# jobs gone bad



## pappagor (Jan 29, 2008)

i was thinking that someone would have started one by now.
were do i start had a new home burn to the ground just as the last drop of paint was drying lighting strike.had a hyd cly brake on a lull sent a pallet of shingles through a roof 3 rafters had to be redone along with the sheet rock try telling the owner the reroof went bad. 
the guy upstairs know the way it is.:thumbup:


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## tedanderson (May 19, 2010)

I had a job that went really bad many years ago. My dad and I were doing a rehab on a row house. With all of the incentives and subsidies that we got from the local gov't under some sort of new homeowner program, we cleared $18,000 in 3 weeks.. which was really good money for a 20-year old and a 40-year old in the early 90's.

After we painted, plastered, layed new carpet and tile, I swapped out the toilet on the 3rd level and used a diswasher drain sleeve to hook up the supply valve. The next morning there was water covering every level and it was running out of the basement door. :sad: We were crying all the way back to the bank. 

We hired a plumber to fix the toilet and then we were going to take care of the flood damage until the owner decided to file a lawsuit. Eventually were forced to file a claim on our insurance and we even got reimbursed for what we paid the plumber. So it was a good job that went bad but we still got paid so I guess it wasn't all bad.


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## Driftweed (Nov 7, 2012)

I vote we keep it recent. 2014 saw 2 big Oops is for me:

1: The refrigerator job. Went to repaint a white fridge , & all countertop high gloss black. Masked like you wouldn't believe. Sprayed. When I went to remove plastic, I found out the tape didn't seal. Fine, black over spray everywhere. Cleaned it up off the crystal chandelier, tables, floors, etc... and even offered to repaint the room even though we got the walls cleaned. Customer sued for $15,000 and lost. Turns out she tried to make an insurance claim and it failed.

2: A no blow n go! Instructed by client they were replacing carpet in a unit. We triple checked before painting. Sprayed the he'll out of the place. Then 3 days later they denied it. Luckily I had texts. We split the cleaning bill ONLY because I do $50k/yr work for them.


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## Robie (Feb 25, 2005)

Job gone bad...with redemption.
Repaired frozen pipes in a place last year...drywall, paint, etc, etc...
Completely didn't even think about the jacuzzi tub pump freezing.
Client uses it 2 weeks after I'm done and the pump leaks, ruining all the drywall work I've done. Felt as stupid as I've ever felt...got everything repaired again (on me of course) and life is good.

Go back last week to let the guy in to check on something with his new pump he installed. I introduce myself and tell him I'm the reason he is here...frozen pump I didn't think about..

He tells me..."that pump didn't freeze; the seal where the impeller meets the motor was worn out...that's why it leaked"

I felt much better.


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

Time to write him up that invoice then :thumbsup:


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## mako1 (Sep 1, 2013)

Built a 5.5' wide bookcase for the end of a hall in a very nice historical Victorian house.Second floor up winders.Custom color topcoated with cat lacquer.Husband is a lawyer and wife the county clerk.The hall had original 10" crown and 8" base.
The woman had her nose up my but all the way up the stairs with it freaking out that we may damage the walls.After we got it up the stairs and set it in the hall we tented off the work area and started pulling the molding from the end of the hall.She stared going nuts telling us this was not acceptable because she was allergic to dust.There was a dining room under use with a huge chandelier and she thought it would fall off the ceiling for sure.I had not even stared cutting any of the old trim yet.
We carried the bookcase back down to the truck,Cleaned up the tenting .Replaced the molding I had taken off.Refilled the nail holes and touched up the paint.
I then wrote her a check for her deposit and we were gone.The bookcase resides in my office .
Only bad thing was that I did a lot of work for her husbands sizable law office which has not called me since.
Moral of the story: The hole between the legs always wins.
That's a tech term for those that thought they were offended.


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## Robie (Feb 25, 2005)

Leo G said:


> Time to write him up that invoice then :thumbsup:


Funny, that's what the customer said too.


