Replies

1. 
   Mike_Smith | Jul 01, 2001 11:19am | #1

   *
   whooo . ee..

   this is going downhill fast..

   where do you live.?.

   who is your attorney ?

   who drew the plans?

   who wrote the contract, and is there a dispute clause in the contract?

   stay out of court, but protect yourself...

   there are two sides to every story.... but this sounds like the classic bad contractor story....

   tell more

1. 
   Vincent_Carbone | Jul 01, 2001 12:49pm | #2

   *Bobbi, I got to go with Mike on this one.Sounds like the builder low balled the price and is now trying to make it up.Was he the low bidder?I would be all over this guy's shit.If it doesn't match the blue prints he's responsible.It's not your job to read the prints for him when he bids,it's his and if he misses stuff too bad.Also tell him to keep his allowance and buy your own appliances and have them installed yourself.Where are you,I'd love to jump on this guy with you.Also, let who ever drew the plans look at the cantilever problem.If he's not an engineer get one. Vince

1. 
   Jim_Walters | Jul 01, 2001 01:37pm | #3

   *Bobbi,Sorry to hear all this. If a guy forgets a dormer.... what else?If it were me I'd get help from someone who totally understands what's going on here to fight for me...or the guy will just keep bullshitting you. There are ways to add the 2' cantilever, but at the BUILDERS expense.For him to decide you didn't need a beam is downright ignorant. He should have at least met with the designer before making a decision as important as that........(HOME OWNER WARNING).....you may be shopping around until you find the cheapest guy to build your house . .. but this is what happens when you do.... If the builder's price is really great his work won't be. My ex-partner just bid a 6000 sq. foot all-cedar house for 345,000.00 and another guy bid the same house for 125,000. How many would thank God and choose the 125,000.00 builder?

1. 
   Mongo_ | Jul 02, 2001 04:23am | #4

   *My condolences...You need to get yourself, your draftsman, your attorney, and the builder in the same room...with a copy of your contract and a set of plans...and get things straightened out.If the same builder continues working your job at your current agreed upon price, be careful. Based upon your post, I'd venture he'll get his costs covered somehow during the project...and you won't be happy with how he does it.Careful...

1. 
   Bobbi_Barrall | Jul 02, 2001 05:27am | #5

   *Hey guys thanks for the support!!!Actually he wasn't the lowest bidder at all, he came in about the median range. His website has a "lovely" write up about himn , and he even offers a $2000 dollar credit if you tell him you found him on the web! We saw his ad in a magazine, checked out his website and gave him a call to set up the appointment to see his spec home. When we met with him, we told him about the website, and he said he would check into it, and till this day he has not responded to our inquiries about the $2000 credit. We thought that with all his experience he claims to have, that he would be the best choice. We have only been able to meet with him approximately two times, because he is obviously enjoying his profits by vacationing in Florida every two to three weeks! He very rarely gets back to us, even when we fax him. We tried calling him about the cantilever problem on Friday around 3:00 pm and have yet to hear a thing from him.We live in Pennsylvania. The builder is Ed Deichmeister of "Lehigh Valley Builders & Developers" his website is lvbd. com. My husband has been tempted to let him know that he has a friend who is a reporter for the Easton Express Times, and that he will not hesistate from having his buddy write up an write up an article about what kind of business he is running. The part about the fireplace really ticks me off though. In the specs it just says "fireplace" ,so now he is telling us that "it is only a flush fireplace." I would love to play his game and say "well it doesn't say that it isn't a raised hearth!" We also decided to use the fourth bedroom on the second floor as storage. Now he tells us that he normally only puts 1 piece of plywood flooring right in front of the door, and that we are responsible for the rest? Was I wrong to assume that a room used for storage needs a floor? I don't think I should have to worry about falling between the joists...jeez! We just went to the stone veneer place on Friday and the subcontractor told us that only fieldstone and cobblestone werestandard, when in fact it is drystack stone that is clearly illustrated in the front elevation of the blueprints. Also Ed's spec's indicate stonework:"as per plans 3-26-01" So at least I think we got him on this one! So does anyone have an answer to the cantilver question? Is it safe structurally to bridge the joists for the cantilver? We are very concerned, because this is our daughters room. If he agrees to do this at his own cost, I want it to be done right. Open to any suggestions about what i should watch out for. Thanks Again :)

