Whats the deal with builders / contractors in this country?

[ad man]

I cant remember the last time i have heard someone satisfied with a construction work, whether its building a house or just a renovation. it seems that every builder / carpenter has a secret agenda from scamming people out of money or taking so many jobs on at the same time they could never finish any.

i am currently going through a very frustrating and tedious home renno as well. i hired the first guy who said it would take $60,000. and three months to finish. well twelve months and $100,000. later it is just 1/2 way completed. so i let him go and took on another. this one said he could complete the job in one month. well its now 6 months later and long to go for completion. but i kinda guessed that when i noticed he was coming to work one day every two weeks.

it seems that everyone i speak to has the same experience.
could somebody tell me if there are any genuine and honest builders out there any more?????

[200sx]

I hear u bro!

But since I started my house I'm the one keeping back my builder! Not money problems! But getting all the materials to him on time!

When I first talked to him abt starting I told him how I just lost my sister ;(
And I can't handle any more stress and headache! The man right up!

[Duane 3NE 2NR]

could somebody tell me if there are any genuine and honest builders out there any more?????

there are but you need to hire a reputable contracting company. Most people want to cut corners and go with the cheap estimate which only ends up costing them more in the long run or not getting quality work in a timely manner.

with construction you can get it
1. fast
2. cheap
3. good
But you can only pick two options

[kurpal_v2]

Op seems to enjoy the submissive type of relationship

[ek4ever]

I hear yuh .... had the same problem when doing a major reno this year ... electrical man saying 1 week to lick up the work .... over 1 month waiting to have it completed...all because he have plenty work and hiring family so when they don't want to turn up for work he in trouble and work delayed. 99% of TT contractors too busy chasing the money instead of doing the work. However, in all this I have been able to secure a dependable joiner, plumber and mason....ppl who will tell you outright if they can take on the work or not.

Just cast the driveway this weekend and the guy that did it was very professional and did the job in the time he said despite the shiddy weather.

What it seems like is that there is so much work out there that most contractors don't care for the small work and usually just take the small job while waiting on larger contracts. Unfortunately TT is not like the States where you have licensed contractors who know what the hell they doing and take pride in doing the job right. In the US you pay a lot more but the results always better.

[devsingh]

From experience, clients usually go for the cheap way of doing things which is fine but some things are just expensive when getting it done right. Trinidad and Tobago building code from bureau of standards is a good guide on how things should be done for domestic civil works.

[sharkman121]

Op seems to enjoy the submissive type of relationship

THIS!!!!

you gotta be an alpha male when dealing with contractors...dont mean you hadda be an ass, be firm and smart, let them sign contracts etc. keep on top of the work. If u see a man slacking pull him up IMMEDIATELY.

[Halfbreed07]

cheap thing no good brah,
always get at least 3 estimates,
compare apples to apples,
never go with the cheapest,
have them agree and sign to complete the job within the budget and time.
if they wont, chase them from your yard.

[New_SPECIES]

Op seems to enjoy the submissive type of relationship

THIS!!!!

you gotta be an alpha male when dealing with contractors...dont mean you hadda be an ass, be firm and smart, let them sign contracts etc. keep on top of the work. If u see a man slacking pull him up IMMEDIATELY.

This is true..

But what about men who start off hitting you prices way more than you know it should cost...
And on top of that.. Most of dem are illegal immigrants who come here and all of a sudden get "smart".

Aside from men accepting to sign contracts etc... I think one of the major issues people have with workers/contractors/masons etc, is their ridiculous prices and quotations.

A man recently quote me $15000.00 to do a particular job taking 2 weeks..
After I put him in his place with the price:

The job was done in 3 days for $5000.00... without fault.

[Conrad]

I cant remember the last time i have heard someone satisfied with a construction work, whether its building a house or just a renovation. it seems that every builder / carpenter has a secret agenda from scamming people out of money or taking so many jobs on at the same time they could never finish any.

i am currently going through a very frustrating and tedious home renno as well. i hired the first guy who said it would take $60,000. and three months to finish. well twelve months and $100,000. later it is just 1/2 way completed. so i let him go and took on another. this one said he could complete the job in one month. well its now 6 months later and long to go for completion. but i kinda guessed that when i noticed he was coming to work one day every two weeks.

it seems that everyone i speak to has the same experience.
could somebody tell me if there are any genuine and honest builders out there any more?????