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## 66 Shelby (Jan 11, 2009)

Did a kitchen reno and forgot to hook up the ice-maker. No biggie - Slide out the fridge and hook it up. Well, the floor was hardwood and I forgot to lay something down, so I scratched the floor. It was prefinished, so I replaced a few boards and done. Oops, I forgot to plug it back in. Slid it back out and forgot AGAIN to protect the floor . Meanwhile, the complete A-Hole of a HO is sitting there, watching me, going on and on about how "My wife MUST have ice in her drink when she gets home and you need to hurry up!". That was the closest I've ever come to kicking a homeowners ass. Friday at 7pm with an A-Hole bitching at me make for an angry man.



mako1 said:


> Moral of the story: The hole between the legs always wins.


Not always. Usually only 99.997% of the time :laughing:


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## illbuildit.dd (Jan 7, 2015)

This would make a great tv show where jobs are running around taking their shirts off and partying.


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## NYgutterguy (Mar 3, 2014)

I did a job for this guy when i first started. The old man was so excited to have someone to talk to and i guess occupy some time from his i guess usual boring day...

He set up a lounge chair in the backyard and was watching myself and a helper work ripping down his old chitty gutters... I look down at him after about 25 min and his head was resting on his shoulders and his lips were purple..I run down the ladder and over to him and check to see if he was breathing and he was not..

I ran to the door and yelled to call 911 cause were no cell phones really yet and the local cop came few minutes later and they needed help moving this heavy set guy onto the ground so they could start cpr before the ambulance got there. So me and my helper and the one cop had to muscle this dead body out of the chair and onto the ground and help for a few minutes till ems arrived.

I was young and freaked out and told his wife and the rest of the family members that soon arrived that i was going to leave and come back another day...The son pulled me aside and begged me to please stay and finish the job. I told him id rather not but he wouldnt take no for an answer. The wife then came out and insisted as well. The next 2 hours were the most uncomfortable hours of my life.. In between all the hammering i could hear his family hysterical as i was walking on the roof above.. Ive never moved that fast to finish a job since.


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## mako1 (Sep 1, 2013)

Winner!!!!!!!!!!


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## blacktop (Oct 28, 2012)

NYgutterguy said:


> I did a job for this guy when i first started. The old man was so excited to have someone to talk to and i guess occupy some time from his i guess usual boring day...
> 
> He set up a lounge chair in the backyard and was watching myself and a helper work ripping down his old chitty gutters... I look down at him after about 25 min and his head was resting on his shoulders and his lips were purple..I run down the ladder and over to him and check to see if he was breathing and he was not..
> 
> ...


That's messed up.


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## builditguy (Nov 10, 2013)

I've had plenty of jobs that didn't go well as far as finances are concerned and a few that could have gone better.

Here's another type that went bad.

Guy called and need a new double front door replaced. He picked out a door and asked to re-use his existing storm doors, as they were fairly new. Ok. No problem. He agreed to the price.

I replace the doors and re-hang the storm doors. Everything went great. Before he pays, he walks over and looks at the storm doors. He said, "They don't seal too good at the top." I agreed and pointed out they were like that before I started. He started screaming , "I know. That's why I needed new doors." I calmly told him he never mentioned it to me and I would be glad to work on the storm door. I think I could have fixed it pretty easy. He gave me a check and continued screaming at me until I drove away.

Next day his brother and lawyer nephew showed up while I was coaching little league. I thought, "This can't be good." They came over and wanted some work done. I told them about the brother. Turns out they don't speak to each other. He only said, "He hasn't been right since he got back from Vietnam. I'm sorry you had to deal with him."

This job went good for me. Except for the end, but it went bad for the customer. Mis-communication.


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## jlsconstruction (Apr 26, 2011)

I try to forget about the bad ones.


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## Alldayrj (Oct 9, 2014)

Lock the thread. Gutterguy wins


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## schaefercs (Jul 10, 2008)

This past November, we did a 3-layer tearoff - the only reason I took the job was because it was a favor for my friends grandfather. 

He was one of those who had to watch, walk around, ask questions. While tearing off he would walk through the debris looking for god knows what until I saw him doing it and asked him to stay away because he's interfering with the cleanup and he could step on a nail. 

So he stays back a few more feet but still won't stay inside no matter how I ask him. Finally I reach out to my friend, he makes a phone call and inside grandpa goes.

A day or two passes and we are tearing off another section. I had 2 guys tearing off and the ground guy was having a hard time keeping up, so I head down to help with the cleanup. One trip to the dumpster, I happen to look up and see grandpa up on the roof!!!!

