The Contractor Saga — The Rest of The Story
I shared this story on Instagram stories a week or so ago, but I realize that a whole lot of you don’t follow me on Instagram and only read my blog, so let me fill y’all in on what has happened with our bedroom suite and the contractor I hired to get that project started.
I know the last time I updated y’all, I shared that I was frustrated. While I was hoping the contractor’s part of the project would only take a week, allowing me to get started on installing the flooring last month, sickness and other circumstances (the contractor’s, not ours) had delayed the project. I was frustrated, and I shared that here, and I know that some of you thought I was being ungracious for getting upset at someone being sick. But just know that I was really holding back with some of the info because, at that time, he was still working here (kind of), and I had high hopes that he would actually finish the work and be on his way.
Well, it didn’t turn out that way. I ended up firing him, and now I’m left with a bigger mess than I had anticipated. It’s fine, really. I’m fully capable of doing the work that he didn’t get done. But I’m still shocked at how everything transpired, so here’s the rest of the story that I was holding back last time I wrote about it.
First, let me explain that the person I hired has done lots of work at our house in the past. He was one of the guys who built the carport, and then he came back and finished the carport last year. He did the drywall in my studio. He was one of the guys who worked on the bedroom-to-master bathroom conversion. And I’m sure there’s much more than I’m leaving out. When he first started working here, he was actually working for another contractor. And that other contractor kept his guys in line and on schedule. They would be at my house each morning at 7:50am to be ready to start work at 8:00am. They stayed all day, with an hour break for lunch, and worked until around 4:00 each day. When he was working for that other contractor, things got done, and they were done on schedule.
So when this guy and another one decided that they wanted to go off on their own and start their own business, I decided to stick with them since they’re the ones who had done the actual work on my house. I knew their work, and I trusted the quality of their work. Well, that was a big mistake. Some people are cut out to own businesses and be self-employed. Others are cut out to work for another person and need that oversight. This guy falls squarely into that second category.
The first day he was supposed to show up to work, he said that he wasn’t feeling well because of allergies. Since we no longer have a scuttle hole to the crawl space (a new one will be added to the hallway floor in the near future), he cut a hole in the floor of the guest bedroom (i.e., our future walk-in closet and laundry room) to get a look at the plumbing. He said he was going to purchase the necessary supplies, go to the doctor for an allergy shot, and show up the next day to work.
At least, that’s what he told me. He actually didn’t show up the rest of the week. So we were left with this hole in the floor for a week.
The rest of the week, he was dealing with sick kids, etc. I don’t have a problem with people needing to take care of their sick kids. I fully expect people to put their kids first, especially when they’re sick and no other childcare options are available. What I do have a problem with is when those people who are expected to be at my house working need to take care of sick kids, take kids to the doctor, etc., but don’t let me know what’s going on. When I’m expecting him to be here by 8:30 or 9:00am at the latest, and I don’t hear from him at all until after 11:30, and most of those times are only after I’ve texted to ask, “Are you coming today?“, that’s a problem. That’s not a responsible way to handle business.
On Friday of that first week, I texted him at 9:38a to see if he was coming since I hadn’t heard from him, and I didn’t hear from him until 11:13 when we had the following text exchange:
So the second week, he guaranteed me that he would be here bright and early on Monday to work. He didn’t get here at 8:00am, but he did at least show up that day. But even that day was a mess. He brought helpers with him that day. They showed up around 10:00, and then at 10:30 they said they needed to go to Home Depot to buy dust masks. I have no idea why it takes more than one person to make that trip, but they all left. Home Depot is a 15-minute drive from our house, and going in to buy dust masks takes about another 15 minutes. So that task, which evidently took all three of them, should have taken 45 minutes at the most. But they got back around 11:45. Then they left at 12:30 for lunch, and didn’t come back until after 2:30! They worked for another 30 minutes, and then left for the day. And at the end of the day, as he was leaving, he said he’d be here early Tuesday morning to continue the work.
