ᐅ Unreliable contractors – is this becoming common in the industry?
Created on: 22 Aug 2017 13:31
M
Mizit
Sorry, I just need to vent a little, but if anyone has good advice or can tell me that this is not our fault and everything is still within normal limits, I would appreciate it.
We bought a house, and as part of the renovations, we had to hire several craftsmen. Three-quarters of those jobs are still not assigned. Not because we want to drag it out, nor because we don’t want to pay, and we’re not desperately looking for the cheapest option – we just have the impression that it’s currently very difficult to find skilled and especially reliable craftsmen!??!
The first job actually went pretty well. It was about roof windows. Someone came who had been recommended to us beforehand, they were on time, showed up on time for the second appointment as well, provided competent advice, and we had an offer within 4 working days. It wasn’t the cheapest, but it doesn’t have to be, and just like that, it was settled.
Then it started. It involved a wooden railing. Not a huge deal, really. We contacted two specialist companies – one didn’t respond at all, and the other took 4 weeks before anyone came out. If we had other options, that company would have been out of the running for us. The appointment itself was… let’s say, it didn’t seem very interesting to the person on site. As a reference, the order was for about 2,000 euros. The offer then took another 4 weeks, only arriving after three follow-ups, and was substantially more expensive than the rough estimate we had initially. We are total laypersons, but several people with a bit more knowledge of wood independently told us that it was way too expensive. When we asked about details like straight versus twisted spindles, which we never requested, we didn’t get any reply.
For the same job, another craftsman came through a platform called MyHammer. At least he showed up on time, was reasonably friendly and professional, gave a first figure – and then sent an offer three days later that was almost double. When we asked, he said he hadn’t accounted for certain things on site, that some additional steps were necessary, etc. Then he offered nonsense like waiving the warranty to lower the price. Of course, we didn’t take that – what nonsense.
We sent a written inquiry to another company and got no response; we called them but still no callback.
Window replacement on the ground floor and security upgrade – a never-ending topic. We probably had the wrong price expectations at first. One craftsman just didn’t show up for the appointment and never contacted us again. Another came, seemed interested; we were initially talking about around 5,000 euros. He said he’d send an offer. Nothing since then. We asked several times, he kept postponing, saying tomorrow, next week, a component was missing, and eventually nothing came at all. That’s so unprofessional that we don’t want to deal with that company anymore.
Three weeks ago, a craftsman from a specialist company that does a lot of these security upgrades came by. Great advice. It concerns several jobs that they could handle all in one package. We’re looking at around 12,000 euros. That’s a lot of money, some of which goes through KfW funding, but above all, it’s important to us that it’s done properly and on time. The guy made a really good impression. But to this day, I still don’t have an offer. I have already asked three times, especially because we need to submit something to KfW for the roof windows as well, and it needs to be approved before starting the work. The roof windows are scheduled in four weeks, and we wanted to submit everything together. I told the security company this and that we need an offer now. “Yes, apologies,” last week; then Monday/yesterday, still nothing; now something is missing, so it’s not finished yet.
I’m really fed up now. Hello, we want to spend money!!! Are the companies so overloaded that orders of 12,000 euros don’t matter, that they don’t need the work? I don’t expect us to shout and have the work start the next day, no. But not even getting a concrete offer, not sticking to agreed timelines??? I don’t understand this. Is it normal? Is the construction trade just booming so much right now that this has to be accepted???
We bought a house, and as part of the renovations, we had to hire several craftsmen. Three-quarters of those jobs are still not assigned. Not because we want to drag it out, nor because we don’t want to pay, and we’re not desperately looking for the cheapest option – we just have the impression that it’s currently very difficult to find skilled and especially reliable craftsmen!??!
The first job actually went pretty well. It was about roof windows. Someone came who had been recommended to us beforehand, they were on time, showed up on time for the second appointment as well, provided competent advice, and we had an offer within 4 working days. It wasn’t the cheapest, but it doesn’t have to be, and just like that, it was settled.
