Unfortunetly its my job to put it together. This is an insurance job that I started on before christmas.
Kind of sad story. While the 84 y.o. homeowner was in the hospital, someone broke in, plugged all the drains and turned on all the water.
Anyhow, the first sign of problems was when I began the job I walked in to find a bunch of boxes and no layout. “Heres pictures of what it used to look like I figured this would be better”.
I finally figure out the layout and three cabinets were ordered wrong. Job goes on hold. Between order problems and the homeowners son who cant make up his mind, I finally go in today to finish the job.
We ultimately had to reinstall all the lower cabinets. I get a sink base, a filler, two more base cabinets, and an endcap. Once again no layout, but I did have discussion with the GC about how they were to be installed.
Well, I get a call tonight, “whats going on? You cant open the drawer on the 36″ base(you can, though it is snug). you put the filler in the wrong place.” me:”you mean the endcap? That goes on the end, we talked about this.” him:”No it goes in the middle”. So now it looks like I get to go in tomorrow and re-reinstall the lowers.
Am I an idiot? Every other kitchen i’ve installed came with a layout. This is crazy. Next time I get a kitchen with no layout, i’m gone, this is getting nuts.
Venting again, thanks for listening.
Edited 1/23/2006 10:57 pm ET by MSA1
Replies
In my opinion if you don't have a layout or direction then you use your best judgement. If they don't like your layout then they pay to have their layout installed. It is not your communication issue, its theirs. DanT
Yep, Thats what I did. I made the most logical kitchen with the parts provided. I talked with the GC again, hes taken over the job (its kind of a family thing and his brother was the one who made the errors) and he understands and I will get paid. Still its doesnt do much for my schedule.
I do my own designs so I am looking at this from the other end.
If I were to send a sub to install a kitchen with no drawing, i would be a perfect idiot
Then after a first discussion made me realize I8 missed something or made a mistake, I would be alerted that I need to provide a layout.
Then after still not dfoing my job and providing a layout, I would expedct it to be screwed up and me to pay for fixing it right.
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Good, I guess i'm not an idiot. I thought it was normal to get a layout. This job has been one big nightmare. I wanted to pack up today but i'm hangin' in. I'm actually on hold waiting for a range hood, the painters, and the floor guy, so I get a little break.
I file stuff like this under NMP. And it's not your problem either. When I get incomplete plans and a decision needs to made..... I make one. If you don't like it, I'll be happy to change it for you. At my normal hourly rate. Happens all the time.... drawings that show closets without any dimensions, a doorway without an RO or placement, even bathroom dimensions. So I make an educated guess.
I used to sweat it and hem and haw about it. I'd leave the GC two voicemails, call the architect...... now I just figure that if it's not important enough to them to call it out on the plans.... then it can't be too important.
The way I see it, I'm doing them a favor just by building something. If I really wanted to be a prick I could pack up, go home, and back charge for not being ready for me. (Like that'd work, right?)
FWIW, I can't ever remember not getting paid for a change order that is the result of something missing on the plans. Or in your case... the missing plans. View Image
when I first met my current electrician ... I thot he was a prima dona/ pain in the a$$ sub ...
not my dollar though ... I was an employee at the company he did lotsa sub work for.
later in life ... as I started subbing more ...
I realized he was simply a smart man.
no plans ... he'd give them the standard. Missing materials ... he'd do what he could with what was there ... then pack it in and charge a full day. He never let their poor planning cut into his pocket.
Suddenly ... I saw his logic.
he was there to do what he bid ... in the time frame he bid ... not run their projects.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
ur a big sissy.
real men don't need directions.
You may as well have thrown the cabs in the air and installed them where they landed.
Good GC though, he knows exactly what he claims to have told you to do. Only he hasn't the documentation to back it up.
Sorry you had a crappy day.
You should see some of the "plans" I have to work from. Oye!
E
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