Tuesday morning, I he didn’t show, and I didn’t hear from him. So at 11:13am, I sent the following text:
I didn’t hear back from him until 1:59pm. He said that he had overslept (what?!). He apologized and asked me to give him another chance, saying that he’d have the work done by that Friday. I won’t bore you with all the details of the whole timeline but suffice it to say that the work wasn’t finished by Friday, and this type of thing was par for the course for the rest of the time he worked here.
He begged me to give him another chance, and because I’ve known him for a long time now, I very stupidly gave him that second chance. But then after that, he didn’t show up on another day when he said he’d be here.
On Friday of the next week, he asked if he could work on Saturday to finish up the work. He told me that he was going to work from 8:30 to 4:30. He showed up late on Saturday, and then at 2:30, he asked if he could work a half day on Sunday. I said yes (because I just wanted it done!), and then HE LEFT for the day at 2:30 instead of working until 4:30 like he said he would.
I wasn’t here that Sunday morning, but I left a key for him. Matt said he did come and work for a couple of hours. I think that was the end of the second week. So by the third week, I was beyond frustrated. I just wanted the work DONE. The third week went about like you’d expect, although they were here more than they had been the previous week. But once again, he was supposed to be here on Saturday to finish up the job, and that didn’t happen.
At 10:37am on that Saturday, when I still hadn’t heard from him, I texted him to see if he was coming. I didn’t hear back from him until 1:43pm when he told me that he was on his way to pick up the trailer and head to my house. Then 45 minutes later, I got another text from him saying that he couldn’t find his keys, but and as soon as he found them, he’d head my way. That’s the last thing I heard from him that day. I didn’t get a text. No phone call. Nothing. Just…silence.
By that point, I was fit to be tied. So on Sunday evening, I gathered up all of his tools, piled them on the sidewalk in front of our house by the front porch steps, and sent him the following text…
I honestly don’t know how he has any business at this point. If that’s the way he treats a long-time customer, I can’t imagine that he treats new customers with any more respect. And what a terrible business decision to treat a long-time, repeat customer with such disrespect! I just can’t wrap my head around it.
The craziest thing is that he responded to that text saying, “Okay, I’ll have my wife bring me in the morning to pick them up.” IN THE MORNING?! He had left just about every tool he owns at my house, and they were now piled in front of my house, and he responded that he’d be there the next morning? He was willing to leave the literal tools of his trade out overnight, where anyone could have stolen them? That response was just as unbelievable as his behavior had been the previous three weeks. If someone had told me that every tool I own had been piled in front of their house, I would have been there within minutes to pick them up!
Evidently, he did end up coming that evening to pick them up because by the time we went to bed at 10:00pm, they were gone. Well, most of them were gone. He actually left behind a ladder and a big fan that he uses to dry drywall mud. He just left them!
And they’re still there, two weeks later, right next to the pile of stuff he was supposed to haul away on his trailer! I honestly don’t know what to do with them. I don’t want them, but I also don’t want to move them because I don’t want to be accused of keeping his ladder and fan and not letting him have them.
So that’s the rest of the saga. Hopefully, my irritation at him makes a lot more sense now. I wasn’t irritated because his and his kids were sick. I was irritated at the lack of communication, and the lack of showing up when he said he’d be here. All it would have taken is communication. If you can’t be at my house when you say you’re going to be there because you have sick kids, just text me and let me know! But if you’re supposed to be here by 8:30, and you have to take sick kids to the doctor, don’t wait until 11:30 to let me know! Don’t keep me guessing for hours…or days…while I’m expecting you to be here. I just can’t imagine what had caused him to go from being a good and reliable worker to this.
It’s sad that he’s burned this bridge because, with all of the project we have planned in the near future, I alone could have kept him in business for a good deal of this year. And I’m incredibly frustrated that I no longer have a go-to person to call when I need work done. Finding a new, reliable contractor to do small to medium jobs is no easy task. So this may truly be a “back to my DIY roots” kind of year.
(FYI, I edited the original post for more accuracy when I realized I still had our texts.)