2. 
   Ralph_Wicklund | Jul 02, 2001 05:54am | #6

   *Do we see any contradictions here?http://www.lvbd.com/About%20LVBD.htmI too offer my condolences and hope you can resolve what could become a continuing nightmare. Hopefully a sitdown, if you can get him there, will iron out your differences. Your apparently good documentation will work in your favor and so will a well worded contract. Even an ambiguous contract, often written by the contractor, has been found to favor the customer when there are disputed points.He is claiming a whole lot of experience in exactly the circumstances you are concerned about and he is doing so on a public site that the whole world can see. He also doesn't seem to be claiming any good experience in actual (hands on) construction. Go figure,At this point I wonder if he is remembering the old maxim: one AW SH$T wipes out a hundred attaboys.

3. 
   Jon_Blakemore | Jul 02, 2001 07:11am | #7

   *Bobbi, About the $2000 credit... You told him that you saw him on the website BEFORE he gave you a price, right? What makes you think that he won't just tack on an extra $2000 and give it right back to you? Sounds like another shady trick.Jon

4. 
   piffin_ | Jul 02, 2001 07:40am | #8

   *Only question I have is why he is still your builder if it's all as bad as you describe. Your lawyer should get you out now before he reallly messes up baad. You haven't haad a specific answer to your cantilever question because an engineer or qualified builder needs to see all the particulars to make a recommendation. There are ways this can be adressed but I wouldn't trust this joker to do it.Notice his background.....Public Relations - BS artistParking Consultant - Parking lot attendantExcavating - Did he play in the mud when he was a kid?Construction Management - he's obviously not managing yoursDrafting : Architectural, Mechanical and Structural Design - any one of these three would take a couple of years after school to become proficient in....Planning and Development Consultant - If anybody ever asked me a question and got an answer, I guess I'm a consultant. Real Estate - Real estate what? Agent? Realtor? Broker? Manager? Investor? Owner? County Administrator (County of Northampton) Borough Manager / CEO (Borough of Lehighton)HOW IN THE WORLD did he get experience holding all of these jobs and still look like he's under 40 without getting fired from most of them or spending only a few months on each job avoiding doing anything? This guy sounds like Al Gore trying to convince me that he invented the internet.......

5. 
   Mongo_ | Jul 02, 2001 08:22am | #9

   *Additional joists can be "tied in" to the existing ones to form the cantilever. Your main concern is if the wall supported by the cantilever is load bearing or not load bearing. From your description (second floor catilevered dormer?) it sounds like it is not load bearing.Rule-of-thumb? For a 2' cantilever supporting a non-load bearing wall, you need the joists to extend back into the house double the amount that they are cantilevered out...in this case, 2' out, so they need to be 4' in...so you'd use 6' long joists. Realize that the 6' is a minimum. I'd run 8-footers and use adhesive in addition to mechanical fasteners.Ensure that the additional joists are fastened well to the current non-cantilevered joists and that the subfloor above is nailed off into the new joists after they are placed. Blocking should also be installed between the joists where the joists pass through the exterior wall.You mentioned "tearing up the subfloor" to install the new joists. If the house is not drywalled, the joists could possibly be installed from below. It obviously depends on access.I'd print out the web page showing the $2K rebate. You never know when the website content can change...most likely right before the lawyers get involved. Keep your paperwork up to date. Keep a phone and fax log of attempted contacts. I'd make a few calls as well regarding all the committee's that he claims to have sat on.I really am sorry for your predicament. While there are two sides to every story, this guy is going to need a pretty good tale to dig himself out of this hole. I do believe that your situation will only get worse. You're still framing...how does he plan on finishing the house?Good luck.