Then it started. It involved a wooden railing. Not a huge deal, really. We contacted two specialist companies – one didn’t respond at all, and the other took 4 weeks before anyone came out. If we had other options, that company would have been out of the running for us. The appointment itself was… let’s say, it didn’t seem very interesting to the person on site. As a reference, the order was for about 2,000 euros. The offer then took another 4 weeks, only arriving after three follow-ups, and was substantially more expensive than the rough estimate we had initially. We are total laypersons, but several people with a bit more knowledge of wood independently told us that it was way too expensive. When we asked about details like straight versus twisted spindles, which we never requested, we didn’t get any reply.
For the same job, another craftsman came through a platform called MyHammer. At least he showed up on time, was reasonably friendly and professional, gave a first figure – and then sent an offer three days later that was almost double. When we asked, he said he hadn’t accounted for certain things on site, that some additional steps were necessary, etc. Then he offered nonsense like waiving the warranty to lower the price. Of course, we didn’t take that – what nonsense.
We sent a written inquiry to another company and got no response; we called them but still no callback.
Window replacement on the ground floor and security upgrade – a never-ending topic. We probably had the wrong price expectations at first. One craftsman just didn’t show up for the appointment and never contacted us again. Another came, seemed interested; we were initially talking about around 5,000 euros. He said he’d send an offer. Nothing since then. We asked several times, he kept postponing, saying tomorrow, next week, a component was missing, and eventually nothing came at all. That’s so unprofessional that we don’t want to deal with that company anymore.
Three weeks ago, a craftsman from a specialist company that does a lot of these security upgrades came by. Great advice. It concerns several jobs that they could handle all in one package. We’re looking at around 12,000 euros. That’s a lot of money, some of which goes through KfW funding, but above all, it’s important to us that it’s done properly and on time. The guy made a really good impression. But to this day, I still don’t have an offer. I have already asked three times, especially because we need to submit something to KfW for the roof windows as well, and it needs to be approved before starting the work. The roof windows are scheduled in four weeks, and we wanted to submit everything together. I told the security company this and that we need an offer now. “Yes, apologies,” last week; then Monday/yesterday, still nothing; now something is missing, so it’s not finished yet.
I’m really fed up now. Hello, we want to spend money!!! Are the companies so overloaded that orders of 12,000 euros don’t matter, that they don’t need the work? I don’t expect us to shout and have the work start the next day, no. But not even getting a concrete offer, not sticking to agreed timelines??? I don’t understand this. Is it normal? Is the construction trade just booming so much right now that this has to be accepted???
markus270322 Aug 2017 15:15Nordlys schrieb:
Regarding the cracks, I can even understand the painter’s point of view. It’s not his fault, and now he’s expected to fix something he’s not responsible for, probably for free. A house continues to dry out and settle for a long time, which causes cracks. This is especially true at the junctions between drywall and masonry, because drywall shrinks more. The acrylic in the joints then no longer holds and cracks. Silicone joints are not an option since they can’t be painted over. PU and MS polymer sealants are too expensive and difficult to apply. The solution is to cover areas prone to cracking from the start with decorative molding. KarstenYes, that’s clear, cracks are normal. They just ended up being quite large. Anyway, the painter would have been fully paid. He only had to come, and I even promised him some extra work.
Apparently, there’s no interest…
C
Caspar202022 Aug 2017 15:20Well; he’d rather just paint entire objects.
Then, when business slows down again; they all start complaining about why no one wants to pay the tradespeople anymore.
Then, when business slows down again; they all start complaining about why no one wants to pay the tradespeople anymore.
Caspar2020 schrieb:
Well; he’d rather just paint entire objects.
Then when business slows down again, they all complain about no one wanting to pay the tradespeople.But honestly: many expect skilled trades work for low pay. This is seen very often here as well [emoji853] And at Reuter, everything is cheaper anyway, so people just hire someone from MyHammer... and the cheap worker then gets criticized by the meticulous homeowner for not working thoroughly enough for an hourly wage of just a few euros.
...