Update: Several people have asked if I got my money back. I didn’t, and I didn’t ask. Amazingly, even with all the hassle and missed days, most of the work actually got done. There were a few final small things on the list that still needed to be done, plus the cleanup and haul away. Those didn’t get done, obviously, but I also still owed him a good chunk of money when the job was done. Needless to say, he didn’t get that final payment. In the end, he’s the one who lost out. Not only did he miss out on that final payment with just a few small jobs remaining, but he also lost a long-time repeat customer. In the end, the loss is his, not mine. And I’m fully capable of doing those last remaining small projects, and I have another very reliable man who does haul away for me at a very reasonable price.
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
Sounds like a DUI problem and all that goes with it – no license = wife driving.
My thoughts exactly. Needs to sleep it off in the morning probably why he’s always late.
So sorry for what she went through.
That was my exact thought-addiction issues. I hope he’s able to get his selft sorted sooner rather than later.
That being said, I’ve had plenty of contractors without addiction issues ghost us mid-project-so frustrating! We now have a go-to-guy who does excellent work. He’s not cheap (he’s fair) and he’s not fast and sometimes we have to wait until he’s available-all things I can live with. Often he’s doing multiple jobs simeltanously (often doing work on one place while waiting for something to dry or be delivered at another place). I have no problem with this-especially since his communication is so good.
“Beer flu”?
How frustrating! He probably got fired from his last place of employment(s). I hope he gets it together for his family’s sake, and you’re able to find someone to help you finish the projects.
I had a contractor and crew destroy my one and only bathroom! Similar situation! But I hadn’t paid them when I fired them. I had to take them to court to replace everything they did and won but it was a frustrating ordeal.
You didn’t say how much that nightmare cost you. Did you get ANY of your money back from him?
I didn’t get any money back because, shockingly, even with all the hassle, he did end up doing almost all of the work on the list. But I hadn’t paid him the whole amount we agreed to up front, so needless to say, he didn’t get the whole amount that he was expecting from this job.
I’ve been there and understand. I am waiting right now for someone to show up that I thought would be here around 7:30 am this morning.
I’m hoping for the best. Sorry for your issues and yes finding someone to do the small jobs is terribly hard.
Good luck
Sondra, Waco
I’m sorry you had this horrible experience with a previously trustworthy contractor. As I read through your post my first thought was “substance abuse.” I hope he is able to get it together, as he has a wife and kids who deserve better.
I’m so sorry for this situation.
Did you ever get your money back?
Since he’s had ample opportunity to pick up the remainder, I would put them in the curb with a sign that says FREE (or advertise FREE in FBMP). Unfortunately you’ll probably have to pay someone to haul the rubbish away.
Respectfully disagree, Shelley.
Kristi, the best thing to do, if you have room, is to set the ladder and fan aside. Text him and let him know he can pick them up with advance notice at a time convenient for you.
That is the right thing, the moral thing to do. We do not treat others the way they treat us, we treat them the way we wish to be treated.
And I’m so sorry his disastrous life affected you and your family. There is no excuse for it, but I am sure there are reasons. Blessings as you continue your amazing journey.
This is why I am afraid to hire any contractors to do any work at all for me. I have had similar experiences. It is very stressful, and I am sorry you had to endure this poor treatment.
Amazing unprofessional conduct. My brother hired a contractor he knew from church to do an addition to his house and had very similar problems. He has gotten through it, though many months later than promised. He had plenty of warnings that this guy did not understand the work ethics of a contractor but out of some loyalty went ahead with him. I was owner builder 34 years ago for my own house and was appalled at the lack of professionalism of most of my subs. DYI is better by far if you can! I’ve learned to to do a great many things myself so I greatly respect your skills and determination as well as your devoted caregiving! It’s all very hard work but so rewarding. Love you girl! That’s why I defended your word on that decorating site!
what about your money? how are you going to get that back? i am so so sorry this happened to you.
you may have to sue him
Im so very sorry youre going through this kind of mess right now. I will pray for him to find his way as well. I might suggest you contact the gentleman who did your concrete job and / or your wonderful tree trimmer for some possible suggestions of contractors they may know for small to medium jobs. These guys both know how your expectations with timelines and wonderful you are when a job is well done! Most of these guys in the skilled trades fields seem to know or have contacts in the other fields! Now I could just go KISS my husband for being so skilled as an all around talented general contractor himself! Best of luck to you!
