About 4 months ago a younger related couple spent lots of money buying 11 acres and a house built primarily by a retired couple 35 years ago. That couple knew very little about building a house properly.

My fears have been proven true virtually every day due to the lack of available good contractors and subcontractors.

Neither of the couple have enough experience or desire to learn what constitutes good acceptable work. I'm now estimating they will have close to a million dollars tied up with the purchase and remodeling cost.

Basically it's like expecting a good meal at a great restaurant and instead getting served a couple of slices of stale bread with a smear of mustard and a slice of old garlic balogna.

There is literally nothing about the workmanship that is acceptable. The house is in a rural area with no building code inspections required.

Wiring run haphazardly, no staples used, holes drilled too close to edge, wirenuts not tight, lugs not tight, new box holes too big, 59 cent outlets installed, plus lots of other items of poor workmanship.

Acrylic adhesive for shower tile, even after asking five times for waterproofing the showers are/were not waterproofed properly, new walls not plumb or square, master bath floor has 12 pieces of patched in plywood without glue, blocking, tongue and groove edges. All tile is expensive designer type including large format tile for master bath. Cement board on bath floor has no thinset under it or taped and thinset on top seams. No edge gap for plywood or cement board. Floor slopes 3/8" in 18" near bath door.

One AC new flex duct has eight 90 degree bends from the new air handler to its final supply duct for the master bedroom, plus going through a zone box.

New window openings cut out with saws-all, not square, minimal waterproofing.

Garage converted to master bedroom. Ceiling coverted to vaulted ceiling, all joists and bracing removed, no beam installed, no collar ties, no rafter ties. A strong wind will probably take that roof off and the walls will probably spread.

It would probably take a couple of days to list all the items of poor workmanship.

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My cousin and her husband got ripped off on the construction of their previous. Her dad was a heavy construction superintendent. The builder said he wasn't allowed on the job site. That should have been a warning to cut the contractor loose.

Luckily, the district attorney went after the contractor with the deal of restitution or prison time.

Is that second picture a sub floor? The wiring pic is just a bit scary.

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Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

Yes, the 2nd picture is the subfloor for the master bath. I tried to get them to specify advantech for any new or rework but they ' trust ' the general contractor's opinion, not mine. Also proper blocking, glue, support, etc....

Regrettably too many people ' trust ' the one they've hired and won't listen until serious problems arise. One neighbor is having her master bath rebuilt, starting tomorrow. I offered to do quality checks during the work but she got really ' huffy ' and acted like I was insulting her. Home construction is relatively easy, it just takes time, knowledge, and workers that truly care.

I like the Fine Home Building website. Most info is really good, plentiful, and up to date. Matt Risinger's youtube videos are also really good. Studpack's youtube video's and a few others are good for a lot of home projects including showers.

But no matter how good someone is there is usually something that could have been done better. I've made lots of mistakes myself. Watching videos and reading articles can provide a lot of information on ' how to ' and ' how not to ' do things.

I quit trying to build ' spec ' homes because of poor workmanship from the contractors I hired plus the problems in trying to get them to do proper rework. I couldn't bring myself to sell a home that wasn't built properly and in most rural areas of Texas there is no inspections during construction.

I'm worried now that their homeowner insurance might deny a claim due to faulty workmanship. It'd be really bad if the home was a total loss due to negligence on the part of the contractor or one of his subs and the insurance wouldn't pay due to faulty work.

There is nothing inside or outside of the house that has been done with good workmanship.

Also, it only costs about $300 to start a LLC type company. If someone sues, it's Really easy to just change to a new company LLC and keep on working.

You have my deepest sympathy. I’ve seen quite a bit of that. Many people think of construction “how hard could it be?” And while it isn’t exactly rocket science, it is really easy to screw up and then go on to put halfway good work over bad.

I do maintenance and small remodeling these days. A plumber associate referred me to an elderly widow with a large home in Orinda. It’s a tony suburb about 10 miles to the east of Berkeley/Oakland. The original home is not bad, but a bit odd. Concrete slab, living room and dining room are gigantic and not especially user-friendly. Huge brick courtyard in the back. A lot of square footage for only three bedrooms, one of which she uses for an office.

Her husband, who passed before I met her, built a rental unit above the garage, and partly above that end of the house. It’s not horrible, it does shed water, but OMG, so much weirdness and mediocre construction technique. It could’ve been pretty nice. The floorplan is weird and the kitchen not too appealing.

I’ve seen quite a bit of it - amateurs trying to save money and wasting it instead. Amazing how many people hate and fear building inspectors when such people could’ve been the best friend they ever had. I have run into a couple of dicks in that category, but more often the inspector provided useful and timely advice.

I know what you mean about making mistakes. Many times after I complete one leg of a project I see something that I could’ve done better, and easier, but I didn’t think of it in time. Drives me crazy. Often I wonder if I will ever do that particular task again, and hope that I will remember that lesson if I do.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

The sub-floor looks like a scrap lumber party and the electrical .... that is just plain messed up.

