A Contracto Who Stops Midway Through a Project

11/22/2008 at 4:32:57 PM

Hi David- find out whats going on first. There are a lot of things that could be happening- it may be his personal life, he may have bitten off more than he could chew with this project, he may be overbooked and trying to work elsewhere as well, and, excuse me for saying, it could be you.

If you have had problems with your contractor from the start, sit back & evaluate what has happened so far on the project: monies you have paid out, the scope of work completed, yet to be completed & what the consequences could be if you pay to have another contractor finish the project- which most contractors on this site will tell you is going to be quite a bit higher than what you already have invested. Contractors don't like batting clean-up because we have our own work ethic- if I went into your home & found most of the previous contractors rough-in work covered up by drywall, tile, siding, etc, its coming down so I can see what kind of work has been done behind the wall. This not only protects me, but more importantly, you. Keep trying to get ahold of your contractor either by phone, e-mail, registered letter, etc, and find out what his intentions are regarding the completion of your project. If, as you state, you have had problems with his work, inform him that you will be seeking someone else to complete the contract & no more monies will be paid to his firm until the project is completed.

It may be as simple as a breakdown in comunication: he may be under pressure to deliver something that you have not stated clearly enough to him. Whatever the reason for the stop in work, resolve it now so you can get on with things. Hope this helps David- good luck.

11/23/2008 at 1:11:37 AM

Our company as well say's some of the same things as bill. It is true that most companies would end up making you to pay more because he is right you should have dealt with one of us first. What I can tell you is that for liability reasons I will not finish anybody else s work. At this point in time I just gave an estimate for a Lady in Virgil. that had a job done and payed a lot money. She is going to court over the situation. I could tell right from the start of walking in the basement that even though most of it looks good the problem area was no where near perfect. I bet that there is more problems and I did point out to her that she will have problems in certain area's. I did feel bad for her so I gave her 2 estimates to take to court. I recommended that she redo the hole job but she started to cry and I was sorry for telling her the truth of the matter. You are not the only person that this kind of thing has happened so don't feel alone. check with a lawyer to know your rights First before you do anything. Most times they will tell you are stuck and the money will be coming out of your own pocket. If the contractor is coming back try and make things easy for him to finish and you can always change things with someone else in the future. it will be easier and cheaper for you that way!

11/28/2008 at 1:44:02 PM

David, Michael and Bill gave you some great advice. This kind of stuff happens every day and in many cases homeowners end up with the costs far higher then originally estimated. Try and find this guy and work with him to finish the job, it is to your best interest at this point. As long as his work has been to standards.

Please remember the best and cheapest way in many ways ids to take out a permit for the work, this will allow a qualified person to come and inspect the work before it gets all closed up, I realize many homeowners don't want to do that, but home buyers are really smart now and can have their people check for permits if they notice work has been done in a home. Remember your home is the biggest investment you will ever make and you need to treat it that way.

Good luck