6. 
   Jim_Walters | Jul 02, 2001 01:24pm | #10

   *I second Mongo's cantilever description, but......... I think you should find another guy and run him off the job. Have you signed the framing draw yet?........If you quit now you may have a few difficulties getting things back on track, but in the long run you would be thanking yourself.

7. 
   Mike_Smith | Jul 02, 2001 01:37pm | #11

   *bobbi...retain legal help now..

8. 
   Mike_Smith | Jul 02, 2001 02:54pm | #12

   *from everything you've posted.. it sounds like lehigh valley is the builder hired by your Genl Contractor.. who is the contract with..?this job is so far out of control it should be stopped until you know which way you are going...i'm not one for calling in the lawyers... but you need help ...b bobbi.. here's the most important thing.. who's ahead?are you upside down in the payments or is the builder.. or is the contractor?what's the total.. what is the payment schedule.. and how much leverage is left ?who is the contract with?what are the dispute resolution clauses..?who wrote the contract.?who drew the plans ?did the contractor modify the plans which became part of the contract documents?

9. 
   Bobbi_Barrall | Jul 03, 2001 05:10am | #13

   *Good news!I think Lehigh Valley Builder's and Developers has learned lesson in reading his own contract. We did not want to hash anything out in court to begin with. I think he also learned that word of mouth travels very quickly. I made a few phone calls today. the first one was to his lumber supplier, to ask if it was necessary to substitute the steel beam for the lam beam, which I found out to be exactly what I figured...a cheaper alternative. When the lumber supplier asked who my builder was I told him and I think this may have had a great impact, because in less than a half hour I receievd a call from the builder. At first he was very cocky, but I ended up tearing in to him about everything!! I had the whole weekend to sit on this, so I was reallynasty. At first he didn't say anything, but then he admitted that we had to come to some kind of compromise. I explained to him that there was no compromise, he was to build the house exactly as we had specified and no other way. He then made a statement which caught my attention " I guess it is true, I had better not step on any more toes,because obviously word of mouth is my greatest referral for business, and if I destroy that won't have much will I?" He has agreed to all our specifications, with the way we want the house and he will be calling our architect for more information on the lam beam, and for any other questions he has. We will be meeting tomorrow to sign an additional exhibit to the contract that states that he will provide everything we requested at no additional cost. I think I caught him off guard with my request to have it in writing, but he agreed. Hopefully things will go smoother now....I said hopefully..lolWe knew building a home wasn't going to be the easiest thing in the world, but it shouldn't be a nightmare either! Thanks for all the advice, I spoke to the framer and he will be tying in the joists at least 8-10 feet, so all should be structurally secure. Thanks again y'all...****** Have a great 4rth of July!!!*******

10. 
    Ralph_Wicklund | Jul 03, 2001 05:22am | #14

    *99 more attaboys and he'll have this AW SH$T taken care of. Congrats on the perseverence and no nonsense attitude.

11. 
    Vincent_Carbone | Jul 03, 2001 12:04pm | #15

    *Bobbi,that sounds like good news,but your builder(and I use the term lously)knew all along what was what and tryed to get away with whatever he could.As long he thought he could push you around he did. It seems to me that you'll have to watch him closer then ever.Look over his shoulder every step from now on,don't let him close any walls until you look at the inside.Tell him you want to be there when inspections are done.This guy is a con man and will cheat you if he can.And by the way he still thinks he can.Thats why he caved so fast.Vince

12. 
    Mike_Smith | Jul 04, 2001 12:55am | #16

    *bobbi.. i'm still confused..is LVB your contractor , or just the builder?who drew the plans?did LVB write the contract or did the Contractor?do you have specifications in addition to the plans?or are all of the specs on the plans?you posted this on the 1st of July .. and the whole thing is resolved on the 2d ?... it's a miracle...

