Gettings tradesmen / builders to stick YOUR the time line?

[jamontoast]

I am wondering if there is anything we can do contractually to get builders/ trades to stick to our timelines? Naturally there are the unexpected and uncontrollable issues however, lets assume that whatever reason provided is 'BS' or i dont want to believe it.

How do we hold them accountable to our timelines? When they shift one day it may affect other trades, then those trades turn around and potentially shift it for another week and so on...

Is it possible to have an 'inconvenience' fee incorporated? After 3 business days after original set date, if works are not completed. We will deduct 10% off the total bill etc etc...

 

[Steve Fitz]

You're asking for something every builder has searched for over decades...

The only inconvenience you'll see will be when your trades tell you to 'inconvenience off' if you threaten to deduct 10%. Then you wont have anyone building your home.

BTW; it's not always within the trademens control as to delays. Sometimes the blame lays squarely with the builder, sometimes the suppliers, sometimes vandalism, sometimes theft, sometimes owners changing their minds...

 

[jamontoast]

Perhaps not so for builders but more so for electricians/ plumbers/ tilers (?).

ie. only thing i can think of is progress payments, and not based on effort either.

If the total days were 2 days effort. then first payment is only 10%. 2nd payment is 90%... this ensures they will definately come back and quick smart.


If it was 50% now and 50% later... gives them more room to twiddle their thumbs and juggle multiple jobs and hence your timeline. (?)

 

[craigb]

There are only a few things that happen that change a completion time in my experience.
bricklayers,plumbers,sparkies, these guys are mostly a one/two man band, if you get a good ( fair priced,honest,hardworking,nill lies) one "you' as a builder will wait for them, they usually don't know how to build there businesses up so they are working there guts out anyway, if you charge them a late fee they WILL till you to f off, so you have no one.

wheather has played a vital role this last year, as the drought has broken and the rain seems to be a bit more constant too. when its wet you just got to stay away from the mud esp during these stages. the unions are sending SMS messages to members saying its x deg you must put tools down by order of union etc. so they young ones on wages doo and go to the pub? dispite whether they work inside or not.

Draw downs seem to work as follows , eg i invoice owner sits on desk 2days and a weekend, it goes to bank mngr, sits on desk goes to clerk sits on desk, faxed to valuer sits on desk, valuer makes appt with builder ie next wednesday, comes and ticks boxes, returns office , passes it to his/her clerk,sits on desk, faxes it to bankclerk of whom passes it to the mngr,sits on desk of who releases the funds through transfer, we wait another three days to clear! OMG its taken two weeks , and ten drawdowns x two weeks = two months of lost time . so who's fault is that. most home owners won't see it as their problem.

 

[Sheryn]

I am wondering if there is anything we can do contractually to get builders/ trades to stick to our timelines?

No

No having said that - if you become a big enough developer and build 25 - 50 houses per year or more then your tradies are more likely going to turn up when you say so & even work on weekends.

If you are a one off project then tradies fit you in between the major suppliers of work.


Regards
Sheryn

 

[chilliblue]

Personally I prefer the job done well on/under price as my main priority.

 

[Dazz]

I am wondering if there is anything we can do contractually to get builders/ trades to stick to our timelines?

One of the biggest attractions of being a tradie is being your own boss, and being on either an equal of higher footing than anyone else on site. This gives them the ability to call the shots and tell anyone who chucks a wobbly at them to get stuffed. Try and impose yourself on them and see how ya go. Always good for a laugh. Your priority / timeline means absolutely nothing to them.

How do we hold them accountable to our timelines?

I would say paying them an outrageously high amount, so high that they will drop everything else, might work in the short term, but they will be wary that your little project is miniscule in their career of appeasing big builders with 50 jobs per year on the go.

You can only hold people accountable when you are the established boss. As the client, they most definitely don't see or recognise you as the boss....and hence you will not be able to hold them accountable.

We aren't talking about some wormy little HR or IT consultant in an office who you can pin to the wall.

 

[Aaron Sice]

stop paying them a daily rate - there's no incentive to finish the job.

job is worth "X". i pay "x" ÷ 2 now, and the remainder upon satisfactory completion on - or before - "y" date. if you build it the way you would live with it, then i'll be happy.

no penalties, no extensions. if you do a crap job, i won't pay you the remainder until it's fixed. just build it right and we'll be fine. here's a few pictures of what i expect.

 

[evand]

You can try this but you wont get any tradie to agree to it. And if one did, they probably wouldnt be worth getting to do the job.

If the total days were 2 days effort. then first payment is only 10%. 2nd payment is 90%... this ensures they will definately come back and quick smart.


(?)

 

[Nathan]

I try and make them work before getting paid, and keep close reins with asking assumptive questions quiet nicely.

Oh so just confirming you will have the Gyprocking done by this friday, just need to organise the tiler.

Nice, polite, and committing them as they know now if they dont the tiler will blast them for being late...

 

[melbmeg]

Gold

We aren't talking about some wormy little HR or IT consultant in an office who you can pin to the wall.

My favourite line so far on Somersoft! (and I have been a wormy little HR consultant)

 

[Amadio]

Yes, there is a way.

In a major remodel (nearly entire house) we paid a bonus for early completion - the earlier it was the bigger the bonus.

It was a very hassle free remodel.

 

[RumpledElf]

I haven't had a problem, but the jobs we've had done have all been quite coincidentally either full day or multiples of full day jobs. Seems to work out to be about $2000 a day for a tradie, give or take. These are not single person jobs - each job has been tradie + 1 or 2 lackeys, maybe a guy with heavy machinery too.

We've never had anyone ask for an upfront deposit either, they've all just sent us a 7 day bill. We must look like good honest customers

 

[sports fan]

prior to signing a contract with builder ask him to provide a bar chart (microsoft project) of the construction program showing expected start/ finish dates and all project milestones, if the builder does not meet the agreed program then liquidated damages apply.. (the rate of ld's depends on size of project)

if you are owner building then ensure you hold decent amounts of money against the trades until their works have been completed and you have inspected and are happy with the work. If you pay them upfront then you have lost all your bargaining power make sure you dont sign their quotes and agree to their terms & conditions send them back a contract or work order