The New York economy must be doing just fine, been chasing a NYC contractor for a quote to replace our rear deck. They missed the first two appointments (was nice enough to email saying got held up cant make it), took about a week later before made the initial inspection. Ok all good there I'm thinking. Chased them up for the quote two weeks later…yep you'll have the quote next Tuesday, hmmm ok.... [more]
The New York economy must be doing just fine, been chasing a NYC contractor for a quote to replace our rear deck.
They missed the first two appointments (was nice enough to email saying got held up cant make it), took about a week later before made the initial inspection.
Ok all good there I'm thinking.
Chased them up for the quote two weeks later…yep you'll have the quote next Tuesday, hmmm ok.
Tuesday came and went…still didn't hear from David Salerno , waited a few days, then called him the following Monday.
Today I get this email…
“Dean,
Thank you for your email and phone call.
We have a specific protocol to follow.
As I submitted your structural concept to our engineer / expediter we learned your building falls under the auspices of the Landmarks Preservation Committee.
This demonstrates a significant commitment of time and expediting- with dramatically inflated the cost of the project.
Considering the volume of projects we already have pending with LPC, regrettably we wish to be withdrawn from consideration for this project.
There is no charg e for the consult or time spent with the engineer.
Best Wishes,
David Salerno
New York Roofscapes, Inc.
www.nyroofscapes.com
NYDCA Lic#1446431
1330 6th Ave – Suite 23
New York, NY 10019
(212) 653-0662
(212) 653-0950 Fax
(631) 903-7152 Cell”
Gee uhm thanks…you aren't charging me for wasting my time for 6 weeks. OK Dokey. Thanks I guess…
:(
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Response by CCL3
about 9 years ago
Posts: 430
Member since: Jul 2014
Yes they are doing fine because of all the new construction going up. Makes buying an apartment needing renovations even more unattractive. Who wants to have to chase down a contractor to even start the job?
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Response by 300_mercer
about 9 years ago
Posts: 10553
Member since: Feb 2007
Deanc, While I understand the frustration on your part, I think David Solerno is being honest and professional.
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Response by 30yrs_RE_20_in_REO
about 9 years ago
Posts: 9876
Member since: Mar 2009
300_mercer I agree in general but if they didn't want to do any more work where LPC needed to be involved this could have easily been brought up before the process started and and experienced contractor should probably have known that simply from the address of the property.
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Response by Juxie100
about 9 years ago
Posts: 39
Member since: Dec 2014
Deanc, that's pretty much par for the course. I interviewed six general contractors before finding ours. There was the guy who said he was interested, strung me along for three months and then said he had no time, but would be willing to work by the hour, and it would "probably be about $100,000" for his time. (This is way more than the total cost of the finished kitchen.) There was the pair who missed our first two appointments and wanted us to sign a contract which included paying 90% by the time they were at the halfway point, which they would determine. There was the guy who said we should make space in our tiny kitchen by moving our refrigerator in front of the window (which has a great, sunny view.) Another guy who talked down to me and in his late emails kept referring to my kitchen job as a bathroom. At one point I got frustrated and went to a kitchen renovation store, layout in hand, and the idiot first suggested moving my gas range up against a wall (I guess she thought I didn't use skillets on the right hand burners and liked the excitement of flames by the window.) When I said I wanted to stick to my original, two-years-in-the-planning layout, she eliminated all of my kitchen drawers in order to make the blind cabinet big enough for fancy swing out shelves. Oh, and did the math wrong on her measurements. I finally found someone who answered my calls and emails in a timely manner and gave an honest estimate of how long the job would take. He did good work, but frankly, by that time, I just wanted it DONE.
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Response by 300_mercer
about 9 years ago
Posts: 10553
Member since: Feb 2007
I guess I have been lucky. I had good experience but I was willing to visit daily. The key is find contractors who are hungry for work or just go with someone who provides full service at an additional cost (guessing 20-30% more). For example, design and build firms.
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Response by fieldschester
about 9 years ago
Posts: 3525
Member since: Jul 2013
>The New York economy must be doing just fine,
I'm surprised this is a surprise to you.
>Gee uhm thanks…you aren't charging me for wasting my time for 6 weeks. OK Dokey. Thanks I guess…
He didn't waste your time. You could have and should have pursued multiple options. You wasted 6 weeks. Its remarkable you are trying to shame a contractor who refused to take a penny from you.
