Anyone ever report a contractor to CSLB

[Mr Doof]

Scaffolding removed yesterday.....unobstructed view from front window for first time since Oct 28 2018.

Now just need the following:

1 Paint remaining fresh stucco. About 40 square feet.
2 Fix the blemishes in the new paint that they did in the backyard in November.
3 Get SF City to perform final inspection on stairs.
4 Apply sealant to now done concrete stairs.
5 Get the port-a-potty removed so I have access to the garage again.
6 Do final walk-through/review of all work.
7 Make final payments of approximately $12K

During short talk with the contractor yesterday, says it should be done within 2 weeks.

I wanted to ask, "What happened to late December 2018?", but somehow had mental discipline to look him in the eye and just say, "That would be great, looking forward to it."

 

[rts265]

what a nightmare.

 

[Mr Doof]

Scaffolding removed yesterday.....unobstructed view from front window for first time since Oct 28 2018.

Now just need the following:

1 Paint remaining fresh stucco. About 40 square feet.
2 Fix the blemishes in the new paint that they did in the backyard in November.
3 Get SF City to perform final inspection on stairs.
4 Apply sealant to now done concrete stairs.
5 Get the port-a-potty removed so I have access to the garage again.
6 Do final walk-through/review of all work.
7 Make final payments of approximately $12K

During short talk with the contractor yesterday, says it should be done within 2 weeks.

I wanted to ask, "What happened to late December 2018?", but somehow had mental discipline to look him in the eye and just say, "That would be great, looking forward to it."

Short update:

1 Port-a-potty removed from driveway...and they chipped my driveway when removing it. Sigh.

2 House painting done this Friday past, but still some small areas that bubbled up over the weekend that need fixing. A clear coat for the concrete stairs not applied...maybe after final inspection? Oh, a few flakes came off the metal banister when it was screwed onto the wall, so some touch-up there as well, and yeah, I will need to caulk around that joining where the flat metal meets the bumpy stucco...water down the wall, runs down, hits the screws, and wicks right into newly built wall.

2 Construction done, but final inspection not scheduled as far as I can tell...emailed again today to see when it is scheduled. Also need to schedule final walk-through.

3 The rest of their stuff to be removed from our garage.

4 Payment...faster all this is done, faster I can pay them the final $10K to get out of my life.

 

[mundus]

The whole process seemed like a lot of fun. Kudos for seeing it through without going insane.

 

[everysurfer]

Must be tough.

Construction workers are just about all idiots.

A former client had a plumbing leak today. She thought it was small so she called a handyman. The doofus cut a big hole in the stucco, rather than a small hole in the drywall, took out 20 feet of waste line under the house, because it was "gunky" when only a fitting needed replacing. Dropped demolition materials on the ground, where the owner promptly stepped on a nail and had to go to urgent care. THEN she calls me to ask for advice. What could i say, but call me BEFORE you call "Helping Hands" handymen

 

[Mr Doof]

The construction guys are pretty good, except for when I or Sweetie-pie caught them napping under the work table or the new hire who just groused and got in the way of the other workers.

Now the management pair.....

 

[huryanpost]

What a clown show. How did you decide this was outfit to use? Were they recommended? References were supplied?
Just curious.

 

[Mr Doof]

What a clown show. How did you decide this was outfit to use? Were they recommended? References were supplied?
Just curious.

I never mind curiosity.

We looked 3 yrs for a good contractor...the licensed and bonded ones were all busy doing soft story retrofits and the ones that did call back said to get back to them in a year, and when we did call of few of those back, they told us to call back in another year.....the current construction boom in the City is taking all the laborers from the outfits holding the licenses so this is slowing things greatly for the home owner trying to fix up their place the right way.

We got a number of referrals from friends, but most of them were unlicensed 'handyman", so nope, and the others never called back or wouldn't provide a fixed start and end date or wouldn't pull permits ("It is just a govt scam that costs you more, our work would pass if we ever get inspected.")

