Concrete Contractors showed up!!!

[Scarpozzi]

I've got a 12 x 12 pad I need poured in front of my house to finish my entryway (connect a porch, french doors, and a driveway). It's been a total eyesore and I learned a long time ago that I'm just not that good at concrete work because I'm only one guy and I almost get tired instantly when I have to move that stuff... I've been trying to get someone to do the work for 2 months now.

The first contractor, I found him via google...he showed up quickly and gave me a high quote $2500. I know what concrete costs...maybe $600 on this job, so I knew what he was charging for labor. The only catch was that he was going to install concrete drains, so I figured that would explain a few hundred dollars of materials and headaches. The problem was he never showed up and didn't answer his phone when I called. Eventually passed me off to some Mexican landscaper that does concrete on the side. He tried to charge another $450 for the job, but wasn't going to do the drains....but he never showed up to do the work.

I went looking for another contractor. This next guy showed up within 30 minutes of me calling him for the quote. He actually said he couldn't quote me on the job until he confirmed the concrete prices and got the quote on the phone right there...over $1000 less than the first quote. He was going to do the job within a week, but missed that deadline and he's been ghosting me for like 2 weeks now....I've only called maybe 3 times, left 2 voicemails, and texted twice....but I got no response. I suppose he's been on jobs and can't respond/reply to everyone....but I was about to start looking again since I first contacted him 3 weeks ago. He finally showed up with his crew today and setup forms. I've still not talked to him because I literally only saw him for a minute when I swung by the house this afternoon.

I'm excited though because I was afraid he was just putting me off and was trying to get out of the job. This has turned out to be a decent week.

 

[RearAdmiral]

lol I've been trying to get new concrete steps put in for like 2 years. It seems some jobs are just impossible to get done for my house. I had a new garage door opener installed in like 4 days from phone call to done a couple months ago. I'm glad you can get your pad done at least.

 

[Scarpozzi]

lol I've been trying to get new concrete steps put in for like 2 years. It seems some jobs are just impossible to get done for my house. I had a new garage door opener installed in like 4 days from phone call to done a couple months ago. I'm glad you can get your pad done at least.

They still haven't done the work yet to my knowledge (I'm back in the office for the first time in over 14 months today), but the forms are up and they just have to show up to do it. Shouldn't be more than an hour of work. The contractor told me he'd be working it in between other jobs. I was just afraid it wouldn't get done.

 

[Greenman]

lol I've been trying to get new concrete steps put in for like 2 years. It seems some jobs are just impossible to get done for my house. I had a new garage door opener installed in like 4 days from phone call to done a couple months ago. I'm glad you can get your pad done at least.

Small job, not much money in it. No one is interested in those anymore.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Small job, not much money in it. No one is interested in those anymore.

It's awful for the homeowners though. Concrete work is like icing a cake. There's an absolute difference in the jobs done by guys that really know what they're doing vs the general laborers that might accept the job. I hired a guy years back that had a bobcat, a mini excavator and dump truck. What he didn't have was someone to drive the dump truck and his pickup hauling the bobcat and excavator....so I met him at his house to drive his truck/trailer back to my place.

It turned out that he had poured a similar concrete patio at his house and it was both uneven, gravel was exposed on the top layer, and he broomed it slightly uneven too..... probably the worst job I've ever seen. He told me he was embarrassed about it....heh. He was great with grading, using a transit and the equipment, however.

 

[Greenman]

It's awful for the homeowners though. Concrete work is like icing a cake. There's an absolute difference in the jobs done by guys that really know what they're doing vs the general laborers that might accept the job. I hired a guy years back that had a bobcat, a mini excavator and dump truck. What he didn't have was someone to drive the dump truck and his pickup hauling the bobcat and excavator....so I met him at his house to drive his truck/trailer back to my place.

It turned out that he had poured a similar concrete patio at his house and it was both uneven, gravel was exposed on the top layer, and he broomed it slightly uneven too..... probably the worst job I've ever seen. He told me he was embarrassed about it....heh. He was great with grading, using a transit and the equipment, however.

