My contractor wants an extra 10,000 but not much has been done

5/10/2018 at 10:29:32 AM

Ask for a complete accounting of his cost.

Apply for a building permit and make no further payments until you have a better understanding of what needs to be done to bring the project into good standing.

Good luck

5/10/2018 at 10:35:12 AM

First let me say I'm sorry to hear that. Unfortunately it is up to the homeonwer to make sure the required permits have been obtained. The contractor can get the permits on the onwer behalf or the onwer can accquire the permits themselves. At this point there is only a couple of options. One is have the contractor submit for permit and pay. Second would be to fire current contractor and hire new contractor who will then get the proper permits. I would read your contract and see what it says about this situation. Either way it will cost more money and time. At this point your at the mercy of the city and your contractor.

5/10/2018 at 1:54:59 PM

Firstly, your contractor should have known and advised you that the project that you intended required a permit and taken the necessary steps to obtain one.

Secondly, you should not pay the contractor any more money until a permit has been obtained and the proper city inspectors have approved the work that has been completed, that the contractor is asking to be paid for because there is a chance that the inspectors may not approve of the installation practices of the contractor and ask you to tare it out and start over. Chances are if the contractor is trying to get more money out of you at this point, they are looking to get what they can and leave.

My advice is to tell the contractor that you do not mind paying what is owed, but not until a permit has been obtained and the proper city inspections have been passed and approved. Make sure to review the paper work showing that the inspections have been passed!

5/10/2018 at 2:09:37 PM

Hi Ruth,

I am sorry to hear about the situation you are in. I have to agree with Scott here though, I would not give your contractor anymore money until you are able to get the proper inspections done and make sure everything is passed and able to move forward with your project.

At this point I would also highly recommend 2 things. The first thing would be to get a full account of the finances of your project. Why does the contractor need $10,000 more than you agreed upon, what has changed that requires such a drastic increase in the budget?

The second thing I would be doing is starting to do some research on the contractor you have hired to see if you even want them finishing this project. If all their work passes inspection, that is a good start, but run them through Better Business Bureau, and Trusted Pro's services to see what you can find out about the company.

For a company to come back to you and ask for that much more money and leave you with this many questions, does not sit well with me. Our company is very transparent as there is nothing to hide. Sometimes unexpected costs are discovered, especially in the renovation business; but that doesn't mean you don't sit the client down and fully explain the reasons and answer any questions they have.

I hope this kind of helps you determine your next steps, and good luck with the rest of the project.

Matthew Stranks

Project Manager

Stoneybrook Contracting

5/10/2018 at 6:27:56 PM

You are very lucky that the city put a stop work order.it is a red flag ,telling you this contractor does not know his job .one simple rules to follow in construction ,if it start bad ,it will end bad .So you better look for a new general contractor . Good Hunting .

5/10/2018 at 7:30:09 PM

The responsibility to inform the client about bylaws and permitting is the contractor's was this information provided here?

The contractor should be paid only for work performed to date and any materials purchased as a result of the estimate.

On the flip side the estimate maybe subject to a revision and that should be explained ahead of time as well.

We always side with common sense and our clients.

5/10/2018 at 8:40:12 PM

At this point and before paying and more money you have to figure out how much work has been done and how much money he got out of this and then you can decide if he is in a position to ask for more money or has to wait until you have the permit and the work resumed again

5/10/2018 at 11:20:19 PM

Sorry to hear about your trouble.

Why did the contractor started work before obtaining the necessary permits.

Did you know permits were required for your specific reno job and decided not to get one?

Regardless, it won't be fair to either party to keep paying when nothing is being done.

5/22/2018 at 9:27:51 PM

he said permit was applied for even in his weekly update of whats been done,he also told me that as long as things like demolition were allowed ,I paid him weekly except last payment,when I told him contract was for whole job not salaried he said nothing.he said its for the weeks hes going to need to finish it off.I have the permit in my window and the designer paid for and will be paying the trades on my own.I got him off this sight hoping I was doing more than on past renos.I checked 8 different estimates.

3/12/2021 at 8:39:24 PM

The stop work order give you a red flag notice. Get a profession .the handyman has been found. Wake up now. Have a good day