That is a good idea. Good people may know other good people to use on other projects.
We have been getting recommendations from a person who just used a lot of contractors building his new house. So far, they have been SO GREAT!
sometimes they tend to work in tandem with each other & have preferrences as to whom they work with! They also know whom to steer clear of as well. It is a great circle to fall in favor with!
Oh Kristi, I am so sorry. We’ve all been there. I have had to fire my fair share of crews on this job of restoring our farmhouse. Wearing my six-gun on my hip with the full cowboy rig does bring a small amount of respect up here on our farm, it’s more for the varmints and trespassers than it is work crews, but I must say when I am out all-day doing farm stuff with “Betsy” on, there seems be to a lot of work getting done. I never pay more than a small downpayment, and I remind my tradesmen that I hire, I have 250 acres, a backhoe and an alibi. It makes them laugh, it makes my husband nervous, and I am pretty much dead serious after over 13 years of watching just crappy workmanship at top dollar prices. I’m the stern one, I let my husband be the good cop, his being 6’8″ gives him a menacing appearance to begin with. I physically get sick at my stomach and lose sleep right before a project begins, wondering what poop show will show up this time. Thought I could say I’d seen it all, but I have been proven wrong time in and time again.
Have courage, it all comes out in the wash at the end. You will look back on this and laugh, but it will take a lot of time, and in our case, a lot of bourbon.
Hang in there, we’re all pulling for you, and know that these small, seems big at the time, setbacks will make it all the more satisfying in the end.
Cheers!
Ha ha ha “Don’t mess with me, I’ve got a backhoe and an airtight alibi” should be on a T-shirt!
I adore your style…and Cyndy below is right…it’s a great idea!!!
No intention to minimize Kristi’s ordeal with that man. So much frustration and shared at that, considering the horror stories from so many.
Lori Ann, if you ever give up farming, etc. you have a great future as a pistol-packin’ writer. That was funny!
Thanks for the chuckles.
I bust our laughing with “I have 250 acres, a backhoe and an alibi” Love it:)
My kinda hero, Lori Ann!
Lori Ann, thank you for the laughs!
“I have 250 acres, a backhoe and an alibi.” Oh my, that made me laugh! 😀
250 acres/backhoe/alibi – this is too funny! I would love to use that line, but unfortunately I don’t possess any of those!
I don’t understand this type of unprofessionalism, when it happens to us. It’s like dating my worst boyfriend.
So sorry you had to go through this! Any possibility you can go back to the original contractor who knew how to run his crew?
That was my thought as well, Kris.
I’ve had those kinds of contractors before, and it is beyond maddening. It is hard to find a good contractor who NEEDS to work. One that is not lazy. One that is honest and talented and responsible. Oh, I feel your pain.
On to brighter days in 2025. Maybe the next guy will be just what you need. I have no recommendations here in Waco because my work was done in Clarksville, TN. We found a picture in the paper of our contractor stealing money from a vending machine. We turned him in because we recognized him in the picture. What a story!
Good Luck!
We’ve had a lot of solo contractors over the years; a select few turned out to be good, but far more were abysmal. I always tell people ‘There’s usually a good reason why some people are self-employed — it’s so their boss can’t fire them.’
Still, it’s stressful and infuriating.
Did he ever use your key or did you get that back? I’d give him a warning that you’re going to post the items as free for pickup on Nextdoor if he isn’t going to pick them up. We had an experience kind of similar and we had even gotten a good review from one of our trusted neighbors for him. Apparently he was looking for a full-time job and found one so it took him longer to finish the job. He didn’t come back to do the final work (but we hadn’t paid for that final work yet either). We’ve had a few that came out to give quotes for other things and never sent the quotes or any explanation. And a few we called out for estimates that haven’t shown up. I just don’t know how they’re making it in business!
