# Paint Ready. No Not even close.



## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

We took on this job for a GC one of our guys used to work with. Our guy says this GC is top notch, quality is his motto. Ummm. Ok. The GC's idea of paint ready is a bunch of drywall repairs that were not sanded at all, primed with a flat then semi (on the walls). All repairs are pretty much eye level standing or siting.

I have a whole bunch of red flags going off, our guy says don't worry.

First red flag. Our contract states first deposit 7 days before we start. GC says no deposit for new contractors until the day they start, ok I guess.

2nd red flag. Sparky and HVAC guys had extras to do, the GC calls the HO and tells him the price and to cut checks. The HO says no way. I knew nothing about all this extra work. I will mail checks after I have another electrician check the work.

3rd red flag. We show up, Ask for deposit check (I was 2 hrs late to start the day there, had another job to button up). The GC sys well the HO was supposed to leave you a check. I said we can not start without a deposit. Our guy says to trust this GC, again I say ok.

4th red flag. The GC was on the phone with the HO again, this time the HO says I am holding back 35k until the other trades finish up 100%. Come to find out the other trades were pretty much paid in full except a couple hundred. They decided to not come back to finish up the job.

5th red flag. GC tells me to talk to the HO about fixing the lousy wall repairs. I do a walk around pointing stuff out (not throwing anyone under the bus yet). She says ok how much to fix this stuff. I tell her T&M and a rough price. Ok she says fix it. She then hold back another 5k from the GC.

6th red flag> The GC forgot to have us look at 4 rooms the HO wanted painted. His excuse was they didn't work in those rooms so it's not up to him to show us.

7th red flag. Livingroom 4 windows, 1 door and 1 casing going into another room. I figured no more than 3 tubes of caulking. Well 9 tubes later the room looks better.

We are doing this job right now. 2 day job has been going onto 3 days of just wall repairs.

The GC says to our guy there is no way in hell he will ever hire us again. I said you know what? We used to do hack work when we first started out. Now we do only top notch work and nothing less. When a job is paint ready it means no repairs what so ever.

I have said it many times we do not need contractor work to survive. We did our guy a favor by taking this job on. I told our guy from this point on any GC he recommends to us we will need to check him out. I will ask for references (like they do with us), past jobs he did.

Right now we are so buried in work this job is putting us farther and farther behind other jobs.

If there is a next time we are walking away until our contract terms are fully met.


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## johnnyb (Jul 16, 2015)

I'd say by the 3rd or 4th flag I'd be packing up my stuff lol, could all work out but who wants to deal with the hassle if you have other work lined up :yes:


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Live and learn, Dave, live and learn.

I love it when hack scum says, "I'll never hire you again". 

Well at least you and the GC agree on something :thumbsup:


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## Dave Mac (May 4, 2007)

I say you got what you deserved buddy, when the heck are you going to start trusting your gut and stop working for idiots, you know what your doing you don't have to be a hero or a nice guy or doing anyone a favor. You are their to make a living not bail people out.


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## matt19422 (Oct 2, 2009)

Dave Mac said:


> I say you got what you deserved buddy, when the heck are you going to start trusting your gut and stop working for idiots, you know what your doing you don't have to be a hero or a nice guy or doing anyone a favor. You are their to make a living not bail people out.


I gotta agree with Dave.. You knew from your gut, you put yourself in this situation. Now its about getting out of it.


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## Phinnster (Feb 20, 2013)

Agree with Dave 
100 percent


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

My gut at first said its OK. The day we started in the first hour all these flags went up.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

cdpainting said:


> My gut at first said its OK. The day we started in the first hour all these flags went up.


Dave, 

I am assuming his declaration of no deposit before you arrive happened before you set foot on site to work. AND I am assuming you looked at it first and saw the type of repairs before that first day. And it sounds like you had heard of the Sparkies and Air Suckers situation before starting.

I think all you need is a minor tuning of your gut. That no deposit thing woulda had many people not interested. A GC needing the HO to give you a deposit ??? (if I read correctly) . Who are you working for?


Hmmmmmm :no:


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

Finish the job you've committed yourself to do while hopefully avoiding a total screwing by the GC. Then, put him on your s--- list and never work for him again. 

