Getting Fed Up With Contractors

I swear I have the WORST bad luck with contractors. Is this normal?

My story:

OK, so I have never had the best luck with contractors, but I do not recall ever having the level of frustration we have had in the past year, since moving into our new home… over and over again.

Contractor ordeal #1

We wanted to do everything right this time, so we got a full house inspection before committing to the purchase. If any repairs were needed, over $2500 for a single item, or over 10k for everything, we were off the hook and could back out of the sale.

Luckily, there were about 13 items found… most very small, and the total for everything was quoted at about $2800. We went through with the sale and opted to give the business to the company that did the quote for our realtor.

Work was set to begin 2 days after closing, so all issues would be dealt with in plenty of time for our big move.

That morning the contractor showed up with one other guy, was in the house surveying everything and comparing it to his checklist for about ten minutes before getting a call that there was an accident at another site and having to leave to meet his employee at the hospital. Ugh, but ok… I get it.

I heard nothing from them the rest of that day or the next. Since we weren’t yet living in the house and I would have to be there to let them in, I reached out the third day and was told they would return the following week. Ugh again.

They did not show up.

We moved in. Reached out again, they came back two days later… replaced / updated 2 outlets. Had to leave. Three weeks go by, after two follow ups from me in the meantime… a crew comes back and hammers down a few loose nails on the deck. They left shortly after they arrived.

I have never heard from them again. I did not reach out further. They never charged me for the two outlets and the couple of hammer hits they completed (bonus I guess), and I had to come up with a new plan for the rest of the list.

Contractor Ordeal #2

This was probably my easiest interaction to date. We had to run electricity to our yard for a pool pump.

The electrician was outsourced to the job by another general contractor we had contacted. He showed up. Indicated he was technically retired but still accepting certain jobs, but had to be paid in cash or he would lose out on his social security. Yes, he was more than willing to share his IRS deceit.

Alas, the pool had just been filled and we had stagnant water sitting (the previous electrician cancelled on us, so this was a second attempt). We had a need, and someone here to fill the need, so we ran with it.

All in all, this man did a good enough job… it cost almost three times what we initially expected, but it got done and passed all inspections. He was older and upset about the amount of trench work that had to be done. He went and rented a trencher for the job and gave me the receipt for me to reimburse him for it. This was his method of payment. He showed me all receipts for reimbursement and then charged me $60/hour for his time. One man doing all that work while stopping every 10 minutes or so to stretch his arms and complain about shoulder pain, the hours add up very quickly.

Again – it got done and we were satisfied with the results. Would I use him again, not likely, but I can’t complain too much.

Contractor Ordeal #3

Christmas Eve. We woke up to a very strong sewage smell… much stronger in the basement. Sump pump wasn’t kicking on at all. (Sump pump had been working but was really old… a new motor for it was on the original to do list and was the one thing we had not yet gotten to yet.)

Called emergency plumbing services… they were going to be there within 2 hours – on Christmas Eve morning!!!! Yay!

They arrived 11 hours later, around 730p.m. on Christmas Eve. I sent my husband and children to our annual family Christmas Eve dinner and stayed at home waiting. They determined, after running their cameras, that our sewer line was completely crushed, down near where it met the city sewer system and would have to be replaced.

They ran the numbers and came up with approximately 25k for the job. FRICK! They could be back to get it done the day after Christmas, as long as we paid or got loan approval (now it’s 9:30pm on Christmas Eve), in order for them to add us to the list.

We could not get a loan anywhere at that moment, and needed flushability, so we cut them a check for 50% and scrambled to move all our funds into that account to cover it. (We then took out a personal loan the following week so we could pay the remaining 50%.)

Day 1 they thought they could have the whole job done. 2 guys worked about 10 hours each… they did make a big hole in the yard, cut our gas line in the process (everything was flagged but apparently the gas company flagged a completely wrong area… so not the contractors fault). However, the contractor left to the hardware store and returned to repair the gas line before calling it a day, only to be firmly reprimanded the following morning by the gas company who had shown up and was fuming to see the improper repair on their line.

Day 2 – I was told they would have the yard done, we could flush and shower again by the end of the night, and they would do the new sump pump the following day.