13. 
    Mongo_ | Jul 04, 2001 05:37am | #17

    *Was I the only one that emailed the builder and axed him wassup with the Barrall residence?I still wouldn't feel comfortable with this guy calling the shots. It may work...it may not.Still, congrats on this victory, but keep your eyes open. This may sound petty, and it may be a pain for both you and them, but you may want to have a chat with each sub as they come on site to confirm what scope of work will be done. I cringe at the thought of even recommending that.Bobbi, also look over your "allowances" very closely. You already wrote something about $500 for a stove and $350 for a dishwasher. Inadequate builder-quoted and customer-accepted allowances are one of the biggest reasons for cost overruns. Those little quatloops add up pretty quickly.Also, take heed with Mike's post #10. Your builder may have said "you win" yesterday, but still, where does the buck stop in the so-called legal pecking order of all the parties involved in this project? Who's fault was it?Sharpen your shovel and keep on digging.

14. 
    G.LaLonde | Jul 04, 2001 03:03pm | #18

    *Rule #1 in hiring a builder....Be suspicious of anyone who wears a polo shirt to work and doesn't have banged up hands. Ask how many houses he has BUILT , "not sold". As always, the best referral is from a very satisfied customer.

15. 
    Mark_Herander | Jul 04, 2001 03:22pm | #19

    *I have a brick fireplace that is 6ft. wide and runs from floor to ceiling. The adjacent walls are drywall (with orange peel texture). I would like to cover the brick so it matches the adjacent drywall. What is the easiest way? Or best materials?

16. 
    Mike_Smith | Jul 04, 2001 03:31pm | #20

    *hey, mark, stop trying to change the subject.....

17. 
    Jim_Walters | Jul 04, 2001 05:02pm | #21

    *besides it's a bad idea

2. 
   Bobbi_Barrall | Jul 04, 2001 05:02pm | #22

   *
   We are currently in the proceess of having a home built. It was brought to our attention that the framer forgot to cantilever a second floor bedroom
   approximately two feet. The cantilvered part of the room is actually a dormer, which juts out the additional two feet. Since the framer already cut the floor joists, and the walls have already been framed. The framer said that he could just "tie in" or "bridge" the joists the additional two feet. Does this sound right? It's obvious that all the floors will have to be ripped up and the front wall removed until the cantilever is constructed. Also we feel that since we supplied the builder and the framer with the the blueprints,drawn by a local draftsman. This should be the sole responsibility of the builder or framer. Our builder had more than ample time to review the blue prints. In fact I would have questioned this also considering that the room to be cantilevered measures
   14ft x 11.6 1/2ft, and the dining room located directly below it measures 12ft'x11.6 1/2ft. We have noticed that he obviously never really examined our plans, because we have encountered numerous expenses totaling over $6000 and we have yet to upgrade a single thing in the home. We have had to pay for extra concrete (the subcontractor had to make our garage walls eight foot high due to the pitch of the land) Which in the blue print it states that all foundation walls are to be 7'10" this was something that
   the draftsman recomended after he looked at the grade and elevation plan, that we obtained when we purchased the property. We have yet to be charged for the three additional lally columns and 24ft steel beam. (which our builder said we did not need and had not included in our contract) On our
   blueprint it specifies a pre engineered beam (which again, he states that he never noticed, even though it is emblazoned in bold print acroos the entire area of the garage. Also we gave him a list prior to him writing up the contract with all of the specifications we wanted in the house, including a brick raised hearth gas fireplace. On the specs he listed the fireplace, but is now telling us that it is only standard flush fireplace, and that they are out of style anyway. He also is telling us that we must purchase our kitchen appliances through him,and that they must be GE appliances, because if we don't they will not be installed? He has given us an allowance of 500 for a range..350 for the dishwasher, and has only indicated on the specs that the range hood is standard white...no price or anything. I just feel that something is not right here.. He was provided with blueprints and specifications and given ample enough time to come up with the price he gave us on the contract. His contract clearly states that basically if something unforseen comes up, we will be charged, for things like hitting a large bed of rock,which could require extensive excavating, blasting, underground water problems, and so forth. Now it seems that everything he overlooked is becoming our financial responsibility!!! If anyone out there has any advice as to how I could approach him regarding all the charges he has been tossing our way, and what do we do about that cantilever?