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R.Hotzenplotz7 Oct 2018 15:46Hello!
I had the landscaping contractor on site, and he told me to make sure that the general contractor leaves the construction site clean. He even said that if cigarette butts are left on the property afterwards, he would charge for waste disposal by subcontractors. Is that normal?
The general contractor, of course, says that he is not responsible for picking up his workers’ cigarette butts and considers small Poroton crumbs as acceptable residue left on the site. Now I’m not sure where exactly the line is—what does the general contractor have to do and what not? It’s actually quite simple: if I know what he is required to do, I can formally ask him to fully clean the property upon completing his work and report back to me. Then I can photograph any remaining debris, set a deadline for cleanup, and refer to deductions from the final payment if necessary.
Another point of discussion will definitely be all the “small” plaster residues in the bushes, etc.
How was it on your construction sites? The contract says nothing about this... sometimes you read about the interior being handed over “broom clean” — but I cannot find any similar term for final site condition outdoors and don’t know what is generally expected there.
I had the landscaping contractor on site, and he told me to make sure that the general contractor leaves the construction site clean. He even said that if cigarette butts are left on the property afterwards, he would charge for waste disposal by subcontractors. Is that normal?
The general contractor, of course, says that he is not responsible for picking up his workers’ cigarette butts and considers small Poroton crumbs as acceptable residue left on the site. Now I’m not sure where exactly the line is—what does the general contractor have to do and what not? It’s actually quite simple: if I know what he is required to do, I can formally ask him to fully clean the property upon completing his work and report back to me. Then I can photograph any remaining debris, set a deadline for cleanup, and refer to deductions from the final payment if necessary.
Another point of discussion will definitely be all the “small” plaster residues in the bushes, etc.
How was it on your construction sites? The contract says nothing about this... sometimes you read about the interior being handed over “broom clean” — but I cannot find any similar term for final site condition outdoors and don’t know what is generally expected there.
We have a similar situation. On our construction shell, there are cigarette butts, nails, concrete debris, and so on lying around. But why get upset about it?
--> Just grab a broom, a scoop shovel, and a push broom, plus a bucket, and you’re ready to start. It’s better to spend two hours on the construction site getting fresh air than to keep complaining.
--> Just grab a broom, a scoop shovel, and a push broom, plus a bucket, and you’re ready to start. It’s better to spend two hours on the construction site getting fresh air than to keep complaining.
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R.Hotzenplotz7 Oct 2018 16:17This is what our site looks like outside.... The roofer and structural builder have been gone for a long time.... the plasterers definitely won’t be cleaning this up.
It’s really not something to get upset about. But I would like to know what can reasonably be charged and what cannot, because it’s quite straightforward to claim deductions if cleaning hasn’t been done. The disposal of that material also has to be paid for.
It’s really not something to get upset about. But I would like to know what can reasonably be charged and what cannot, because it’s quite straightforward to claim deductions if cleaning hasn’t been done. The disposal of that material also has to be paid for.
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Obstlerbaum7 Oct 2018 16:23Counter question: Does your contract guarantee a "broom-clean" exterior area? There are no standards to refer to for that. You can forget about any deductions right away, twice over...
I also find your exterior contractor’s upfront statement a bit sensitive.
I also find your exterior contractor’s upfront statement a bit sensitive.
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R.Hotzenplotz7 Oct 2018 16:25Obstlerbaum schrieb:
Counter question: Does your contract promise a "broom-clean" exterior area? There are no standards you can rely on for that.No. There is nothing stated about that.
I just found the following on a relevant website:
"According to VOB/C, the disposal of waste generated in the contractor’s scope as well as the removal of contamination caused by the contractor’s work are ancillary services that are part of the contractual obligation, even if they are not explicitly mentioned in the contract."
So, I am neither responsible for the disposal of construction materials nor for collecting the workers’ sandwich wrappers, bottles, etc. Or am I misunderstanding this?
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Obstlerbaum7 Oct 2018 16:30R.Hotzenplotz schrieb:
No. There is nothing mentioned about that.
On a relevant website, I just found this:
“According to VOB/C, waste disposal from the contractor’s area as well as the removal of contamination resulting from the contractor’s work are incidental services that are part of the contractual performance even if not explicitly stated in the contract.”
So, I am neither responsible for disposing of construction materials nor for collecting the sandwich bags, bottles, etc. of the workers. Or am I mistaken?Think it through mentally: if the builder denies that the bags/bottles/whatever belong to their people, you would have to initiate evidence gathering over this. In my opinion, that goes beyond what is reasonable and could even be dismissed as trivial at worst. It’s not ideal, but you will probably have to take care of it yourself.