Then there was another one who wanted us to pay $5000 just to get a bid (this fee would go towards the project if we choose them, but if it didn't, no refund).

Then there was the one who wanted to rip off the front of the house and replace the windows (that we had just replaced 5 yrs ago) so that it would better blend in with the new steps. Replace the front of the house just to 'blend in" with new steps?

Finally it got to the point that when I would ride my bicycle around, I just would look at various buildings that had a contracting licence and I would just walk in cold to see if I could make a personal connection thinking that if I show up, make an appointment, they would actually show up.

So in the Dogpatch neighborhood, not too far from the Hell's Angel's club, I found a well kept building that had their name on it. Warehouse part was tidy, their fleet of vehicles were in decent shape, signage looked nice, and yes, license and bonded (and valid). Did the Yelp thing (4 stars), looked at some of their other projects (a mixture of commercial clients as well as residential clients), and while I did have a vibe of "Well, they are going to try and upsell me on things," the fact the could start on a fixed date, gave me a fixed end date, a written quote, and showed up on time, had an ex-SF City Engineer as their go-to sub for engineering blueprints, well, it just seemed like a good choice and I would just say no to things that didn't need "fixing". I mean, I didn't want to fall through my front stairs like my neighbor did a few years previous (this is when we started looking to replace the stairs) so I had to hire someone to do this properly.

When we finally had three bids, the lowest one was out because it was so scattered and poorly written and lots of parts were left off (engineering, permit, equipment rental costs, etc) and Sweetie-pie got too much of a weirdo creeper skeeze vibe, the highest costing bid was not very detailed, no end date or even projected end date, and very short warranty. And the one we took, while not that much lower than the high bid was very detailed, had good Yelp reviews, good previous work projects we could check out, and they seemed to be both personable and emphasized "a good work product".

So, we did the due diligence, or so I thought at the time. Now i second guess myself endlessly and have sleepless nights.

 

[huryanpost]

It definitely sounds like your homework was done. I hate
Hearing these stories. But sometimes integrity is hard to come by.
Sounds like one good real carpenter and his trusted helper should have been
able to pull this one off with a cost plus contract.
Of course everysurfer and everyone else within earshot will call bullshit
on that statement.
The market I’m in is nowhere comparable to the Bay area.

Makes me want to move back there hearingThese types of stories. I could always
Do a good job of selling myself and my product.
Have their at least been some regret on the contractors part put forth? Some type of apology
on how things went ?

 

[everysurfer]

Sounds like one good real carpenter and his trusted helper should have been
able to pull this one off with a cost plus contract.
Of course everysurfer and everyone else within earshot will call bullshit
on that statement.

No disagreement from me on your point. As long as the good carpenter has a license, bond, workers compensation insurance, liability insurance, assets, and knowledge of all the trades involved.

 

[huryanpost]

Yeah. All valid things to have.
Let’s level the playing is your point is your point if i’m Not mistaken.

 

[Mr Doof]

Have their at least been some regret on the contractors part put forth? Some type of apology
on how things went ?

No.

When they asked that I write CSLB to retract my unsubstantiated and false complaint or they will quit, I told them I provided CSLB copies of the Change Orders, a copy of the Contract, copies of emails, and asked some questions*, and CSLB are the ones who told you to shape up, not us.

Reporting them got them back to work, but I feel they have been just on this side of thing to not be charged with formal abandonment, hence the long drawn our process and continually missed deadlines.


* - Questions like:
1 Do they have a pest control license? If not, isn't it illegal to propose work for remediation?
2 Does not the engineering plans call for wall replacement and does not the Contract state they will follow the plans, and if so, is recommend Change Order #3/#4/#5 essentially double billing us for work that is part of the plans that the Contract says they will follow?
3 Billing up front for work not done is illegal, right?
4 Don't they need permits from planning to replace a main support beam...they say they don't.

