Anyone ever report a contractor to CSLB

[everysurfer]

My head is spinning. How did the contractor get his rough inspection if his special inspections aren't on order and approved.

Please tell me that it's just paperwork, and they didn't forget to get their shear wall or foundation bolts inspected, and are now tearing off stucco.

 

[Mr Doof]

Should just be paperwork (crossing fingers).

Got little clarity from the contractor, who beat a hasty exit after the inspector left.

You'd think people would want the final $10K and get their report removed, but, apparently not.

Am revisiting the wondering about lawyering up....$10K might be able to hire a decent enough one.

 

[waxhead]

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

I'm wondering who these guys are as well-to make sure I never do a job for them.

 

[Mr Doof]

I need to wait till the project is done before I name names.

 

[Mr Doof]

Just found out there is a scheduled inspection today between noon and 3 PM, like minutes ago.

Sweetie-pie is boiling mad about the lack of notice. "I'm going swimming during this, if I stay I will want to stab him, and if I don't then I'll want to push him down the stairs. You deal with it."

Yay, I get to leave work early.

Nay, I don't like the short notice, nor does the boss, but he gets it...am sure he will enjoy me having my head back in the game once this is all done.

Time to see if I am jam some data in to the models and get them running before I go.

 

[everysurfer]

That's not bad.

I remember before, when you had no idea when the inspector would show up, or even of he would show up. Waiting all day, to have them blow you off. I hate civil servants.

 

[Mr Doof]

It is official, stair inspection passed!

And yesterday they fixed up some paint bubbles and sags around the front door, and installed some plywood on the rebuilt interior garage wall per the engineering plans. They left some equipment behind too.

So this morning, dropped off the final payment for painting the house as I pedaled to work.

Now need:

1 our 'shut-off-the-gas-main-valve-wrench' they took when they cleaned up the basement

2 some apology or recompense for the drip irrigation they f-ed up (we repaired it ourselves last weekend)

3 some apology or recompense for the garden hose splitter they outright broke

4 some apology or recompense for the front door light fixture they outright broke (we replaced it last weekend)

5 need invoice for the final payment for the construction side of things


I won't hold my breath on #2-4, really want that wrench back, probably will get #5 later today with helpful advice that we can FedEx it to them.

 

[ElOgro]

It is official, stair inspection passed!

And yesterday they fixed up some paint bubbles and sags around the front door, and installed some plywood on the rebuilt interior garage wall per the engineering plans. They left some equipment behind too.

So this morning, dropped off the final payment for painting the house as I pedaled to work.

Now need:

1 our 'shut-off-the-gas-main-valve-wrench' they took when they cleaned up the basement

2 some apology or recompense for the drip irrigation they f-ed up (we repaired it ourselves last weekend)

3 some apology or recompense for the garden hose splitter they outright broke

4 some apology or recompense for the front door light fixture they outright broke (we replaced it last weekend)

5 need invoice for the final payment for the construction side of things


I won't hold my breath on #2-4, really want that wrench back, probably will get #5 later today with helpful advice that we can FedEx it to them.

Allowable consumables.

j/k

 

[afoaf]

I've broken three of those hose splitters...

was it the plastic levers that broke or the actual body of the splitter?

 

[ElOgro]

Next time you come down I’ll show you how to make one with your very own hands.

One word: buy brass with no plastic valves.

 

[Mr Doof]

Replaced the broken zinc pot-metal splitter with a brass one. I console myself I got 10 years out of it.

They were using the smaller directional cut-off valves to turn off the flow rather than the main gate valve. We replaced all the galvanized plumbing a few years ago with copper, and this tripled the water pressure....using the small directional cut-off valves to shut off the water while the main valve was open is what broke it. Am guessing a weak spot at the valves migrated through the rest of the splitter as it had come apart overnight and I found in in two parts. Broke right along the casting seam.
This was right after the interior plasterer was onsite and maybe he banged into it when cleaning up in the backyard? (This would be in addition to leaving the main valve open and closing both directional valves...more than once I would come home notice water leaking from it due to the pressure overwhelming the smaller directional valves)?

While willing to concede to the allowable consumable (items 2-4), maybe I am just being pigheaded about wanting some sort of acknowledgement of their goofs. But I want that wrench back.

 

[ElOgro]

Good man.

Just how bad do you want that wrench back? I know a guy...

 

[everysurfer]

It's not always the last guy to turn the light switches fault when the bulb burn out. I'd let the splitter go.

 

[Mr Doof]

Good man.

Just how bad do you want that wrench back? I know a guy...

Hey, they gave us our wrench back! Now if there is an earthquake and I need to turn off the gas main, I can.

Re-planted the ground cover that was ripped up and mended most of the drip irrigation this weekend that was damaged, started to rebuild the surfboard storage area, wondering how I suddenly seem to have so many surfboards and wetsuits, and realize that I need to put in some new lighting......

Still haven't received final invoice for stairs.

 

[JBerry]

So having been through this 8 page thread with you, what you say show us some of the before and after pictures of said work??

 

[Random Guy]

Wow, you got the wrench back?!?!!?!?
Anything is possible!
I’ve started a home project that includes 7 different specialist companies. This thread gives me anxiety
glad you got through it, doof
cowabunga
rg

 

[Mr Doof]

So having been through this 8 page thread with you, what you say show us some of the before and after pictures of said work??

Don't have photos with me, so this shot from Google Earth, until the send a new camera-car around, our home will look like this image from March 2019.

See that tarp and scaffolding over the stairs?

I actually had to insist they put it up and told them. "But we didn't budget for that!" And the building code says you are obligated to not ruin the home. I paid because I get that it wasn't in the proposal, that additional scaffolding, but as water was sheeting down the house and coming into the garage even through the Tyvek and they weren't working on the stairs, things needed to get going. That went up in late January and stayed up for way too long.

Will get some better photos of the stairs later.

 

[Mr Doof]

Quick update.

Sent email to them on Friday seeking to pay last installment. Inspection on 7/3 passed and they were generally quick with the invoice so I had a feeling something was up since had not received final invoice.

Received certified mail today informing that they have filed a Mechanics Lien against us for work they did in the front living room.

We thought some work was either covered by an existing signed change order (marked in yellow) or unauthorized (the rest of it).

We had a meeting about this.

We thought it was resolved, not amicably, but resolved.

Apparently not.

We'll probably try reason again, but anyone know a decent construction lawyer/firm? Please note CSLB as well as Pest Control board did find them in violation, so odds are already in our favor.

 

[Subway]

Oh man I hope that works out and I hope random guy doesn’t see that post lol

 

[everysurfer]

They just handed you a bag of gold.

Your first step is to apply for a loan/ mortgage, so you will suffer damages. Maybe even list it for sale.

Because, they just clouded the title of your home. They have 60 days if I remember correctly, to "perfect" the lien, which means file the lawsuit. Then you file your counter suit.

Did they present you with a 20 day preliminary notice before they started? Because they have no rights to anything done more than 20 days in advance of you signing the notice.