more delays. This pushes several projects back, and those at the end really suffer.
One more thing I thought of: more expensive houses get prioritized because contractors make more profit on them. Maybe that’s why they keep postponing you more than others.
When we inquired after the building permit, we were told to wait several weeks... I assume the general contractors (GCs) only start scheduling the project once the building permit is granted. Before that, there’s no magnet with our name on their planning board. Only then does the back-and-forth scheduling on the annual planner begin.
It will be the same for you.
Robbs84 schrieb:
If you call, they return the call, but we keep getting general phrases ("we’re trying to start soon," "we need good weather," "we’ll get it done soon," etc.).
Of course, no contractor admits that you’re just one of many and that your project is at the back of the queue. You basically have to wait your turn.
Robbs84 schrieb:
No emails are ever answered in writing, not a single one.
Do you work in the office?
One less site manager. He’s almost every day on the construction site... the office staff handling emails have no authority...
Robbs84 schrieb:
How was communication with the builder, site manager, and the trades?
Minimal. The boss was gruff.
Robbs84 schrieb:
Did you contact the site manager frequently? Were you pushy?
No, we weren’t pushy. If they say nobody will be on site every day, then that’s how it is. At neighbouring plots, sometimes no one showed up for a week either...
Osnabruecker schrieb:
Building permit in August, the company surely didn’t wait for you and already has their schedule full. Then winter comes quickly.
And then there’s COVID. Instead of four tradespeople, only two, causing delays, and then someone in quarantine... more delays. This pushes several projects back, and those at the end really suffer.
One more thing I thought of: more expensive houses get prioritized because contractors make more profit on them. Maybe that’s why they keep postponing you more than others.
Hello everyone,
thank you very much for the many tips and experiences!
Yes, we also expected about 12 months from building permit to move-in. Our contract included a processing time of 8 weeks after the building permit for the execution planning, and after that, we thought construction would start...
At this point, we don’t want to involve a lawyer or seek contract termination due to unpredictable cost and time risks. Still, having a lawyer review the contract again is something we’ll keep in mind if things continue like this…
We have an expert, who also says starting construction in winter is possible; if wanted, there are ways and means to do it. We are building in the Hamburg area; so far, there has been hardly any snow, and temperatures range between -3°C (27°F) at night and +6°C (43°F) during the day. There are about 3-4 days between 3°C and 8°C (37°F and 46°F), where we wonder if work could already start. Otherwise, we can wait until April. I feel like the general contractor is under no pressure and prefers to work by the book—i.e., waiting for spring.
That may be true, but he is also responsible for material orders, so he does spend some time in the office as well. It is very frustrating because you end up without written records, and verbal communication feels quite noncommittal (maybe that’s intentional).
Corona quarantine, “more expensive” projects, these can be reasons but provide no comfort, as carrying costs are accumulating and we have total uncertainty about when construction will continue.
From my experience, I can only advise everyone to negotiate a specified construction start date in the contract. The idea of a deadline starting from the building permit is good. By law, there has to be a completion deadline, but if there is no fixed construction start date, you might wait indefinitely until it “suits” the general contractor. We did raise this issue before signing the contract, but it was firmly rejected with the argument that too many unknowns exist and no one can know when all conditions for the start are met. Our mistake was trusting and signing anyway.
thank you very much for the many tips and experiences!
Andre77 schrieb:
Hey,
signed the contract in September 2018 (general contractor, solid construction) with reservations, which were lifted in November 2018
in February 2019 the material selection took place
beginning of April the building permit application was submitted
beginning of June the building permit was granted and planning with the general contractor started with a maximum of 8 weeks
end of August the first on-site meeting with the construction supervisor took place
beginning of September earthworks started
construction continued until just before Christmas and then resumed in the second week of January
The contract included a planned handover date; the house was scheduled for a construction period of 8 months (1 extra month due to underfloor heating). Ultimately, it was about 3 weeks past the deadline due to delays with trades on other sites. Because of the delay, there was an agreed compensation.
All in all, I would say it was a well-organized process. The construction supervisor was always reachable; if not, there was a prompt callback, at the latest the next day. Emails were also answered promptly.
Yes, we also expected about 12 months from building permit to move-in. Our contract included a processing time of 8 weeks after the building permit for the execution planning, and after that, we thought construction would start...
11ant schrieb:
So a maximum of eleven months, but starting from a never date. Yes, that was unwise. Have a lawyer review the contract, especially regarding cancellation (or whether the contract is void due to gross unfairness). A lawyer also knows how to put a contractor in default.
At this point, we don’t want to involve a lawyer or seek contract termination due to unpredictable cost and time risks. Still, having a lawyer review the contract again is something we’ll keep in mind if things continue like this…
Osnabruecker schrieb:
Do you have anyone competent on your side? “Your” construction manager is unfortunately the contractor’s site manager and therefore may not have your interests in mind.
Building permit in August, so the company probably didn’t wait for you and is fully booked. Then winter comes quickly.
Which region are you located in? Is it winter there? But the temperature issue is true; with all the rain and frost, earthworks don’t make sense, and concrete work is not feasible in frost without additional measures.
We have an expert, who also says starting construction in winter is possible; if wanted, there are ways and means to do it. We are building in the Hamburg area; so far, there has been hardly any snow, and temperatures range between -3°C (27°F) at night and +6°C (43°F) during the day. There are about 3-4 days between 3°C and 8°C (37°F and 46°F), where we wonder if work could already start. Otherwise, we can wait until April. I feel like the general contractor is under no pressure and prefers to work by the book—i.e., waiting for spring.
ypg schrieb:
Are you working in an office?
One less construction manager. He is on site almost every day... the office staff managing the email account have no authority...
That may be true, but he is also responsible for material orders, so he does spend some time in the office as well. It is very frustrating because you end up without written records, and verbal communication feels quite noncommittal (maybe that’s intentional).
Corona quarantine, “more expensive” projects, these can be reasons but provide no comfort, as carrying costs are accumulating and we have total uncertainty about when construction will continue.
From my experience, I can only advise everyone to negotiate a specified construction start date in the contract. The idea of a deadline starting from the building permit is good. By law, there has to be a completion deadline, but if there is no fixed construction start date, you might wait indefinitely until it “suits” the general contractor. We did raise this issue before signing the contract, but it was firmly rejected with the argument that too many unknowns exist and no one can know when all conditions for the start are met. Our mistake was trusting and signing anyway.
Robbs84 schrieb:
So, the rear house should be built up to the screed stage before work can even start on our house. They mentioned a waiting time of 4 to 6 months depending on weather conditions during winter! Of course, that really shocked us. Could this be related? It’s always frustrating when someone else’s schedule causes delays.
ypg schrieb:
Does this have anything to do with it? It's always frustrating when the other party is behind schedule.We have now found a solution with the general contractor to start the work simultaneously. Neither on their side nor on ours has anything progressed...
Robbs84 schrieb:
We have now found a solution with the building authority to start the work simultaneously. Nothing has happened either at the back or on our side...So, you are not alone and the only ones?