I went back to clean up a little bit more and to cool down knowing I was on the verge of throwing him off the roof. A few minutes pass and I head up there. "You can't be up here" he laughs. So I tell the guys get off the roof, when the last guy is off lets get the ladder off until someone can tell grandpa to get the F off the roof and back in the house. He caught on quick and got down before the last guy. 

The next day he gets into an argument with his wife, goes for a walk, and can't be found. Cops come, missing persons reports, taking statements, the whole 9 yards. Cops find him 25 miles away next to the airport watching planes take off and land. 

Between grandpa running away, the little roof incident, and having to be careful with the tearoff, I think we lost 3+ days on a job which should have been a 5 day job.


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## avenge (Sep 25, 2008)

Never really had the work portion of a job go bad but I have plenty of other stories, most of them involve nude women. I was working on a job, husband calls me and ask if his wife is home. I said her purse is here, her car is in the garage. He says will you see if she's upstairs, I said let me call you back. I go upstairs and find her nude and passed out from drinking on the floor. I wake her up she's still obviously still drunk. She mumbles till she leaves.

Later that night I get a text from her husband "Might be a good idea not to come tomorrow" Turns out she got a flat tire and a DUI. 

She had just graduated from college and was supposed to start an excellent job that day. A day or 2 passed I went back, soon as I get there she opens her blouse and asks if I know anything about a bruise on her chest.

She has a drinking problem and was a lonely housewife. They started seeing a marriage counselor, about a year later she calls and ask if I put a deadbolt on the door to the lower level, I said no. She calls me back and ask if I can help her out she destroyed the door trying to get it open wondering why her husband put a lock on it. He'll be home in about an hour can you patch and paint it before he comes? I told there's no way I can do it.

The next time I was there I was replacing that door and they were getting a divorce. The husband was going to tell her he wanted a divorce but instead he put a lock on the door first because he's a musician and all of his recording and instruments were down there and he was afraid she would destroy them. He ended up asking for a divorce on the way to the marriage counselor.

While I was there she puts her arm around me and starts crying over some bookcases I built her. She said I can't believe he had me spend 7 grand when he knew he was going to ask for a divorce. I love those bookcases and now I have to leave them. I said no you don't I can take them out. I've moved those bookcases to 3 different homes and ended up building him some to replace them. I still work for them both just in separate homes.


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## blacktop (Oct 28, 2012)

I was working on an addition for a sheriffs deputy a few years ago . I noticed he was cutting firewood . He kept coming and going He'd leave for an hour or so then return bringing firewood to the basement walkout and unloading it..My guess was he wasn't cutting off his land. About the third day there His MIL Storms in and yells at me that Mike just called and says he cut his leg off. She ordered me to to go out in the woods behind the house to look for Mike ! I Told the lady ..He's not cutting wood on the property .. But she insisted he was. So I start walking through the woods looking for a cop with a severed leg .. After about 30 minutes of yelling out to Mike I knew he wasn't there. I walked back to the house to tell the frantic MIL That I'm sure Your son-n-law is Cutting firewood elsewhere ...About that time Mike comes down the drive . Turns out he didn't cut his leg off.. He cut his big toe half way off . Did a pretty good job at It too . Cut the tendon . Next thing I know every Sheriff's deputy in that County showed up .. Even tho I had done nothing wrong at that point of the day Seeing that many Cops in one spot kinda gives me the hebbie jebbies !! So I just slunked away to the work at hand ..


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## B.D.R. (May 22, 2007)

About ten years ago, I met with a very nice woman, to discuss the replacement of a rotted post supporting a second floor deck.
I had originally met her while working on a large project across the road from her house. 
I told her I would get to it just as soon as I could. 
No problem, she is just happy that I will do it. 
About three weeks later, I show up with the post, concrete and a saddle. 
Husband answers the door,I tell him why I am there, and he seems surprised. 
I get to work and he just hangs back and watches from a distance. 
I think that it is a little odd that she hasn't come out to say hello, as that is the type of friendly person she is. 
I finish the job and tell him I will be back the next day with the invoice. 
The next day I show up and he lets me in, and cuts me a cheque. 
I'm still thinking it is odd that she hasn't said hello to me. 
The next day, (two days before Christmas ), I get a call from the neighbour that the cops are there. 
He had walked to the local pub, phoned the police, admitted that he had killed his wife, then walked into the nearby woods and hung himself. 
She was dead in garage when I was working on the place. 
Kind of screwed up my head for Christmas. 
At least the cheque didn't bounce.


