Building Rage - a contractor's perspective

[Dover]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/15/garden/15contractors.html?_r=1&emc=eta1&oref=slogin

[conscious evolution]

1. Great article

Ihave seen my share of loony homeowners.
The ones who try to get extra work for free I call scopiopaths.
On one project a couple of years ago the homeowner called the contractor while he was on a vacation(Alaskan Cruise) at three in the morning because there was something sticky on his kitchen counter.He literally expected the contractor to leave a ship in the middle of the North Pacific Ocean to come clean up a spill the owners wife had not cleaned up.The same homeowner also bithed about the noise of a relay in a thermostat.A noise everyone else could only hear by placing their ear against said thermostat.
I also get homeowners calling me late at night wanting to discuss the project.I know tell them to not call me that late and if they continue to do so I let it go to voice mail and return the call at 6 am. A couple of oh dark thirty calls and they usually get the message.
Right now I am dealing with one of the artistic types.What a pain in the ass.The indecision is bad enough but what really sucks is that some of what he is envisioning for his place just can't be done or is incredible stupid.Luckily,it is a time and material job,so if he wants to waste my time I have no problem with billing him for it.

[Dover]

2. I'd prefer clients/architects/builders who ARE creative/artistic types

to work with me. I would want to do some unusual things and want someone who is not only open to it, but embraces it. An innovator who likes a challenge.

I just spoke to a woman and her husband who had to switch building contractors half way through their job because the learning curve for the builder and his crew relative to the various green technologies the couple wanted to incorporate into their home, and the slow pace that it required was causing everyone too much stress. They found another builder who LIVED for opportunities like that because he and his crew were all dedicated 'greenies'. It turned out to be a very good move for all concerned. And the finished product is amazing.

I think creative types (whether owner, architect or builder), are generally pioneers. And like any new thing, sometimes they fail. But to me that's what makes life interesting. Building a home is an art form, like a sculpture.

[conscious evolution]

3. I usually do too.But not this one.

He has some good ideas No doubt about that.Its just that he can't make up his mind half the time.A lot of money is being wasted because of his changing his mind halfway through a particular phase.A lot of work will be near complete when he has us rip it out to do something else.

Whats worse is some of what we call his 'really really dumb' ideas.
One is his kitchen.He is building a 3000 sq.ft. three story home with four bedrooms yet his kitchen is only 10'x10'.It is just way too small for a house his size.After all the appliances go in there will be very little counter space and absolutely no storage or pantry space.The architect,who is pretty green and SEER oriented himself,is at wits end with him over it.
Another problem is bathrooms.He originally had two bathrooms for the whole house.One in the master suite,which is pretty typical.The messed up part was the other bath.It was very small and located on the first floor,away from the three bedrooms it is intended to serve.Fortunately we were able to talk him into adding a full bath on the second floor and a half bath on first floor.\

I will give the client this much.He is green oriented.He is going with grey water sytems,solar water heat,geothermal heat and air and other green building techniques.We are also building in such a way that green systems can be easily added or upgraded in the future.

[Dover]

4. I can understand how that could be frustrating.

It sounds like an awesome project though with very good intentions by all.
Sometimes artist types have to see something, feel it, etc. before they can determine if it's
right. And though buildings and redos are very expensive to approach in that manner (unlike
a painting, a book, a sculpture), that IS often how the creative type of person functions.
The price of changes might alter that behavior somewhat, but I'm afraid not enough for
those with more practical expectations. And if he can pay for these changes...well...why not?
However, it does seem he's not utilizing the experience of the architect/builder as regards
the more practical aspects of a building and inhabitant's needs.

Good luck with it. For all the frustration, it sounds very worthwhile.