I think you handled this exceptionally well. You gave chances and held boundaries. I agree that he probably has a drinking problem and possibly a DUI/no license. This is typical behavior for that, and is so prevalent in the construction world. My dad has dealt with it his entire working life.
Why is it so hard to find a good contractor any more? I just don’t understand. I want to remove a bay window in my dining room and put in a sliding glass door to a patio and I am terrified I will be left with a gaping hole in the side of my house, TERRIFIED because contractors have become so unreliable. We just had our roof replaced last year and while it only took them a day (typical for a house this size) The damn thing leaked in two different places and we had to have them out here 7 times because one spot kept leaking and they blamed it on our chimney, which we had repointed and still had the same leak. The chimney was actually fine, so we refused to pay for the repointing. Eventually they did a full tear off again and started new. Then it started leaking again, but in our kitchen! I have had issues with contractors when they did our bathroom, luckily we had two baths at the time, but that is why I have yet to have someone truly update our bathroom, we only have one in this house. Contractors USED to be proud men (and women) back in the day and I’m my late 50’s. So back in the day for me would be from 1990/ early 2000’s. But they aren’t and it is a shame that the quality and dedication is gone and morals of just leaving with someone’s money can be a horrible fact. I’m sorry you are having this issue, at least you didn’t pay the full amount up front, I know some people who have and were out of a lot of money never having their project complete until after court.
Sounds like a drinker. I’m still waiting for a handy man to come replace a threshold from 1991. Glad it wasn’t an emergency!
Wow…that’s infuriating. I wish I could say I’ve never had that experience with tradespeople….but I think we all have. What is up with un-communicative, incompetent people?!
OH God. We have been dealing with some of this too, but thank God, most have been great…showed up or called…did the work the way my husband asked, and we paid with a tip for great work ethics. Sounds like maybe going back to his original boss might make sense. Sounds like a problem more than stupidity…maybe addiction. It IS hard get up when you drink all night. Best be done with him. There are still people out there that want to work, do a good job and get paid. You seem to pay well, so there is NO excuse for this…just no business sense or common sense. Give NO MORE second chances to him!
It was probably actually worth it to get most of the work done. The money you paid him is long gone and you would never have gotten it back. It’s a huge problem everywhere now.
Ohmagosh! I can’t even imagine your sheer frustration. That’s terrible. Hope you can find someone reliable.
Holy, moly. That’s unbelievable. Gotta be alcohol or drugs in his life. I’m sorry for you…and for him and his family, too. I never pay any money upfront. Never. If a contractor or workman doesn’t have capital or credit to begin a job he quoted for, that’s a big red flag. I would buy the supplies myself if I was in a crunch to get the work done and no other tradesperson was available. Put it all in the Lessons Learned column, right?
I’m so sorry for your terrible experience with the contractor. Hopefully, the rest of the job will go smoothly! I just read your post about your year of no sugar. I had asked a while back how it was going. I hoped to be inspired and motivated whether you were successful or faced a set back and had to restart. I definitely think 20 lbs. lost in the last 12 months and a total of 30 pounds lost in 18 months is a huge success and you should be very proud of yourself! I lost 20 lbs. in the last year but gained back 3 so it’s time for me to get back on track.
That sounds way too familiar and I hate it that you can’t count on anybody but yourself these days. Why would his wife have to drive him to get his tools? Does he drive or are the keys still lost. Is the original contractor he worked for available to you?
My experience trying to find reliable contrators is very similar, and is worse since I actually work in the field (commercial construction). You would think that would help, but not when trying to find someone for residential work. It’s the reason why my house is still not finished years past when it should have been, I just can’t find people I trust to show up, communicate (a huge one that seems to be a universal problem), and also provide quality work. Work ethic and pride in ones work seems to be missing. My husband likes to sum it up as “why can’t people just do their job?”
