# on the job cont. ed



## stillaround (Mar 11, 2009)

Oh yeah.....havent done commercial for a while so bite off something new...
1. 4 or 5 different prints
2. pre poured concrete under the dirt from a previous plan..surprise
3. the general, the developer, the architect, the tenant and the inspectors arent all on the same page..whooda thunk
4. above ceiling is a plenum so wrap those 6 an d 8" roof drain runs
5. can wash at the dumpster pad says go to grease trap, inspector says no open drains outside going to sanitary...does he want restaurant garbage can washout in the storm???
6. oh yes, somewhere on one of those plans buried in the civil or site plan is a little black square that shows there was an area drain tied into the 8" storm that has to be brought up to grade now that its been cut off underground to accomodate the roof drains...


No, dont think I bid enough.....enjoy those $100 flapper calls friends:blink:


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## SSP (Dec 14, 2013)

I feel ya brotha! as i often find myself in the same boat, the contractor, architect, & engineer have never stepped on site, and base their prices off incomplete/inaccurate prints and the tenants provision of information ... which is usually skewed to suit their budget. 

I recently was begged by a regular reno contractor to price a job i had no time for, and he said its just a new sink and faucet, here is the specs for sink and faucet. I emailed back "sink and faucet are very expensive around $1000 i could probably do two trips rough-in and finish at a total of $2000 even, does that sound fair? "
The next message he sent was a picture of my email which was stamped PO POSTED as a reply.. making it official...

My phone was ringing off the hook days later by the site-super begging me to hurry and core holes for plumbing... i was so confused but as it Turns out, this job was the second floor of a brand new medical center ... i had to get access through a doctors office on main floor who was always booked with clients so had to be after-hours to do the unexpected drainage tie in, 25' of 2" XFR PVC i had to tie into cast iron... (notice the 25' .. had to buy 3 f^%$^$ lengths to cut a foot off one LOL) and then i had to run 60' of unexpected 1/2" L water-lines plus a recirc line... new construction requires fiberglass insulation, fire ratings and permits.. none of which was allowed for and now i'm really wishing this contractor would of applied some lube first...

But y'know what they say education ain't cheap! If they don't let me squeeze some extras in by end of job, then my rate goes up X% on all future work until i am compensated by them... 

Keep calm an plumb on


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

Mr. GC,

Critical information on the scope of this project was withheld. Attached is a written change order that takes into account the scope of work as well as job site circumstances that you were obviously aware of when you requested my proposal. We will resume work on your project after the change order has been agreed to and signed.

Sincerely,
N.M.F.R. Plumbing LLC
(not my first rodeo)


** CRITICAL: Do not deliver this via email. Put it on paper with the change order on paper stapled to it, both signed with real ink. Hand deliver or via mail with delivery confirmation.

Act like a real business and quit walking around holding your ankles for the GT (General Tic, not Contractor).


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## Flyout95 (Apr 13, 2012)

Having done only commercial construction for my entire career I can say this...


By the first week, we're behind on hours, after the first month we're out of hours. After 3 month the owner is talking about taking loans to make payroll cause we lost our asses... When the job is done, he buys another beach house. And says he didn't make his 20% only 18% and that it can't happen again.


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## stillaround (Mar 11, 2009)

Hehe...I got 3 change orders, contract requires written c.o.'s, and the talk now is I have more changes than anyone on the job...whats the matter with me...so I sent and e-mail that said the frequency of my changes is offset by the low prices of each one.....the add 2 roof drains I lost on but my initial price was ok, the add sink, toilet floor drain was ok, the wrap the 60 ft of roof drain piping was ok at thinking 7/ft cost of insul, went fiberglass for 2.95/ft but paid over 100 a piece for the fire collars...so the price was ok but not because I knew what I was doing...I had to put it on myself because my son was too short on the lift now that the a/c duct is in....

the gc joint ventures with the developer, who is not the mall developer....got to please a lot of people ...this is no way to re introduce myself to commercial

As far as the guy who buys his beach house after complaining the whole time...thats how I used to roll...without the beach house though:laughing:


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## stillaround (Mar 11, 2009)

As far as blanket change orders....the area drain is on a plan .....remote and obscure but they are covered.....as well as the above ceiling plenum...basically they were being nice to give me that one......

how many times does a person run into that ...I didnt know they would need to be wrapped ...

even though there are changes, if one of the four plans has it on it , the burden shifts to me, legally...so much for tough guy posturing...

and not to whine:laughing:too much, those stinkin site and civil plans for a mall like Town Center Jacksonville, is done by by guys who live in another world...imagine an 11 page thread post on boring useless details about religion and you can get a feel for how I get when looking at those things


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

Flyout95 said:


> Having done only commercial construction for my entire career I can say this... By the first week, we're behind on hours, after the first month we're out of hours. After 3 month the owner is talking about taking loans to make payroll cause we lost our asses... When the job is done, he buys another beach house. And says he didn't make his 20% only 18% and that it can't happen again.


How do you think the work would have progressed if he said it was ahead of schedule and making a respectable profit all along?


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## Cajunhiker (Dec 14, 2009)

Flyout95 said:


> Having done only commercial construction for my entire career I can say this... By the first week, we're behind on hours, after the first month we're out of hours. After 3 month the owner is talking about taking loans to make payroll cause we lost our asses... When the job is done, he buys another beach house. And says he didn't make his 20% only 18% and that it can't happen again.


I laugh because this is true!!


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

stillaround said:


> but paid over 100 a piece for the fire collars...












I had to buy fire collars once for a re-model. They were about $ 12 each. $ 100 sounds very high in my opinion.


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## SSP (Dec 14, 2013)

An old saying comes to mind some Indian once told me.. he was pretty drunk but something along the lines of

"the fed wolf has no need to chase the rabbit" 

Sounds like you'e boss was eyeing up that beach house alllll along LOL


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## stillaround (Mar 11, 2009)

Tommy plumber said:


> I had to buy fire collars once for a re-model. They were about $ 12 each. $ 100 sounds very high in my opinion.


 3m ultra ppd 6" up to 3hr...if you see it substantially less , let me know...this was fergy Jax on Philips hwy


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## Flyout95 (Apr 13, 2012)

SSP said:


> An old saying comes to mind some Indian once told me.. he was pretty drunk but something along the lines of "the fed wolf has no need to chase the rabbit" Sounds like you'e boss was eyeing up that beach house alllll along LOL



He wasn't a bad guy, but he did tell us on the first day of a job we were behind on hours.


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## JWBII (Dec 23, 2012)

plbgbiz said:


> How do you think the work would have progressed if he said it was ahead of schedule and making a respectable profit all along?


It's a typical tactic and understandable. I just hope he understands when people don't trust him cause he's a liar. If he will lie about one thing then he will lie about other things.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

JWBII said:


> It's a typical tactic and understandable. I just hope he understands when people don't trust him cause he's a liar. If he will lie about one thing then he will lie about other things.


Agreed. Kinda like when the guys lie to him about how long it took to hang that one hanger. 

At least they are all on the same page.


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## JWBII (Dec 23, 2012)

Absolutely and I agree on that.

A liar is a liar. It's unfortunate that one allows the fact that others do it govern his own integrity.


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## Rando (Dec 31, 2012)

Reading threads like this makes me appreciate the hell out of the company I work for... Thanks :thumbsup:


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