Ask the Architect

Nothing but bad luck

Posted

Q. Maybe we’re going about the addition to our house all wrong. We weren’t happy with the architect we hired; they kept stalling and then showed us drawings for something we didn’t like but eventually accepted so we could get going. Then we got a fast-talking contractor who never delivered. He started by asking for a lot of money, up front, for “material,” which we later found out was about double what it really cost (and he pocketed the rest). The materials sat in our back yard for three months with no work. First there was a death in the family, then flu broke out and a truck broke down. When they finally did work, they were there for three days, then didn’t come back for two weeks, then were gone again for a month. We’re tired of this. What did we do wrong? Does this happen all the time and we just don’t hear about it? We thought we were good judges of character. What can you recommend? We want to replace the contractor, who already didn’t follow the plans, according to the inspector we called for help. The inspector told us it was our responsibility to “make things right.” How can we do that?

A. As your Monday-morning quarterback, I can paint a scenario of all the good things that should have happened, and look like the expert, but the fact is that you may have been a little too optimistic. A little doubt, not an overpowering amount of doubt, is healthy in anything we do in life, and you may have been a little too trusting. I find that, in an interview, someone, including me, who is willing to mention that things go wrong and we have to be prepared to handle them, is a better fit than someone who sells himself by painting that rosy picture of what you want to hear.

When someone tells you he can get a permit in three days, or the plans will be ready in a month, or the job will take three months instead of six, have a little doubt. Very rarely does all that happen, and that’s when the job is small, like finishes such as siding or changing windows. It all depends on the steps that need to be taken in construction. Expect that after excavation, setting forms, then pouring the cement, the job must sit for a week while the foundation cures to enough strength to build on. Wood wall and roof framing goes more quickly, and the materials should be delivered while the foundation is curing, not months before.

You needed advisers in the people you hired, not just salespeople willing to tell you what you want to hear. Caution and explanation, along with willingness to answer questions thoroughly, is what you needed, and still need. You can get back on track with what you’ve learned. Good luck!

© 2016 Monte Leeper. Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.