Needless to say, I’m as frustrated as you.
Kristi, I’m sorry you went through all of that. I’m the mother of a 30 year addict. This story. Is very familiar to me unfortunately. I’m not accusing anyone of any thing . My son’s behavior as a drug addict is exactly what you described. Maybe it’s best that you have parted ways with him. Things happen for a reason.
Dealing with an addict is a nightmare and you can’t believe anything they say. My son is an auto technician and does amazing work when he’s sober. Very unreliable when he isn’t which is as soon as he has some money. So sorry you were treated that way. They have no respect for anything. He probably left the tools he couldn’t sell. This is how addicts are.
Still not accusing. But,l have lived this for 30 years. It’s very common behavior. Hope you find someone better. No money till job is done.
Sandy, my heart breaks for you. I’m so sorry you’ve had to go through that for 30 years. I can’t imagine the pain of seeing your child struggle with addiction for that long. I’m so sorry.
I am going to be 50 in a couple of years. In nearly half a century, there has only been one instance when I completely lost my sh!t and started screaming at a stranger over the phone. He was an electrician who had “installed” (read, messed up) the wiring in my building – he had somehow stashed all phone wires and the door bells/intercoms into the same box, and when the phone company came to install my line, they couldn’t find anything to connect to (I saw that box then, it was a big, untidy knot of wires that was squished inside a too tiny box, it was crazy). So I had to get that same guy to just connect two wires – a job that takes seconds – because nobody else could figure out what’s going on. He had me wait for him every working day for two weeks. In the morning told me he was coming in the afternoon, in the afternoon told me he was coming the next day. In the end I went ballistic and started yelling like a raving lunatic over the phone. He hung up on me. It was afternoon. Next morning his assistant came by early and fixed the phone. It did only take a couple of minutes. He never dared show his own face.
But that’s how it works though (or rather, doesn’t). They avoid you, act all polite and apologetic when they actually talk to you, do a bit of work when they feel you are about to take action, lather-rinse-repeat. Up to the point that I’m currently sticking to certain people not necessarily because they are the best/cheaper or whatever, but because they are punctual. It’s BS. Luckily we do most things ourselves in my family…
“yelling like a raving lunatic” 😀 I think we all have that raving lunatic inside us, but we all have different points at which we let that lunatic out of her locked cage. Thankfully, for most of us, we have to be really, REALLY pressed to reach that stage. I’ve been pressed to that point at least twice that I can think of. I don’t like it, but sometimes it’s just necessary. It shouldn’t be that difficult to get people to show up and do what they say they’re going to do.
We had a man working with us who didn’t show up because he was in jail. It was cheaper (in his mind) to do a stint in jail versus pay the fine. He never did come pick up his tools. How can a serious tradesman not want his tools??
Something else we’ve been seeing is the smaller contractors take on multiple jobs at the same time, so they don’t put in a full day’s work at any of the job sites. Very frustrating. And of course there’s little to no communication.
We paid for a stamped concrete patio from a contractor whose business was primarily concrete. It cracked over the winter. Another driveway he poured near us cracked too. I’d blame a bad mix. I swear to Pete he asked if we had an earthquake. In Wisconsin.
He was going to come back and replace it but said he had to do other jobs to pay for the materials first. Meanwhile, he bought a brand new truck and a bobcat and went to Vegas at least monthly.
He was one of those guys who prefers to talk to the man of the house. I lost HIS number. What a royal jerk. I still get mad every time I look at my patio.
We have a 110 year old farmhouse that needed EVERYTHING done 40 years ago. We have had more contractors than I like to remember. Two have been exceptional, one downright nuts, and the others merely so so. The most disappointing was the son of a beloved science teacher who was a garden designer and contractor. His design was exquisite. His project management was abysmal. It was the first time I realized you could be excellent at one thing and horrible at another. I learned not to give the final payment until the last t was crossed. You have my sincere sympathy in your quest for a contractor.