 

[huryanpost]

If There was aconstruction company in San Francisco that
You guys wouldn’t recommend, who might that be?

 

[casa_mugrienta]

What a clown show. How did you decide this was outfit to use? Were they recommended? References were supplied?
Just curious.

I never mind curiosity.

We looked 3 yrs for a good contractor...the licensed and bonded ones were all busy doing soft story retrofits and the ones that did call back said to get back to them in a year, and when we did call of few of those back, they told us to call back in another year.....the current construction boom in the City is taking all the laborers from the outfits holding the licenses so this is slowing things greatly for the home owner trying to fix up their place the right way.

We got a number of referrals from friends, but most of them were unlicensed 'handyman", so nope, and the others never called back or wouldn't provide a fixed start and end date or wouldn't pull permits ("It is just a govt scam that costs you more, our work would pass if we ever get inspected.")

Then there was another one who wanted us to pay $5000 just to get a bid (this fee would go towards the project if we choose them, but if it didn't, no refund).

Then there was the one who wanted to rip off the front of the house and replace the windows (that we had just replaced 5 yrs ago) so that it would better blend in with the new steps. Replace the front of the house just to 'blend in" with new steps?

Finally it got to the point that when I would ride my bicycle around, I just would look at various buildings that had a contracting licence and I would just walk in cold to see if I could make a personal connection thinking that if I show up, make an appointment, they would actually show up.

So in the Dogpatch neighborhood, not too far from the Hell's Angel's club, I found a well kept building that had their name on it. Warehouse part was tidy, their fleet of vehicles were in decent shape, signage looked nice, and yes, license and bonded (and valid). Did the Yelp thing (4 stars), looked at some of their other projects (a mixture of commercial clients as well as residential clients), and while I did have a vibe of "Well, they are going to try and upsell me on things," the fact the could start on a fixed date, gave me a fixed end date, a written quote, and showed up on time, had an ex-SF City Engineer as their go-to sub for engineering blueprints, well, it just seemed like a good choice and I would just say no to things that didn't need "fixing". I mean, I didn't want to fall through my front stairs like my neighbor did a few years previous (this is when we started looking to replace the stairs) so I had to hire someone to do this properly.

When we finally had three bids, the lowest one was out because it was so scattered and poorly written and lots of parts were left off (engineering, permit, equipment rental costs, etc) and Sweetie-pie got too much of a weirdo creeper skeeze vibe, the highest costing bid was not very detailed, no end date or even projected end date, and very short warranty. And the one we took, while not that much lower than the high bid was very detailed, had good Yelp reviews, good previous work projects we could check out, and they seemed to be both personable and emphasized "a good work product".

So, we did the due diligence, or so I thought at the time. Now i second guess myself endlessly and have sleepless nights.

It's even more difficult if you have a small project.

 

[everysurfer]

Yeah. All valid things to have.
Let’s level the playing is your point is your point if i’m Not mistaken.

Not so much as level the playing field, as protect yourself if something goes wrong. I get all my work because the playing field is uneven. Superior knowledge, with low overhead keeps me busy.

If a worker falls off a ladder with no workers comp insurance, that worker will end up costing you your house. A slipped disk, and a lifetime of disability. Or as I mentioned earlier, the worker leaves a nail in a board, and a neighbor steps on it. Insurance is mandatory these days.

 

[huryanpost]

Yeah. All valid things to have.
Let’s level the playing is your point is your point if i’m Not mistaken.

Not so much as level the playing field, as protect yourself if something goes wrong. I get all my work because the playing field is uneven. Superior knowledge, with low overhead keeps me busy.

If a worker falls off a ladder with no workers comp insurance, that worker will end up costing you your house. A slipped disk, and a lifetime of disability. Or as I mentioned earlier, the worker leaves a nail in a board, and a neighbor steps on it. Insurance is mandatory these days.