You find him in a pond awah?

Sadly many people are simply cheap which costs them MORE in the long run.

Hire based on pass performance and not future promise.

[Sky]

Had a tuner come by me to check my house for renovation and quote.
He seemed uneasy that I didn't know what my final plan was and offered to do up a plan for me.
For what I wanted done, he was doing a scope.
These are signs of a professional.
At the end I couldn't afford what I wanted done if I went with him so I'm WAITING UNTIL I CAN.
Real people does cheap out, then complain too.

If the tuner reading this, I got another quote -15k yours. But it was a "nah man we go handle dat you doh worry, all dat sortin out". No paperwork, scope, advice, warnings, nothing.
So I will wait.

[pete]

In laws recently replaced the roof and decided to do electrical and ceiling one time. What was to take 2 weeks took 2 months, the design they wanted for the ceiling, the people convinced them of something more complex and while it does look nice took unnecessarily long and IMHO has caused some minor problems. Not even going into the cost overruns..

[New_SPECIES]

Sadly many people are simply cheap which costs them MORE in the long run.

Hire based on pass performance and not future promise.

If a person is trying to get value for his money... then he is "cheap"?
When some half-wit Guyanese or Jamaican come in your own country to "dig out yuh eye" man should accept that otherwise they cheap?

And trust me "past performance" has nothing to do with what the guy will do in your job..
I had a contractor who after building a real fancy house came to do some work for me...
I paid his full (over-charged) price and the job was done so crappy that the next guy had to literally do everything all over!

When some of dem "big time" contractors come and give you a real "fancy" quote... they sending a few of their recently recruited illegal immigrants by your house and keeping the real professionals for them "big boys" in the west. So doh geh tie up wit "Big Contractors" or "Pass Performance" either!

[Conrad]

Sadly many people are simply cheap which costs them MORE in the long run.

Hire based on pass performance and not future promise.

If a person is trying to get value for his money... then he is "cheap"?
When some half-wit Guyanese or Jamaican come in your own country to "dig out yuh eye" man should accept that otherwise they cheap?

And trust me "past performance" has nothing to do with what the guy will do in your job..
I had a contractor who after building a real fancy house came to do some work for me...
I paid his full (over-charged) price and the job was done so crappy that the next guy had to literally do everything all over!

When some of dem "big time" contractors come and give you a real "fancy" quote... they sending a few of their recently recruited illegal immigrants by your house and keeping the real professionals for them "big boys" in the west. So doh geh tie up wit "Big Contractors" or "Pass Performance" either!

I don't get what nationality has to do with construction.

No one is forcing you to give them your hard earned (hopefully) dollars.

Seeing what someone supposedly did (a pic, or even detailed viewing) does not give a true idea of the full experience that other person had. Typical Trini, eye big and brain small. Basically, hire on recommendation.

Spelling was intentional.


Seems like the contractor did more than bust concrete in your yard.

[sharkman121]

if yall know reputable tuners, please advise. If you feel uneasy naming them here then shoot me a pm please.

[RIPEBREDFRUIT]

The t&t contractors association does NOT doenough toensure that all contractors are members and do have proper knowledge of what they are doing.
People are also at fault for hiring anyone that calls themselves a contractor.
But its up to you in the end to ask and demand All of your bills for raw materials, labour and any other costs that are demanded by the so called contractors.

During the construction BOOM, there was a shortage of labour, many simple labourers that were taken on big jobs , when the boom ended, many of hem rather than return to their former employers went out on their own and made themselves contractors, be very wary of electricians and plumbers, ask for credentials and references, do NOT take thweir word of mouth or you may find yourself in danger in the end.

[New_SPECIES]

Sadly many people are simply cheap which costs them MORE in the long run.

Hire based on pass performance and not future promise.

If a person is trying to get value for his money... then he is "cheap"?
When some half-wit Guyanese or Jamaican come in your own country to "dig out yuh eye" man should accept that otherwise they cheap?

And trust me "past performance" has nothing to do with what the guy will do in your job..
I had a contractor who after building a real fancy house came to do some work for me...
I paid his full (over-charged) price and the job was done so crappy that the next guy had to literally do everything all over!

When some of dem "big time" contractors come and give you a real "fancy" quote... they sending a few of their recently recruited illegal immigrants by your house and keeping the real professionals for them "big boys" in the west. So doh geh tie up wit "Big Contractors" or "Pass Performance" either!

