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Purley Jul 9th 2008 2:21 pm

Concrete work
 
I am wondering if getting any kind of construction work done is as hard in other parts of the country as it is here.

The concrete patio in front of my son's front door has sunk about a foot towards the house. About three years ago, I told him I would arrange for and pay for someone to come and replace it. Last year I managed to get a quote of $1,200 from one company and told them to go ahead. The other people I phoned were either too busy or never got back to me. In the end the company never did the work. I called them again this year - they were too busy.

I found another company. He had a deal where if you gave him a 5% deposit before the end of April, you got 10% off the work. This time the quote was $2,100 because its a year later. Everyone else I phoned was too busy! I gave him a cheque for the 5% deposit before the end of April and he told me the work would be done in May. Then it was June, then it was the first week in July. He told me that the work was being done on a first come first served basis and my work wasn't being pushed to the bottom of the pile. That seemed rather strange to me seeing in April he told me the work would be done in May!!! My girlfriend said that he is just telling me what he thinks I want to hear. She says if he has four jobs all in one area and then someone phoned yesterday with a $10,000 job in the same area - he will do all those jobs before mine.

I gave up and he is sending my deposit back. The patio is only about 9 x 14 - the old concrete needs removing and the short piece of fence going across the driveway needs to be removed and replaced after the work is done. So its not a huge job.

So I managed to find two more companies in the paper. The first guy quoted me $4,000. The second guy - he has to go back when someone is there so we can gell him what we want done!

Honestly, I despair of ever getting this flipping concrete fixed!! In the meantime, every time it rains, water is draining down the side of my son's house!!

Is it the same everywhere??

Atlantic Xpat Jul 9th 2008 3:52 pm

Re: Concrete work
 
Contractors are the same everywhere I think.

We had a new kitchen put in this year. Top of the line cabinets, only concession to economy was not going for granite or other solid countertops. It took a month from start of install to finish. (For what should have been a two day job). The company was just too busy so would start one job before they had finished another. A frequent and bloody annoying practice IMHO.

Mrs AX practically had a nervous breakdown (fear of it not being completed before the MiL came to stay) and I had to turn down the opportunity to stay an extra day in TO to drink beer with the curmudgeonly one and dbd33.

We are planning to get fencing done this year but havent got around to finding a contractor yet so I suspect this year will turn out to be next year after all. House construction is going crazy here at the moment so everyone is in the same boat. I'm damn glad I'm not trying to get a new house built at the moment!

dbd33 Jul 9th 2008 5:18 pm

Re: Concrete work
 

Originally Posted by Atlantic Xpat (Post 6552885)
Mrs AX practically had a nervous breakdown (fear of it not being completed before the MiL came to stay) and I had to turn down the opportunity to stay an extra day in TO to drink beer with the curmudgeonly one and dbd33.

Now there's a sacrifice!

Can't you do the fencing yourself so as to avoid depending on a contractor?

Bill_S Jul 9th 2008 5:49 pm

Re: Concrete work
 

Originally Posted by Purley (Post 6552611)
I gave up and he is sending my deposit back. The patio is only about 9 x 14 - the old concrete needs removing and the short piece of fence going across the driveway needs to be removed and replaced after the work is done. So its not a huge job.

Unfortunately, the fact that it is a small job is exactly your problem. Small pours of concrete don't cure any faster than large pours. The crew has to spend time at the job site placing and finishing, but it's a small job so it won't be as profitable as being on a big job for the same amount of time. I live a long way from Regina but I've run into the same issue.

Biiiiink Jul 9th 2008 6:01 pm

Re: Concrete work
 
You're not alone Purley, I'm also chasing deposits to be returned - fed up of waiting for jobs I booked in February (to be done in May)...

JonboyE Jul 9th 2008 10:47 pm

Re: Concrete work
 
Our drive needs relaying. We phoned every contractor in the book. One turned up and quoted $18,000.

We are going to wait for a recession.

Purley Jul 10th 2008 1:06 am

Re: Concrete work
 
Good grief! How long is the driveway for heaven's sake?

A friend of mine in West Bank, wanted one of those interlocking block driveways a few years ago. She phoned everywhere. One guy said he would be over that afternoon with colour samples. That was the last she heard from him! She eventually got it done last year. In the interim they just drove on the dirt that was packed down and it worked fine even if it didn't look very good! She is now looking for a plumber. I have a friend who is a plumber. She told me to send him out there because she can't fine one!

My older son and his wife wanted new windows. They have a house built in the 1910-20 period and the windows had long since been painted shut and/or rotted so none of them would open. In 2006 they hired someone to replace most of the windows in the house. He kept giving them excuses and never did show up. Then last year I managed to get the name of a window installer and they got new windows last summer. However, they were the wrong ones. They wanted plain glass in the bottom and those little square bar things in the top - just the same as the original windows.

Yesterday he phoned me and asked if I could go round there as he had to go to work. The new windows had arrived and they were in the process of installing them. This was almost a year after they put the windows in in the first place. Apparently the guy phoned him and said "Bet you thought we had forgotten!!" They are more patient than I am, I would have been bugging them but maybe that is not the best thing to do in this kind of a market.

dbd33 Jul 10th 2008 11:52 am

Re: Concrete work
 

Originally Posted by Purley (Post 6554635)
A friend of mine in West Bank, wanted one of those interlocking block driveways a few years ago. She phoned everywhere. One guy said he would be over that afternoon with colour samples. That was the last she heard from him!

Probably blown up by the Pals.

Novocastrian Jul 10th 2008 12:02 pm

Re: Concrete work
 

Originally Posted by Atlantic Xpat (Post 6552885)

Mrs AX practically had a nervous breakdown (fear of it not being completed before the MiL came to stay) and I had to turn down the opportunity to stay an extra day in TO to drink beer with the curmudgeonly one and dbd33.

One has not competely gone you know. Retribution will be swift and merciless upon my return.

Atlantic Xpat Jul 10th 2008 12:52 pm

Re: Concrete work
 

Originally Posted by JonboyE (Post 6554241)
Our drive needs relaying. We phoned every contractor in the book. One turned up and quoted $18,000.

We are going to wait for a recession.

Ouch. Our driveway is about 4500 sq ft. Two years ago it cost $7k to pave. This year I'm told that the cost of paving is $3 a sq ft or thereabouts. I think I'd be sticking with stone chips if that were the case and I hand't already had it done!

Atlantic Xpat Jul 10th 2008 12:54 pm

Re: Concrete work
 

Originally Posted by dbd33 (Post 6553208)
Can't you do the fencing yourself so as to avoid depending on a contractor?

It's a lot of fencing (1/2 an acre or so), half of which will be chainlink and in very rocky ground. I could do it myself but it would probably take until next year. It's worth considering though as there would be an excuse to hire some toys. (post hole borer mounted on a bobcat for example!);)


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