# A man's word means nothing..



## skyhook (Mar 17, 2007)

kevjob said:


> I pay all my subs in full on the day they start or split it with rough/finish if they want. I get deposits, progress payments etc... All my guys have been with me for years now. Site is ALWAYS ready for them.
> 
> I hear all these crazy stories about the excuses and chasing money down. I have no idea how some of these GC's stay in business.


Certainly not by giving money away.


----------



## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

skyhook said:


> Certainly not by giving money away.


Personally, I have never paid anyone upfront except materials :thumbsup:


----------



## renov8r (Feb 16, 2013)

A man's word isn't much now a days, just like a hand shake is nothing but a hand shake. I've learned the hard way not to buy materials out of pocket money, always take a deposit. Add X% to your material deposit for yourself. In case you end up in this predicament leave the materials and you've made something for yourself. 

People like this are shaddy characters and should be avoided as much as possible and it's not just the contractors its also customers who do this type of thing too. Never ever trust anyone when money is in play. 

I'm really sorry to hear you ended up in this predicament dude, its horrible. It's not right what he did. He's probably messed up on the price and that's why he is trying to get low price for work done. He's probably cutting it close to breaking even if he spend X more amount of dollars on labor and materials. I know first hand of this because I've had my fair share or projects where this has happened. Last time it happened was before christmas. Priced out a job to paint a house, replace two exterior lights, replace two exhaust fans, replace eaves, and do a backsplash. This job was for a friend who I grew up with and her dad intimidates me, so when I went to see the house to paint and the backsplash he caught me off guard for the other stuff, and well I messed up by about 300 dollars. That was making and breaking me from making the right amount of money vs losing out money from the job plus it took me a week extra to do because I couldn't hire anyone for a day or two. I got lucky I got a really good break on the eaves and the eaves brackets so it made up for a few lost bucks plus my dad (eventhough we were really rocky at that time) came and helped me out a couple of days for a couple of hours.


----------



## Al Taper (Jul 10, 2007)

I most times pay subs what they want. Depending. 
My rocker is higher then most.
He will measure the job. Give me the brake down and his price. Show up when he says. And get it done. Great job, broom clean and scrapped out. No drama. And when the client asks for a card he say" Talk to Al" 
And the best he say " PAY ME WHEN YOU GET YOUR CHECK" :thumbup:
That's the Best..

No, Calls where is my money, And they are not even done yet..:whistling


----------



## kevjob (Aug 14, 2006)

skyhook said:


> Certainly not by giving money away.


I am not sure if that is directed at me but the reason I pay my subs when they start is they have shown me be trustworthy over the last 7 years.


----------



## skyhook (Mar 17, 2007)

kevjob said:


> I have no idea how some of these GC's stay in business.





skyhook said:


> Certainly not by giving money away.





kevjob said:


> I am not sure if that is directed at me but the reason I pay my subs when they start is they have shown me be trustworthy over the last 7 years.


 Staying in business to me means controlling and disbursing funds at the proper time to limit the risk factor. 
Off hand I can only think of $11,000 (+/-) lost to subs who absconded or filed BK.
By contrast, accounts receivable but uncollected amount to hundreds of thousands.


----------



## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

Al Taper said:


> I have been talking with a GC who been working on a fire damage house in the next town. I been talk to him about the job since Jan 2013. Last month April, I gave him my Drywall price. Hang and Finish.
> He gets back to me and says I am the middle number. But he was hoping to get lower numbers. Since the price he was getting was $ 2000 less then my #. But he liked me and the way I do business.
> Well I get the material ready to sent to site. I call out to him to meet up with him to sign contract and get deposit. No where to be found. Day before job starts he texts me and say he is waiting for a new price.
> Then I get a call from a drywall sub (Friend). Who saw a job on craigslist. It was the job I had. The GC posted it a day after he gave it to me. He never called me, sent me a text.
> ...



Never assume anything until you know 100%. If people don't return my call they go to the end of the line.


----------



## Rbnsb5 (May 5, 2013)

Jaws said:


> Off subject, but I dont think I could be a sub contractor, here atleast. A few scum bags, so many cheap azzes who want to keep all the jack and not pay a man to run a proper business, and make a profit for quality work.
> 
> I have done sub work for the unquestionable #1 custom guy in the market. He paid well, but when the down turn happened he hired a crew for his framing and finish in house, as I do.
> 
> ...


Where do you live? There aren't many GC's like you in my area.


----------



## jhark123 (Aug 26, 2008)

skyhook said:


> You just haven't been _stung_ bad enough yet.


Yep, just wait until one of your subs doesn't complete and you are out 2k


----------



## KennMacMoragh (Sep 16, 2008)

Al Taper said:


> I booked the material to be sent. We had a load date for material. And I couldn't reach him for 4 days then the day before he drops the bomb. After I Left him a few VMs about the job.


I still don't understand your process of presenting proposals. Or what you even mean by "A man's word means nothing". You gave him a price, his response was "You're $2,000 too high" and he doesn't sign the contract. Yet you kept wasting your own time through emails, phone calls, and even booked the material? 

If someone tells me I'm $2,000 too high, and they think they know more about how I should run my business than I do. Then I figure I've wasted enough time with them and move on.


----------