I was putting can lights in my kitchen for the remodel. I had to take out the original light fixture, get rid of the box so I could reroute the power to the first can a few feet over. Did all that but when I was trying to move the power over it kept getting hung up. Could not figure out on what. Stuck my hand up in the attic and started to trace the line back. Felt another line spliced in with electrical tape. WTF?? Started pulling on the line....it kept coming. Finally pulled it all out and 20' later I get the end out. Just a cut wire, sitting in the attic. No wire nuts, no tape .. nothing. We had been in the house for 10 yrs already. No clue what the wire was used for.

I flipped house for a bit and could not do anything like that with a clear conscience.

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Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

In a lot of ways it's still the wild west here in the rural areas of Texas.

There is virtually nothing that can be done, except to suck it up and pay someone else to do it over. Regrettably the next person might also have his shortcomings. One former neighbor, a single older woman paid a contractor $50,000 up front to start a major remodeling. She never saw him again. Another contractor, 30 year old concrete company, did an add on slab. 1 1/4" out of level in several places. Brick wall cracked about 5 years later due to footing failure. A new house being built nearby had about 20 piers drilled for additional support on clay soil. A few days later the piers were filled with clay soil brought in from off-site, no rebar and no concrete. That house mysteriously burned down a few years later after the owners were facing over $100,000 in complete brick replacement and other major work. Their insurance paid full value as if nothing had been wrong before. Luckily the next builder built a solid house.

Lawsuits take about 4 years to go through the system and by then the attorney's bill is over $25,000. LLC's protect the individual. No inspections to comply with.

I had a similar experience with wiring several years ago. Bare hot wires in the attic stripped back about 6" on each side. Just hand twisted together after forming a loop at each end. Looked like barbed wire fencing connection.

I am in the midst of a bathroom remodel. The subfloor and tub/sink drains replaced, but everything else down to studs. It really is not rocket science but it is easy to see how people cut corners. This job was previously done pretty well (and probably the only job in the house that had been). The subfloor in the pic....im trying to wrap my head around why that is how it is...issues with drain pipe? Why not just replace with a single board?

The 3rd pic up there of the stall, Im trying to understand what is wrong there? Looks like standard cement slab, tape, and redguard over it (I assume prep for tile). That seems fine to me...

Our house was subject to the "lowest bidder" syndrome from our previous owner. Absolute garbage work for the most part, messy and cheap. For example they had french drains put in around the whole basement except 4 feet where a washer/dryer was...assuming someone didnt want to move it.

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Current stable:
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The insurance company should inspect the house before insuring it, so if they cover it likely that is the end of it in case of a a loss...they'd have to cover it unless the homeowner or contractor deliberately concealed a dangerous deficiency.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

We've never had an insurance company inspect a property before issuing a policy. Probably lucky they didn't.

The contractor is ignoring critical items, such as no beam or collar ties, for a long steep vaulted ceiling. He told the owners that they were not necessary. Also ignoring requests for proper workmanship for showers, electric, subfloor, AC ducts. Keeps saying it's not necessary and he's never done that.

I'm trying to get a certified inspector to visit the property before everything is covered up. Would rather get a ' forensic engineer ' out of Dallas but haven't been able to get the owners to agree to that. They are afraid of delaying the finish date.

This. only one in one hundred in any given profession are competent. The other 99 aren't fit to play with matches.

You have to kiss a lot of frogs to find a prince......

According to David, many home owner insurance companies do not inspect a property prior to issuing a policy.....if you ask me that is just plain stupid!

next contractor I hire, I'm asking for both references AND an in-person inspection of a few of his prior jobs........there is just way too much riding on his/her knowledge and competence.....

I have dealt with countless professionals. Never really had any problem with any of them. I have had long term relations with many of them. I have known the shop manager at MB for over 20 yrs. My roofer has installed about 12 roofs over the years. He is the only person I call for a roof. Electrician for about 5 yrs. Plumber about 6 or so. AC for about 8.

My father and brother have the same experience that you apparently have. Always have issues with any contractor they do business with. My brother has an abrasive personality and always assumes he will get screwed over. The manner in which he interacts with people virtually guarantees that he will piss them off and screw him over.

Something you may want to consider next time you get hosed.
Cost benefit. They are making far more money than they are paying out. Why pay for inspections when the gain will be minimal. Their operating plan works, why fix it?
Good luck with that. You have no idea what is below the surface. I have seen very nice surface work over garbage foundational work. Not many folks will allow strangers in their home so they are certainly unlikely to allow you in. That is assuming you do not piss off the contractor before you even get to that point.

__________________
Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

soon as it warms, I have water damage in subfloor, and joist. I will cut out damage wood, and stab joist, with a built up block to hold it. then mount new toilet a tall one, and fix floor.

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1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran, deutschland deutschland uber alles uber alles in der welt