An owner/builder (RED FLAG!!) wants me to hang and case 13 doors and base a house after flooring and carpet have gone in. I thhink i can get good money for it but is it worth the hassle?? What kind of problems or liability might I be up against??? Am I nuts to even entertain thhis??
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
The "She Build" initiative is empowering women in Seattle, WA by ensuring they have safe, healthy homes.
Featured Video
How to Install Exterior Window TrimHighlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
I don't see any red flags - seems like a straight shot job. Quote a fair price, and work off of a bulletproof contract.
What, exactly, are you worried about? him being too picky?
Justin Fink - FHB Editorial
Your Friendly Neighborhood Moderator
I'm thinking about whats the carpet's going to look like as I set the jambs down on top of it, among other things... The base too. I am picky abouut how my work turns out and I think it will be very difficult to make things look perfect. Also, my experinence with owner builders is that at the finish stage all of a sudden as the trim etc come together all the mistakes and over sights allong the way suddenly become visable and I am expected to make everything work. Couple that withh the backward scheduling and it seems like it could be a major pain. The whole reason the scheduling is the way it is , is that he saved "thousands of dollars " (RED FLAG AGAIN) with this flooring company but he had to work with their schedule.
hmmm, now it's starting to sound more troublesome. I missed the part about installing everything after the flooring was in. I read it quickly, I guess.
if your gut says no, listen to it. Otherwise you will be on here complaining later. Like I do, for instance :)Justin Fink - FHB Editorial
Your Friendly Neighborhood Moderator
I think "ccal" has the right idea - Walk through and look over the job first. Definitely before you give a final price. That might tell you whether you want the job or not, when you see the exact situation you'll be working in.
The truth is, politics and morality are inseparable, and as morality's foundation is religion, religion and politics are necessarily related. We need religion as a guide. [Ronald Reagan]
I just got back from walking the job... I turns out he listened to me and put off the carpet install. Much better, now it should be straight forwad... no problemo! Thanks for thhe input!
I'd be taking a walk-through with a level to see what those door openings look like.
If he's got them close to square and the walls are plumb, what's to lose?
Quote high and let him say no.
Joe H
There's no red flags as far as I see it. Yeah it's backwards, but that's not your problem, and he understands that because the flooring and carpet is already there. What you need to do (are ya listening?!!) is have a signed proposal (contract) of exactly what you're going to do and have him sign it too. If you're scared of the job, high bid it, and just do it. Sometimes these things are worse when you're standing around biting your nails thinking about them. Just remember, the great thing about what we do is that these little jobs have a beginning AND and end. You may not get a gold watch, but you do get to walk away in a few weeks and never come back....or come back if you so choose.
I do jobs like that every year. It was stupid to put the carpet in first, but the hardwood should be there and you can easily protect it. If you own enough drop cloths and door skins you can cover the floors while you do the doorhanging and casing, and then wear soft knee pads and slip-on shoes while you do the base.
Site protection could be several hours of time and a few hundred bucks on a job like that.
I would do a walk through first. I dont see any problem with it though. I cant believe the carpet man didnt complain the loudest.
" I cant believe the carpet man didnt complain the loudest."Why?The carpet layer does not have to spend time tucking it under the BB.Or cutting around the door casing and jamb.
Every carpet layer I have ever used wants the base in before carpet. It is easier for them to tuck the carpet and the base locks it on the tack strip. I dont lay carpet myself, but they will refuse to lay it on my jobs untill the base is in. On remodels I have had them lay it up to the existing base when covering hardwood with carpet and have been told they get more wrinkles that way. Ive never really questioned it too much because in all but a few cases it has worked out better schedule wise to trim it out before carpet.
i had a carpet layer install carpet before the base was down and he didn't say a thing. How effectively could a basboard hold it down anyway? Doesn't the carpet-strip hold it down?
"I hate quotations. Tell me what you know" Ralph Waldo Emerson
As an ex carpet monkey the biggest problems putting the carpet in before the base is having your tack strip to close to the wall and getting it sandwhiched under the base.
But that is the problem of the guy who has to do the replacement down the road.
Second problem is pushing your streacher's foot through the dry wall. This is correctablable by using a 4*4 to distribute the pressure more evenly across the wall.
Imagine trying to work over carpet. Where will you saw everything? Outside? That will take much longer. You will also need to keep your shoes clean.