Steve Payne
"There are bad developers… but bad subtrades, too."
Canadian Contractor FinancialObviously, not everyone thinks developers are "greedy scumbag thieves" as one subtrade posted here last week.
Last week we posted a comment with the headline “Greedy scumbag thieves and financial incompetents.”
This was a description of new homes developers, by a subtrade. (Not just greedy thieves, but greedy scumbag thieves. Those are the worst kind of greedy thieves, aren’t they?)
Dwight Kuhn, a modular homes builder in Alberta, disagreed:
“I would hope that there are more than the two categories of developer you outline. I have been in construction since 1993 and have paid all of my subcontractors for their work. I could tell you horror stories of subcontractors either not completing the work, or doing a horrible job, then liening our projects, forcing us to settle and pay legal fees. Then pay to get the work completed, or redone. There are bad developers/building companies, and bad subtrades too. I would hate to have the banks involved, as you would be getting individuals who have no clue about construction making payment decisions. They have a role, but it is not paying subtrades. Just be careful who you work for. There are great builders out there who are honest.”
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Always the same old story.
They give you a schedule, swear you to it, then someone else drops the ball and your crew can’t work when they are supposed to.
Then when they finally want you in, your booked or your staff got tired of sitting on their hands and went elsewhere, you don’t have the resources available anymore, you fall behind on day one, your rough in work is rushed and you pay in spades later – about when your budget runs out and you are no where near done, you realize you didn’t create the mess but you are going to be the one paying for it if you don’t get your hand out fast. That’s the day the GC takes you off his Christmas card list, they don’t see it as their problem and aren’t interested in anything but why you are stiff not done and why you haven’t hired more help.
Then we all head to court.