I
Irgendwoabaier19 Jul 2015 11:31Hello,
The house is "finished" (well, you’re never really completely finished), and now we’re moving on to the outdoor landscaping. The driveway is done, the plans for the terrace are finalized, now we just need the landscaper (general response: planning, execution, yes, we do all that, no problem)...
Candidate 1: Yes, I’ll come by Thursday, take a look, but I’m fully booked for the next 3 months. No problem, that’s fine. Comes by, submits a very flawed quote, and doesn’t respond to follow-up questions.
Candidate 2: Yes, I’ll come by Friday, take a look, and provide a quote by the week after next, but the work probably won’t happen this year. Like I said, that’s enough. Comes by, discusses some points. Quote – never arrives (2 weeks overdue).
Candidate 3: It won’t happen this year. No problem—I just want the planning finished this year; it’s enough for me if I can sit on the terrace next summer. Update from candidate 3: I can take a look… I’ll get back to you the week after next.
Is this normal? Or do you really need a garden architect to get a quote from a contractor?
Shaking my head,
I.
The house is "finished" (well, you’re never really completely finished), and now we’re moving on to the outdoor landscaping. The driveway is done, the plans for the terrace are finalized, now we just need the landscaper (general response: planning, execution, yes, we do all that, no problem)...
Candidate 1: Yes, I’ll come by Thursday, take a look, but I’m fully booked for the next 3 months. No problem, that’s fine. Comes by, submits a very flawed quote, and doesn’t respond to follow-up questions.
Candidate 2: Yes, I’ll come by Friday, take a look, and provide a quote by the week after next, but the work probably won’t happen this year. Like I said, that’s enough. Comes by, discusses some points. Quote – never arrives (2 weeks overdue).
Candidate 3: It won’t happen this year. No problem—I just want the planning finished this year; it’s enough for me if I can sit on the terrace next summer. Update from candidate 3: I can take a look… I’ll get back to you the week after next.
Is this normal? Or do you really need a garden architect to get a quote from a contractor?
Shaking my head,
I.
For a landscape gardener, installing a patio is a small job. It’s hardly worth it if their schedules are full with projects that take three times as long.
Also, I believe landscape gardeners aren’t very keen on writing quotes. At least, that was the case with those we got to know, and our experience was similar to yours.
For simple patio installation, I would recommend contacting a paver. Maybe there are smaller companies in your area? Perhaps you could also approach the company currently doing paving work next door—they might be able to add your job to their schedule.
Also, I believe landscape gardeners aren’t very keen on writing quotes. At least, that was the case with those we got to know, and our experience was similar to yours.
For simple patio installation, I would recommend contacting a paver. Maybe there are smaller companies in your area? Perhaps you could also approach the company currently doing paving work next door—they might be able to add your job to their schedule.
I
Irgendwoabaier19 Jul 2015 13:49AlexR20 schrieb:
Why not build it yourself? Creating a terrace isn’t that difficult!If only it didn’t require some soil excavation plus avoiding those common 30x30cm (12x12 inch) tiles from the home improvement store. Handling 100x25cm (40x10 inch) slabs with some angled cuts and a block step staircase... Not realistic as a DIY project. Professionals can do this better and more durable in a fraction of the time it would take me.
ypg schrieb:
For a simple terrace installation, I would contact a paver—maybe there are smaller companies near you? Perhaps even the company currently working on paving next door: they might take on the job right after finishing theirs 😉 That would basically be a good option, but next door the houses are quite a bit older and nobody’s paving anymore. Filling the last building gap will probably take another 20 years… Within the scope of our own paving work, it might have been possible, but we were busy with other tasks and the terrace design wasn’t finalized yet. Well, candidate number 3 has time until Wednesday to take a look; otherwise candidate 4 or directly a landscape architect will be brought in, because at some point I’m just tired of chasing after the craftsmen.
Regards,
I.
Hello,
we searched in Franconia and had exactly the same experience... We chased after one contractor for weeks who did great work for a neighbor. We booked him in February for three weeks in October. Otherwise, he was fully booked. The rest either never showed up or came but didn’t provide any offers. We are now sourcing the materials ourselves and agreed on an hourly wage. We never received a proper quote. He wants someone on site with him, preferably to help as a laborer. So, my dad and I are doing the labor work ourselves to save money.
We don’t want to do the paving alone either. We have no idea how to do that, and since driveways are only redone every few years or fences sometimes need fixing, better not risk it.
The father of a very good friend is a landscape architect, and even with him, the situation with offers isn’t much better—except for big profitable projects or the "household gardener."
What I never understand are the empty promises. If companies don’t have the time or interest, why don’t they just say no right away?
Many homeowners here are affected by this and frustrated.
we searched in Franconia and had exactly the same experience... We chased after one contractor for weeks who did great work for a neighbor. We booked him in February for three weeks in October. Otherwise, he was fully booked. The rest either never showed up or came but didn’t provide any offers. We are now sourcing the materials ourselves and agreed on an hourly wage. We never received a proper quote. He wants someone on site with him, preferably to help as a laborer. So, my dad and I are doing the labor work ourselves to save money.
We don’t want to do the paving alone either. We have no idea how to do that, and since driveways are only redone every few years or fences sometimes need fixing, better not risk it.
The father of a very good friend is a landscape architect, and even with him, the situation with offers isn’t much better—except for big profitable projects or the "household gardener."
What I never understand are the empty promises. If companies don’t have the time or interest, why don’t they just say no right away?
Many homeowners here are affected by this and frustrated.
Hello,
I arranged something similar a few years ago through the platform with “hammer” in its name and was very satisfied. However, your tender needs to be very detailed to avoid any misunderstandings. It is sufficient to post it 4–8 weeks before the date; 6 months in advance would be too long.
Best regards.
I arranged something similar a few years ago through the platform with “hammer” in its name and was very satisfied. However, your tender needs to be very detailed to avoid any misunderstandings. It is sufficient to post it 4–8 weeks before the date; 6 months in advance would be too long.
Best regards.
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