I hear you. I'm an ok concrete finisher on a good day, but I need a lot of set up. I have a couple concrete subs that are phenomenal. One project a couple years back this guy did a 650 square foot slab for me that was as close to perfect as I've ever seen. He also beat the high bid by $43k. I almost kissed him.

 

[jmagg]

It's awful for the homeowners though. Concrete work is like icing a cake. There's an absolute difference in the jobs done by guys that really know what they're doing vs the general laborers that might accept the job. I hired a guy years back that had a bobcat, a mini excavator and dump truck. What he didn't have was someone to drive the dump truck and his pickup hauling the bobcat and excavator....so I met him at his house to drive his truck/trailer back to my place.

It turned out that he had poured a similar concrete patio at his house and it was both uneven, gravel was exposed on the top layer, and he broomed it slightly uneven too..... probably the worst job I've ever seen. He told me he was embarrassed about it....heh. He was great with grading, using a transit and the equipment, however.

This is why no respectable slab can be finished in an hour (maybe an open pour in hot dry conditions) . Concrete is the boss. It tells you when to finish it.

 

[Wreckem]

For small jobs you gotta get on the list with bigger jobs. I had 96sqft poured but the company was doing two other bigger jobs. It was $900.

Ive got about 600sqft of patio, stairs, and pool decking to be poured sometime. It’s all salt finished. Who knows when it will actually get done. I’m on week 19 of my pool build. Waiting on them to do my arbor. Was supposed to be done three weeks ago, then the following week.

 

[Scarpozzi]

For small jobs you gotta get on the list with bigger jobs. I had 96sqft poured but the company was doing two other bigger jobs. It was $900.

Ive got about 600sqft of patio, stairs, and pool decking to be poured sometime. It’s all salt finished. Who knows when it will actually get done. I’m on week 19 of my pool build. Waiting on them to do my arbor. Was supposed to be done three weeks ago, then the following week.

A good friend of mine is supposed to get her pool liner installed today on her new pool. Unfortunately, the concrete still hasn't been poured. I heard someone say that the local concrete company was 3 weeks out from having an appointment time for early morning. I'm concerned because I don't want the concrete truck on my asphalt driveway if the temp's above 70 degrees. I guess we'll see how this plays out and if I have to pay $5k more to get my driveway fixed, I'll go ahead and have it widened a little more and call it a wash.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I got home from work yesterday and had to drive to my niece's graduation...turns out the guys showed up to pour and finish the slab without notifying me. I guess they're so busy between jobs they just roll with it. I'm fine with that as long as I know to expect that kind of communication and that I'm on the list! It looks pretty good and it's far more level/perfect than I could have done where they were working.

They just have to come back when they pull the forms and it'll be a done deal. My wife's pretty happy that we're finally fixing up that part of the house. I'm thinking I may need to have this guy come to another house I own and go ahead and line up a quote. He's honest and legit....thus he's busy.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I called the contractor yesterday and he swung by my house after work. I pulled out a ziplock back full of cash to pay him and he said, "Ohh....paying cash? We'll knock another $200 off the price then...."

Has that ever happened in the history of contractors?

 

[K1052]

I called the contractor yesterday and he swung by my house after work. I pulled out a ziplock back full of cash to pay him and he said, "Ohh....paying cash? We'll knock another $200 off the price then...."

Has that ever happened in the history of contractors?

I've been offered cash discounts when it's time to settle up.

 

[Greenman]

I called the contractor yesterday and he swung by my house after work. I pulled out a ziplock back full of cash to pay him and he said, "Ohh....paying cash? We'll knock another $200 off the price then...."

Has that ever happened in the history of contractors?

It's common.

 

[Scarpozzi]

It's common.

Would it be different if I paid with a check?

 

[Greenman]

Would it be different if I paid with a check?

Yes. A check has to be deposited in the bank, so there is a record of the deposit. Cash goes in the pocket, there are no records or paper trail that can be followed.
You've just become a member of the underground economy.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Yes. A check has to be deposited in the bank, so there is a record of the deposit. Cash goes in the pocket, there are no records or paper trail that can be followed.
You've just become a member of the underground economy.

Yay!