tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7525976427330328394.post3206830065560863264..comments2024-03-28T22:23:40.927-04:00Comments on CAVEBEAR'S LAIR: Some EmbarassmentMark's Mews (Marley, Lori, Loki, and Binq)http://www.blogger.com/profile/11135668126649348317noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7525976427330328394.post-12069098752536274782014-07-08T11:14:49.251-04:002014-07-08T11:14:49.251-04:00Megan gave you a well thought out comment.
But it ...Megan gave you a well thought out comment.<br />But it just seems to me that the contractor knew from measuring what he needed to build your deck. So he purchased what was necessary which is what you paid for. I would think that all of the leftovers were yours. That would be my assumption and I wonder if the contractor makes a little pocket change back on stuff he does not use on each job he does. OK that is really cynical. Most people probably don't want any of the leftover material and I just wonder (being cynical again) if this is his way of adding a little back into his pocket. Maybe not, but it's worth asking about and looking over the contract you signed and see if there is any language in there that deals with materials.ANGEL ABBYGRACEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08777233381092226583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7525976427330328394.post-10016928250407773682014-07-08T02:11:41.758-04:002014-07-08T02:11:41.758-04:00Mark - to my mind, the answer depends on the natur...Mark - to my mind, the answer depends on the nature of the contract that you entered into with the builder. If you and he agreed on the specification of what was to be constructed and the builder gave you a firm, fixed price for delivering the outcome, then the builder carries the risk of getting the estimate right. You bear no risk. Thus, if he over-estimated the materials required, he gets the 'reward' of being able to return them for credit. On the other hand, it seemed that the chaps who dug the holes took a lot longer to achieve the required outcome than the builder seems to have estimated - because of the nature of the ground in your yard - and extra labour hours would have meant extra costs for the builder. That's his cost; I presume that you weren't expected to pay any more to cover this. <br /><br />One other thought: it may be the builder's established practice to buy more timber than he expects to use in a job, knowing that any surplus can be returned for credit. He may do this because it's cheaper/more convenient to have extra right on hand than to have to down tools, jump in the truck, go back to the lumber yard, hope they've got exactly the same kind of boards still in stock, and buy three or four more. Indeed, if this IS his practice, then it could well be the case that he bought, say, five extra boards and circumstances dictated that three of them ended up being used, leaving only two to be returned. So, rather than make extra profit on your job, he may have made less because he used three boards that he didn't cost into the job. <br /><br />If you had entered into what I'd call a "cost plus" contract, then the surplus boards would be yours. I'm thinking that perhaps after you and the builder agreed on the specification for the deck, he might have given you an ESTIMATE (rather than a fixed-price quote): 'x' hours of labour at (say) $50 per hour; and a list of materials with their expected cost. You would then have been liable to pay for every hour actually worked (including the extras required for the holes) and the cost of materials actually used. In this situation, you would be the one carrying the risk that the estimation was accurate. In such circumstances, the builder might have asked you whether you preferred him to return the boards to the supplier and credit you with their cost, or include them in your bill and leave them with you.<br /><br />MeganMeganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03143400920174171516noreply@blogger.com