builders

suddenly remembered why i dont do domestic work for builders... if i ever mention i might consider it again, feel free to slap me

so far (on 1 job alone)

desperate for 1ft fix so muck slinger can get in. get there and walls are not built. maybe because there is no floor yet

1st fix done, kitchen planner arrives and decides to change layout

phone call few days later 'muck slinger is here. where is the light switch for kitchen light' er... you never asked for the kitchen lights to be made 2 way

'why is the shower room light switch behind door?' maybe because the door has been fitted different to your plans

'where is the cable for the outside light on that corner?' never asked for one there

'why is the cable for outside light there and not there (other side of door)?' because your husband asked for it to be there yesterday

and thats just part of it

what could possibly go wrong when i go back to 2nd fix the kitchen...

/rant

Now I know why I avoided house bashing. Six houses in forty plus years was five more I ever wanted to do.

There are builders  .......and then there are builders with brains  and organizing skills .

Our last job in previous incarnation was the relocation of a British Gas Depot which was in line of a new road.

Builder was a big constructioin company , not a one man band but that was the only difference. 

A couple of items that come back to mind;

1. First site meeting with finishing trades.....its Portacabin city , an army of JCBs and a giant crater in the ground. Us and the Heating contractor looking puzzled.

2. First question to us,.....I want all the lighting columns on site  . Site is like the Somme , no roads laid out etc. but he wants the 5 mtr light columns :C

3.  Later in contract , every day we get faxes from site  eg;  need the main switch panel immediatley.   

4.  Answer :  (a) There is a 5 week build time for panel, which we are monitoring carefully.  (b)  You havn't built the electrical switch room yet . :C

5.  Reply:  I need all the light fittings on site.   (SO forget about the panel then???)     Answer:  We call them off when WE need them , not you ,  theres no roof on yet . 

Utterly stupid from start to finish,  light fittings would have been about 3 months too early ...lighting columns about 9 months too early etc.   

I have to say that my regular domestic builder is excellent at organizing & his jobs usually flow along nicely.

You get idiots everywhere. I do a decent mix of commercial and domestic, and both have completely disorganised jobs with no real guidance or planning, but then some just fall together nicely. Just depends on who cares about the job and who just chucks it in and hopes for the best.