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Response by fieldschester
about 9 years ago
Posts: 3525
Member since: Jul 2013
>The key is find contractors who are hungry for work
you all don't understand. This is not your market. This is the contractor's market. Small jobs, low cost jobs, difficult jobs with landmarks approval - that's your problem. There are better, bigger, more lucrative jobs out there.
There is bad, good and great in every profession. Over the years I have heard horror stories about some contractors and I have met people that had great experiences with theirs. What profession is not like that? Attorneys? Restaurants? Dentists? Presidents? Good and bad. I think the best thing to do is look for recommendations from friends like you would do with anything.
Dean, I am not sure how your conversations went with your potential contractor but maybe he decided he didnt want to take on your project for other reasons.
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Response by 30yrs_RE_20_in_REO
about 9 years ago
Posts: 9876
Member since: Mar 2009
"30_yrs, why is the onus on the contractor to figure that out day one."
Because if we are talking about wasting time, why would a contractor want to spend all the time that this one did if he should have known up front it was a job he wasn't interested.
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Response by Primer05
about 9 years ago
Posts: 2103
Member since: Jul 2009
It is possible he was interested at first and then for some reason became disinterested.
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Yes they are doing fine because of all the new construction going up. Makes buying an apartment needing renovations even more unattractive. Who wants to have to chase down a contractor to even start the job?
Deanc, While I understand the frustration on your part, I think David Solerno is being honest and professional.
300_mercer I agree in general but if they didn't want to do any more work where LPC needed to be involved this could have easily been brought up before the process started and and experienced contractor should probably have known that simply from the address of the property.
Deanc, that's pretty much par for the course. I interviewed six general contractors before finding ours. There was the guy who said he was interested, strung me along for three months and then said he had no time, but would be willing to work by the hour, and it would "probably be about $100,000" for his time. (This is way more than the total cost of the finished kitchen.) There was the pair who missed our first two appointments and wanted us to sign a contract which included paying 90% by the time they were at the halfway point, which they would determine. There was the guy who said we should make space in our tiny kitchen by moving our refrigerator in front of the window (which has a great, sunny view.) Another guy who talked down to me and in his late emails kept referring to my kitchen job as a bathroom. At one point I got frustrated and went to a kitchen renovation store, layout in hand, and the idiot first suggested moving my gas range up against a wall (I guess she thought I didn't use skillets on the right hand burners and liked the excitement of flames by the window.) When I said I wanted to stick to my original, two-years-in-the-planning layout, she eliminated all of my kitchen drawers in order to make the blind cabinet big enough for fancy swing out shelves. Oh, and did the math wrong on her measurements. I finally found someone who answered my calls and emails in a timely manner and gave an honest estimate of how long the job would take. He did good work, but frankly, by that time, I just wanted it DONE.
I guess I have been lucky. I had good experience but I was willing to visit daily. The key is find contractors who are hungry for work or just go with someone who provides full service at an additional cost (guessing 20-30% more). For example, design and build firms.
>The New York economy must be doing just fine,
I'm surprised this is a surprise to you.
>Gee uhm thanks…you aren't charging me for wasting my time for 6 weeks. OK Dokey. Thanks I guess…
He didn't waste your time. You could have and should have pursued multiple options. You wasted 6 weeks. Its remarkable you are trying to shame a contractor who refused to take a penny from you.
>The key is find contractors who are hungry for work
you all don't understand. This is not your market. This is the contractor's market. Small jobs, low cost jobs, difficult jobs with landmarks approval - that's your problem. There are better, bigger, more lucrative jobs out there.
30_yrs, why is the onus on the contractor to figure that out day one. Surely deanc who went through all of this: http://streeteasy.com/talk/discussion/32826-really-disappointed-in-sl-benfica-transportation would have known and could have disclosed upfront.
There is bad, good and great in every profession. Over the years I have heard horror stories about some contractors and I have met people that had great experiences with theirs. What profession is not like that? Attorneys? Restaurants? Dentists? Presidents? Good and bad. I think the best thing to do is look for recommendations from friends like you would do with anything.
Dean, I am not sure how your conversations went with your potential contractor but maybe he decided he didnt want to take on your project for other reasons.
"30_yrs, why is the onus on the contractor to figure that out day one."
Because if we are talking about wasting time, why would a contractor want to spend all the time that this one did if he should have known up front it was a job he wasn't interested.
It is possible he was interested at first and then for some reason became disinterested.
or maybe something better came along...