#1 The person who you explain the job to is not the person who does the job
This is a very common situation with some of the larger companies I've dealt with. I noticed it mainly with plumbers and electricians. I would lay out the details of the job, where I wanted things etc. to one plumber/electrician. He'd get to work but the next day there would be a different guy that showed up and I'd have to explain everything all over again. This happened with one company multiple times over a few jobs before I finally stopped using them. You shouldn't have to explain your plans more than once unless something changes in your plans.
#2 The contractor doesn't show up when building inspectors come by
This is something I put up with when I used to flip houses and looking back I have no idea why I did. Part of a contractors job is to do things up to the current housing codes and you should put this in writing on any contract that you sign. I would often times need to write down everything the inspector said needed to be fixed so that I could relay that information to the contractor who would then do the work and charge me more for it. Don't make my dumb mistake! Make sure you have it in your contract that all work done must pass all building inspections or the contractor will re-do at his expense. It's amazing how much better someone's work becomes when they know it has to pass an inspection.
#3 The contractor claims he can "do everything"
There's an old saying that goes, "A man can do anything he wants but he can't do everything." This is absolutely true in construction as well but people still fall for the "We do it all" types. The "do it alls" simply charge a premium then hire sub contractors to do the actual work at a discount. As a result you are never meeting or paying the actual people who are coming into your home and doing the work. Not only is this a little unnerving to most people it also costs you time and money. The reality often times is the "do it alls" will charge you double of what they will pay the subcontractor. I've had some of these guys even admit this to me directly. I would rather pay the person doing the work more and cut out the glorified middleman posing as a contractor. Pay people directly and you will get better work at a more affordable price.
#4 The contractor gets paid by the hour
While I tolerate this is rare instances for the most part I believe in paying someone for the task and not by the hour. The reality is, if given the option of "milking the clock" most people will. I had one group of contractors who would show up every day, then have to drive back to the office to "pick up supplies" on a job they had already been working on for over a week. Of course they wanted to claim that this driving time was "on the clock". Needless to say that was the last job they worked on for me.
#5 The contractor stops communicating
Things happen in life. A contractor not being able to show up for a few days is fine as long as they let you know about this ahead of time. What I can't (and you shouldn't) tolerate is contractors just disappearing without any explanation or warning and then re-appearing. I have some theories as to what the contractors I had hired were doing during that time but if this happens I recommend firing them right on the spot even if you're not getting all the work you "paid" for. It's better to cut out the cancer early than to let it fester. If a contractor disappears on you once I can guarantee they will do it again after you've paid them even more money. Don't make this mistake.
As I mentioned up above if you're looking for a great contractor in Austin, Texas call Yamil Exposito at 512 483 1115!
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