I know our list of the GCs we *will* work for is much smaller than the list of those we won't work for.


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

CD,

Does your worker feel bad about referring this GC? How long have you had this worker?

The reason I ask, is because an acquaintance recently had to fire a roofer he was referred to by a friend, because the guy was a complete and failed mess. A job that was supposed to take at best one week, lingered for six weeks with only thirty percent of the job completed before he finally booted him. Thankfully, he found a good replacement who hustled up to complete the job.

I still don't understand how a friend could have recommended this guy. I was convinced he must have got the wrong name.


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## Oden (Feb 8, 2012)

I say it every time it comes up and I feel like it
One job. One man. 
Some of the work you do I see you get by fine for urself showing up with the team. But? Then u run into these boondangles that IMHO u create for urself by showing up with the team

That big job, bigger anyhow, you got coming up. The interior? Do urself a favor and try it? One man and a helper and a pump and show up a week after they start bugging you to get there.


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

daArch said:


> Dave,
> 
> I am assuming his declaration of no deposit before you arrive happened before you set foot on site to work. AND I am assuming you looked at it first and saw the type of repairs before that first day. And it sounds like you had heard of the Sparkies and Air Suckers situation before starting.
> 
> ...


We looked at it, it was some rough framing, asked about wall repairs GC said it will be 100% paint ready. Now some of you may have said it's good enough. Not us. It's either quality or we don't want the job.

2 days before we were to start the GC said the place was 100% ready except 1 door they had to install in the kitchen.

I have found out a lot about this GC since the first day and yes I wish we passed. He doesn't pay contractors, he lets the HO pay. I had no clue this is how he worked.

Our guy did a bunch of work for him in the past and said this isn't how he works usually. Come to find out (today) a few trades walked away because the GC was playing games.



CApainter said:


> CD,
> 
> Does your worker feel bad about referring this GC? How long have you had this worker?
> 
> ...


Our guy feels bad. He also now understands more on how we work. Deposits up front, color choices with deposit check.

The HO was also under the impression the GC was going to make the place look good. She was shocked at what he did for repairs.


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

We started this job we will finish it. We are dealing with the HO and not the GC.

This guy is on my do not work for list.


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## matt19422 (Oct 2, 2009)

I've never worked for a g.c. directly in the painting relm, I only wish to work directly with the owner that way things like this never happen.

I would certainly work with the homeowner and resolve your work outside of the g.c's hands.

I would also share how wonderful the g.c is to do business with to everyone.


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

matt19422 said:


> I've never worked for a g.c. directly in the painting relm, I only wish to work directly with the owner that way things like this never happen.
> 
> I would certainly work with the homeowner and resolve your work outside of the g.c's hands.
> 
> I would also share how wonderful the g.c is to do business with to everyone.


This GC is exactly why we stopped doing their work for a couple years. I have a list of 5 I know that do top notch work and that's all we want to work for other wise we have enough HO work to get us through.

I am sticking to my list of good ones from now on.


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## whodog94 (Aug 10, 2012)

Agh just live and learn, btw I wouldn't stop working for G.Cs just because of a bad one, you found 5 good ones some how. Use that method to find some more.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## mudbone (Dec 26, 2011)

cdpainting said:


> My gut at first said its OK. The day we started in the first hour all these flags went up.


Hate your gut!:eek


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## Painter-Aaron (Jan 17, 2013)

Give this gc a copy of good business books along with your final invoice


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

whodog94 said:


> Agh just live and learn, btw I wouldn't stop working for G.Cs just because of a bad one, you found 5 good ones some how. Use that method to find some more.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


We really don't need GC work, we have plenty.


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

mudbone said:


> Hate your gut!:eek


I do. lol.


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## matt19422 (Oct 2, 2009)

Was the homeowner unhappy with the gc also? I wouldnt hesitate to throw him under the bus


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## The Cutting Edge (May 25, 2014)

If your check is coming from the h.o.I would totally give the gc the cold shoulder. I would probably pretend he isn't even there. I would never throw someone under the bus that does quality work and was honest. But for this guy I would totally flag the bus down, place him carefully in front of the rear duals, get in the drivers seat of said bus, and stomp that peddle as far as I could.


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