@Mizit It’s not your fault—if anything, it’s a lack of energy to keep fighting upstream by writing quotes late at night. It’s just never good enough anyway [emoji57]
One approach would be to stay within the usual framework. For example: the master craftsman arrives, inspects the staircase, notices the new handrail. You say, “Yes, beech wood with metal rods?” He replies, “That would work.” You ask him to give an approximate price. He says $2400 plus tax. You say, “Okay, let’s build.” You shake hands. You have an agreement. He adds, “But don’t complain if it ends up costing three hundred more.” You say, “No, and you won’t either if it’s two hundred less.”
Are you willing to take that risk? Karsten
Are you willing to take that risk? Karsten
I can also share some negative experiences. This past Saturday, my bathroom was supposed to be plastered by a friend, but he fell ill.
The tile setter was scheduled for a site inspection on Monday at 8 a.m. I informed him on Friday that the plastering wouldn’t be done and discussed how to proceed. So far, no response. No prior price negotiations or anything similar took place. He had already been here before for consultation.
Conclusion: I had to rely on personal contacts and called in former football teammates from the trades.
The windows are the same story. We have been waiting for three weeks for a quote after he already came to take measurements. Keep in mind, he is our neighbor.
An electrician also stopped responding after an initial assessment. Two others were completely booked. One master company was no problem at all: they asked where the boxes/switches/network/TV connections should go. They roughly marked everything with their journeymen and gave a general price estimate. Naturally, I groaned because it was over budget. They said, “We’ll find a good compromise.” The next day, the hardworking team was here and started working. We have since received an interim invoice and paid it the same day. Very diligent, reliable, and friendly.
The plumbing work only happened because I have an acquaintance who went to school with the junior boss of a company. Fair pricing, the master plumber now regularly visits for inspections, the experienced journeyman works diligently, accurately, and politely. We often chat about family and other matters.
My conclusion is that knowing someone makes a huge difference; if you don’t, it simply becomes difficult. I don’t know the exact reasons.
Overall, we followed Karsten’s approach and awarded contracts without much negotiation by a handshake. That’s how it should be, that’s fair work, and the people get paid promptly.
Unfortunately, this seems to be dying out. Luckily, I’m from a village, and my family has lived here since the war. That helps get things done.
The tile setter was scheduled for a site inspection on Monday at 8 a.m. I informed him on Friday that the plastering wouldn’t be done and discussed how to proceed. So far, no response. No prior price negotiations or anything similar took place. He had already been here before for consultation.
Conclusion: I had to rely on personal contacts and called in former football teammates from the trades.
The windows are the same story. We have been waiting for three weeks for a quote after he already came to take measurements. Keep in mind, he is our neighbor.
An electrician also stopped responding after an initial assessment. Two others were completely booked. One master company was no problem at all: they asked where the boxes/switches/network/TV connections should go. They roughly marked everything with their journeymen and gave a general price estimate. Naturally, I groaned because it was over budget. They said, “We’ll find a good compromise.” The next day, the hardworking team was here and started working. We have since received an interim invoice and paid it the same day. Very diligent, reliable, and friendly.
The plumbing work only happened because I have an acquaintance who went to school with the junior boss of a company. Fair pricing, the master plumber now regularly visits for inspections, the experienced journeyman works diligently, accurately, and politely. We often chat about family and other matters.
My conclusion is that knowing someone makes a huge difference; if you don’t, it simply becomes difficult. I don’t know the exact reasons.
Overall, we followed Karsten’s approach and awarded contracts without much negotiation by a handshake. That’s how it should be, that’s fair work, and the people get paid promptly.
Unfortunately, this seems to be dying out. Luckily, I’m from a village, and my family has lived here since the war. That helps get things done.
Nordlys schrieb:
Regarding expansion. Let me say something about that. Expanding. Yes, for what purpose? For whom? Thousands of businesses have no successors. Lack of children. My construction company will close in the mid to late 50s (years of age). My electrician has no successor. Late 50s. My plumber has three daughters, and possibly the landscaper as well—no successors. Same with painters. Well, expanding after 50+ years of age is already too late. But those who are skilled will always get jobs. It should have been done 10-15 years earlier.