Day 3 – I was told they would have the yard done, we could flush and shower again by the end of the night, and they would do the new sump pump the following day.

Day 4 – I was told they would have the yard done, we could flush and shower again by the end of the night, and they would do the new sump pump the following day.

Day 5 – I was told they would have the yard done, we could flush and shower again by the end of the night, and they would do the new sump pump the following day.

Day 6 – We were finally able to flush again! They back filled the yard.

Day 7 – New sump pump installed. They moved it to where they thought it would be better placed. Their intention was to fill in the old one with concrete. But the old one was still taking on water, from somewhere. I asked what happens to all that water on the opposite side of the basement and how it would be redirected. I was met with dumb looks and told they probably should not fill it in, so they installed a new motor in it instead, leaving us with two sump pumps.

Day 8 – gross sewage smell back in the basement. We discovered the plumbing for the kitchen, which was an add on, went directly down to under the floor in the basement, where we assume it flowed to a drain at the back of the basement… not going through any of the actual house plumbing (this includes all garbage disposal waste – WTF????)

Day 9 – they re-plumbed the kitchen properly. Luckily they charged no extra for this. We paid our bill. Had to call them back a few days later because there was a cap missing on an exterior cleanout section and the old sump pump wasn’t working with the new motor. Fixed.

Sometime in there our neighbor filed an on-line complaint / negative review because her gnomes had been knocked over with their digging in our yard. The guys working were practically begging me to have her take down the review. Not my review. Not my decision. Not my job.

We have been told many times they overcharged for this job. I believe it. I don’t see how it could possibly amount to 25k in parts and labor but their invoice did not break it down. Someone made a killing off of our pain.

And, while not directly related to the sewer system… we are about to spend another 5k to prevent water from getting in through the walls of the basement. I guarantee the old homeowner was well aware of this problem and hit it with fresh paint on the floor of that room. Despicable.

Anyway – there were a lot of little issues with this whole sewer project that added up to extreme frustration. The guys even indicated they could help us win a case against the city who they believe damaged the sewer line with city work they had just completed, but then later said they couldn’t do anything but speculate. They sent untrained workers, one of whom said all he had ever done was snake drains in the past… and I had to watch him stand and do nothing most of the day, on my dime, while the other guy complained about him not knowing how to do anything. The frustrations just go on and on…

Contractor Ordeal #4

This is my final one for this post. Solar panels.

In March we got quotes from 5 different companies, researched them, and ended up picking the one that had just completed my brothers’ solar job and was a personal reference.

I was sold on this company because the electricians they use had done several jobs for us in the past and we never had a complaint. They had been in business for a long time and everything clicked. The sales guy was also far less pushy and annoying than any of the others. I also didn’t want a lease, and most of the company’s were only pushing solar lease options on me which did little to prove of value unless they let me keep the panels after the end of the lease.

We were told there should be no reason we were permitted and installed by the end of May… in time to kick on the pool pump and our AC without worrying about the cost. I was SO excited.

Mid April the plans were approved. We were told the permitting would take 2-4 weeks.

Mid May I checked back. Still waiting on permits from the city. (All other permit projects we had done had received approval within 24-48 hours). End of May, still told they were waiting on permits.

June comes.

June goes.

Mid June we were told the permits were received and we would hear from the contractor shortly.

A few days after that someone showed up and knocked on the door. He was from the install crew. He took pics of the roof and electrical panel and attic space etc. He was completely oblivious to the fact that over a month before him, somone else had already come out and done that exact same thing.

This company was NOT the electrical company which we has been sold on initially. This was a lesser known company of which I had never heard. Apparently, they get some of the overflow solar installs from the company I wanted.

This guy left, but not after telling me “as soon as tomorrow morning” they would return to get started. I got excited again.

We cancelled a big order of gravel that was supposed to be dumped in our driveway the following morning. I was trying to be courteous and didn’t want piles of white rock in the way of the solar team.

Mid July – it’s been almost 4 weeks since that day. I have heard nothing further. I reached out 4 days ago for an update and never received a response.

I am ready to cry.

I hate contractors.

Am I the only one? Does anyone have good experiences? Is it really so hard to find someone willing to take my money for their services?

Tell me, is this the typical contractor experience?