Ask the Builder: Job specifications can save you thousands of dollars

I’ve got two different stories to share with you this week. Are you a homeowner that hires contractors of all types to do work? If so, the first one will resonate with you.

Are you a contractor that’s tired of the rat race of bids that never turn into jobs, and do you hate to chase after money for work you performed? You’ll not want to pass over the second story.

You may like to do crossword puzzles or word games to keep your brain active. I keep my tiny gray cells in tip-top shape by drawing plumbing riser diagrams as well as complex natural gas and propane isometric drawings. I’ve been a master plumber for over four decades. Homeowners, architects and plumbers hire me each week to do these drawings.

Last week a middle-aged woman hired me to do her drain, waste and vent riser diagram, a water-line drawing to ensure all fixtures would get plenty of water, and her natural gas riser diagram. Her local building department requires these to obtain a building permit. Even if the drawings are not required, it’s a good idea to have them done.

I included notes with each drawing when I sent them to her via email. She was very polite and often responded with a few questions. I uncovered a potential problem in her specifications with respect to her water heater. I felt it was too small and suggested she consider installing a tankless heater in her new home.

This nice woman asked me if I’d be kind enough to review a bid she received from a plumber to do the work in her new home. I obliged and was stunned when I studied it. The quote only covered the plumbing drain pipes and water lines that would be under the slab of the house.

It’s important for you to realize this is just a two-bath house with a small half-bath. The plumber’s quote was for $38,000. I almost fell out of my chair. I did a very fast estimate of materials. I felt all the pipes and fittings could be purchased for $2,500. Three thousand dollars of washed gravel would be needed to fill around the pipes. I then estimated it would take two experienced plumbers about four days, at most, to do the work.

Do the math yourself and you’ll see that something is amiss. I emailed the woman and suggested that I create a set of specifications for the plumbing job. The specifications would require the plumbers to break down their bids into labor and materials. They would also have to list the hourly rate a worker is paid in case a change order is requested.

Creating specifications is not that hard for many jobs. You can do it yourself by getting your inspiration from the installation instructions for the products you want installed in your home. Try it. Pick out a specific window, and then go read the installation instructions. You’ll see that all the important steps required to ensure that the window will perform well are in the instructions. Don’t assume any contractor is going to always do what’s right. Your contract needs to simply say that the job is going to be done according to the specifications used to bid the work.

I had a conversation with my good friend Wayne the day after my email exchange with the woman. He’s a retired chiropractor. Wayne shared a short story about one of his patients who came in years ago crying. He thought she was in terrible pain, but the tears had to do with her getting ripped off by a contractor.

This woman was very wealthy. More often than not, contractors took advantage of her by overcharging her. She needed a simple screened-in porch built for an upcoming party in just two months. This woman trusted the contractor she hired and gave him a large sum of money up front to purchase materials. You should never ever do this. The only time a deposit like this is required is if it’s for custom materials that can’t be returned.

Calls to the contractor were not being answered. She was in tears because she thought the porch would never get done in time for the party. Wayne had another patient who was a carpenter. The carpenter’s schedule had a big opening in it and he could use the work.

Wayne told the carpenter to build the porch but not take advantage of the woman, as he would find out. The carpenter got the job, completed it in two weeks, and the woman was happy as a clam.

But it didn’t end there. The woman was so happy, she continued to use the carpenter for all sorts of projects. He continued to treat her fairly. She saw his truck was in disrepair and believe it or not, she bought him a new one.

The woman found out the carpenter didn’t have any savings plan for his retirement. She helped him start one and she contributed to it with each job he did for her. I know this sounds like a fairy tale, but it’s a true story.

The woman, just like you, wanted to find a reliable and trustworthy person, and once she did, she treated him fairly just as you want to be treated fairly by the contractor. It’s the golden rule in reality! Follow it, and magic might happen with all your future jobs.

Subscribe to Tim Carter’s free newsletter at AsktheBuilder.com. Carter offers phone coaching calls if you get stuck during a DIY job. Go here: go.askthebuilder.com/coaching