Yes, to really make it for the long haul, you have to be legit. Bonding,
Workman’s comp, liability all these that make a business a real business.
Low overhead is the way to go. Less headaches. And focus on delivering
The product that you are proud of first and foremost. Focusing on these
Things will create word of mouth, with that who needs to advertise?

 

[Mr Doof]

Sometime next week is the final inspection by the Building Dept.

Maybe, we will see.

Why?

Because I was noticing that the handrail the put back on the redone exterior wall looked a little off. Got out the tape measure, found that it was higher from the sloped plane of the stairs at the bottom of the steps than at the top.

Bottom was 33 inches, top was 31.

Not great, but not that horrible.

Then I decided to look at what the building code says.

Building Code link

______________
The top of stair railings, handrails and handrail extensions installed on or after April 3, 1997, shall be at a vertical height between 34 and 38 inches above the nosing of treads and landings. For stairs installed before April 3, 1997, this height shall be between 30 and 38 inches. Stair railings and handrails shall be continuous the full length of the stairs and, except for private stairways, at least one handrail or stair railing shall extend in the direction of the stair run not less than 12 inches beyond the top riser nor less than 12 inches beyond the bottom riser. Ends shall be returned or shall terminate in newel posts or safety terminals, or otherwise arranged so as not to constitute a projection hazard.

(d) A handrail shall consist of a lengthwise member mounted directly on a wall or partition by means of brackets attached to the lower side of the handrail so as to offer no obstruction to a smooth surface along the top and both sides of the handrail. The handrail shall be designed to provide a grasping surface to avoid the person using it from falling. The spacing of brackets shall not exceed 8 feet.

(e) Handrails projecting from a wall shall have a space of not less than 1 1/2 inches between the wall and the handrail.

(f) The mounting of handrails shall be such that the completed structure is capable of withstanding a load of at least 200 pounds applied in any direction at any point on the rail.

Exception: Handrails and stair rails on flights of stairs serving basements or cellars that are covered by a trap door, removable floor or grating when not in use, shall stop at the floor level or entrance level so as not to interfere with the cover in the closed position. (Title 24, Part 2, Section 1006.9.2.7a.)

Note: Authority cited: Section 142.3, Labor Code. Reference: Section 142.3, Labor Code; and Section 18943(b), Health and Safety Code.
___________


I am guessing that a handrail taken off and put back on in 2019 means we don't get that pre-April 3, 1997, break.

Sent an email to the contractor to get their take.

Am betting he'll say, "How is the City going to know?"

Am betting I will tell the contractor that I will tell the inspector that it was taken off and reinstalled.

 

[everysurfer]

Some stuff, like handrail heights is known by every competent builder. It isn't like this is a newly revised code, or isn't available with a 30 second Google search.

Now measure the riser height. Hopefully not higher than 7 inches, and they don't vary by more than 3/8" and the spindles can't allow a sphere of greater than 4 inches to pass through. There are spindles, right?

 

[Mr Doof]

Final inspection scheduled for 7/1/2019

Last email exchange:

____________
Dear Mr Doof,

We are scheduled for inspection on Monday, July 1st 8:30AM - 12NN. We will level hand-rail, touch up paint, clean up, and be 100% completed upon inspection clearance.

Thank you,

 

[Mr Doof]

Update.

Today was supposed to be final inspection by the city.

Took half the day off to be present....scheduled for 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM.

Contractor showed at 8 AM.

Showed him the problems with the paint in various places, asked about the handrail, etc.

Inspector showed at 10:50.

Then left 5 minutes later. Said he wouldn't sign off on anything, something about materials/reports not filed. Contractor said he did this on Friday 28th. (Are you kidding me, a Friday before a Monday inspection?)

With a little questioning, apparently the engineer and contractor had not filed everything correctly from the November special inspections...there were two special inspections.

We had notified them of this in January (anyone can look of a project status online now-a-days), and when we got no replay after a few weeks, was more fuel to file the complaint.

Well, there goes my my peace of mind for a few days. So ready to put this behind me.