Quote:
Originally Posted by Shadowrider
I have a contract to have a screened cage added to my home. The concrete pad was poured rather quickly. I am now waiting for the cage to be built. I has been over 8 months. Every time I call the contractor they say probably another 3 months. They claim to be waiting for materials. I know there have been material shortages recently. Has anybody else had trouble getting a cage built?
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Less scrupulous contractors will never turn down a job, no matter how much is on their plate. They will also "lock up" the job by performing a small amount of work up front, making it difficult for you to switch contractors.
Our birdcage was recently completed in 3 months, but only because we were very persistent (weekly status talks), made only a very minimal upfront down payment ($500) and paid in installments only after the various tasks were successfully completed.
All that said, I advise you to "stay in the face" of the contractor (they do tend to respond better to "squeaky wheels") and threaten them with publicly sharing the facts of your experience (e.g. TOTV). The prospect of losing new business may provide the additional motivation required to finish your work.
To those considering future work: Be sure to include a "drop dead" clause in your contract; one that gives you the option to void the contract if the work is not completed in a specified time. This tends to separate the honest quotes from the greedy ones.