I don't get what nationality has to do with construction.
Brought up nationality since these men hiding out here, tryin to achieve a better life from the original one... but charging more than the local men to do even more sheit..

No one is forcing you to give them your hard earned (hopefully) dollars.
Didn't go in ah nex man country and rob him to get where I am today.

Seeing what someone supposedly did (a pic, or even detailed viewing) does not give a true idea of the full experience that other person had. Typical Trini, eye big and brain small. Basically, hire on recommendation.
Then what "full experience" were you talkin about?....And from my own experience, everyone I hired in the past was from "recommendation" but like I said.. they get smart after a while and just end up charging and shafting more

[New_SPECIES]

if yall know reputable tuners, please advise. If you feel uneasy naming them here then shoot me a pm please.

Also glad for a PM concerning this...

[turbosingh]

Thats why yuh have to be the Jack off all trades.Me an my dad do our own work,it takes longer but we get the job done right.Most ah dem fellars now dont have a clue what they doing but want to charge like if they have some degree!

[Conrad]

If you hired someone based on recommendation....

It's no fault of your own i.e. constant changes to the original plan but MUST keep the original budget (some people do it and don't even notice)...

Your expectations weren't unrealistic...

AND YOU STILL GET SHAFT

Then you my friend may have fallen prey to the TriniScamContractose as described in RBF's post.


Also be wary of contractor that only shows up on the job to either.
1) Collect money
2) Pay workers
...and has no equipment of his own. Usually suggests he has no serious interest in the job other than collecting a cut.

[New_SPECIES]

Thats why yuh have to be the Jack off all trades.Me an my dad do our own work,it takes longer but we get the job done right.Most ah dem fellars now dont have a clue what they doing but want to charge like if they have some degree!

This is the way to go in my book!

I've learnt how to do almost anything concerning a house due to corrupt contractors.

But it might not work for all scenarios though.. for example when it comes to commercial bldgs and large projects etc..

[original_lollybob]

i've been building for over 1 yr now...

my first contractor was provided with a plan, a scope, a budget etc etc etc etc... 6 months in he ran out of money and went into hiding.

its very hard to get reliable, well priced contractors/workers

[New_SPECIES]

i've been building for over 1 yr now...

Does this mean that you are now a contractor yourself?

[original_lollybob]

^^
no no... I'm having my property renovated

sorry if anyone misinterpreted that

[smokeyjoe]

hay buddy I can give me a call on 3955310, also so you can meet me on one of the jobs I an currently doing.

[desifemlove]

A few are decent like Coosal, Junior Sammy and them. Most are hired for public and private sector projects without the experience needed. This is for large scale projects though.

I don't know why, but good home people period like plumbers, masons, etc. are hard to come by, and it's not as if there is no demand for them. I think the industry is not very regularted. If dey's a body who can verify who is who and they do good wuk, then all the good.

[sharkman121]

A few are decent like Coosal, Junior Sammy and them. Most are hired for public and private sector projects without the experience needed. This is for large scale projects though.

I don't know why, but good home people period like plumbers, masons, etc. are hard to come by, and it's not as if there is no demand for them. I think the industry is not very regularted. If dey's a body who can verify who is who and they do good wuk, then all the good.

man start to talk bout coosal an Junior sammy dey?

[teems1]

A few are decent like Coosal, Junior Sammy and them. Most are hired for public and private sector projects without the experience needed. This is for large scale projects though.

I don't know why, but good home people period like plumbers, masons, etc. are hard to come by, and it's not as if there is no demand for them. I think the industry is not very regularted. If dey's a body who can verify who is who and they do good wuk, then all the good.

man start to talk bout coosal an Junior sammy dey?

ent.

I think ppl in this thread were more talking about renovations to their home. Tiling, doing over kitchen/bath, perimeter wall, putting up tank stand/tank, extending house, changing roof/ceiling, rewiring etc.

[cinco]

I duz only hyah rainman he have a bess crew ah mexicans.

[De Dragon]

Op seems to enjoy the submissive type of relationship

THIS!!!!

you gotta be an alpha male when dealing with contractors...dont mean you hadda be an ass, be firm and smart, let them sign contracts etc. keep on top of the work. If u see a man slacking pull him up IMMEDIATELY.

Boy I had a guy once look at his own signature on an agreement and deny that we agreed on a clause in said agreement