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## overanalyze (Dec 28, 2010)

B.D.R. said:


> About ten years ago, I met with a very nice woman, to discuss the replacement of a rotted post supporting a second floor deck.
> I had originally met her while working on a large project across the road from her house.
> I told her I would get to it just as soon as I could.
> No problem, she is just happy that I will do it.
> ...


Holy crap!! That is messed up!


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## jproffer (Feb 19, 2005)

Alan M said:


> not my bad day but funny.
> I went to a small job last year. I started to walk up the path to the open front door . about half way up the path I see a plumber running down the stairs. he must have only taken 3 steps to go down the whole stairs. after his was a huge Doberman. the plumber jumped the small wall and onto the roof of their transit van . the dog was going mental .
> I went in to call the owner. I found him upstairs with the second plumber in hysterics laughing at the first plumber. they spent the next 15minutes waving and laughing at the plumber on the roof through the upstairs window . he was still there when I left. poor man


"Yessir I DO realize your toilet's sitting in the middle of your hallway, and I don't really give 2 chits, no pun intended. 

You'll be getting a bill, along with an intent to lien notice, since I assume you wont be paying it. Guess I got the last laugh  "


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## Alan M (Jan 18, 2015)

jproffer said:


> "Yessir I DO realize your toilet's sitting in the middle of your hallway, and I don't really give 2 chits, no pun intended.
> 
> You'll be getting a bill, along with an intent to lien notice, since I assume you wont be paying it. Guess I got the last laugh  "


I have a feeling there was more to the story than I know of . I think the second plumber let out the dog on purpose.


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## jproffer (Feb 19, 2005)

Alan M said:


> I have a feeling there was more to the story than I know of . I think the second plumber let out the dog on purpose.


There's always more to the story


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## andy.ahrens.7 (Feb 19, 2015)

JackP23 said:


> Speaking of Dogs.....a few years back I showed up at home to do a small one day job....it was my first day back on the job after time off due to a very severe sciatic nerve attack.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



That's too much... I recently had a chance to get to nashville for a bachelor party. Let's just say it was a foggy weekend. I'd go back anytime.


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## B.D.R. (May 22, 2007)

On a lighter note, after I gave you guy's the garage story, for which I am sorry.
We were doing an ensuite remodel job that included the master bedroom,
When we were moving the bed out, there were neck ties tied to all four corners of the bed.
We all laughed, the homeowner, who was a bit of a looker, was extremely embarassed. :laughing::thumbup::thumbsup:


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## darthdude (Dec 30, 2012)

andy.ahrens.7 said:


> That's too much... I recently had a chance to get to nashville for a bachelor party. Let's just say it was a foggy weekend. I'd go back anytime.


Going off topic, but I have some very good friends who live in Nashville, I've visited 3 times over the last 5 years. That is one hell of a fun town! I too would go back anytime. My friends just bought a new house, I should go visit and tell them what to do with it:laughing:.


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## TaylorMadeAB (Nov 11, 2014)

B.D.R. said:


> On a lighter note, after I gave you guy's the garage story, for which I am sorry.
> 
> We were doing an ensuite remodel job that included the master bedroom,
> 
> ...



That's hilarious!
I've spotted a few "toys" laying on bedside tables. We moved a bed on one job and found a legit pirates treasure chest with a big ole padlock on it. The curiosity was extreme .


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## 66 Shelby (Jan 11, 2009)

tedanderson said:


> Did he think that a full bucket of ice would appear instantaneously by the time you walked out the door? Even when you hook up an ice maker for the first time you have to throw out the first batch just to flush out the residual dust from the factory.


I bought the A-Hole a bag of ice and he complained that it wasn't the perfect little cubes like the old icemaker made. HEY DUMBFVCK - The biggest reason we did the kitchen reno is because the old icemaker kept leaking! If I would have just been an employee, I would have punched him in the face and kicked him in the nuts.


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