Repairman: Frabble rabble libbity blibbity rockadoodle five times more than the estimate rootie tootie fandango. Man + Woman: Uuuuhhh... Translating contractor to English.
Sorry, folks…but since I have to fix your “improvements” in order to be able to do the remodeling to code, the cost has gone up. Shoulda’ let me do the work in the first place, instead of trying to “do it yourself”.
Overt the years I’ve learned to draw up my own contracts and do my own material estimates first! Part of the contract is that they can not stop work on mine and go to another job.
I think the work is already completed. If it were an estimate they could always go with someone else. There was probably a clause in the original estimate for over runs.
I know a guy who does a lot of heavy remodelling on his house. He told me his method for estimating how long it will take. First, he makes an estimate. Then he doubles the number and then goes to the next unit of time, e.g. days to weeks, weeks to months, etc. Thus an initial estimate of 2 days ends up being 4 weeks. He says that so far it has worked pretty close to right most of the time.
Justice22, the couple is hearing the estimate in contractorese; only the reader can see the English version. As for ‘the work is already completed’…as Dave Barry says in Homes and Other Black Holes, after the contract is signed and the old roof torn off or the old floor torn out or whatever, “A skilled contractor can actually cause himself to dematerialize, into hyperspace, before your eyes.” The completion date is t+c, where t is today and c is a constant.
I once worked for a defense contractor. We built a prototype system and won the bid for the follow-on, but since we were not one of the “usual” contractors, we had to team with one of the big boys.
When they put the proposal together, I complained, “but that’s not what they want!”
Their respons was. “Yeah, we know. We make money on the change request$.”
I feel lucky – my kitchen was only $600 over – to a man who installed a cabinet incorrectly before realizing (as I had said a million times to everyone who wouldn’t listen) that the refrigerator doors wouldn’t open if the cabinet were put where the “designers” wanted it. The money was for his added expense! Yikes! And to think I’m moving and will have to have work done in that house. Sigh! (P.S. Wiley, if you live in Maine, retirement awaits me in Bath.)
comicgos over 13 years ago
I’ve heard that before!
EarlWash over 13 years ago
He would make a dandy politician.
Kvasir42 Premium Member over 13 years ago
I think those are the lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody.
montycantsin2 over 13 years ago
At least he showed up.
lewisbower over 13 years ago
Understand Lady, thats just an estimate. Don’t know what I’ll find after I tear apart your house. Oh, 50% down.
FlashfyreSP over 13 years ago
Sorry, folks…but since I have to fix your “improvements” in order to be able to do the remodeling to code, the cost has gone up. Shoulda’ let me do the work in the first place, instead of trying to “do it yourself”.
RonaldDavis over 13 years ago
If they are not content with that beautiful home they already have, they will never be content.
roctor over 13 years ago
Its free to let him in your door. But you’ll always have topay to get them out. Or “I know someone”.Amen on that RonD.
Yukoneric over 13 years ago
Overt the years I’ve learned to draw up my own contracts and do my own material estimates first! Part of the contract is that they can not stop work on mine and go to another job.
PShaw0423 over 13 years ago
Genius! :)
As always, the key to successful leadership is creating the right incentives so that your vision of success becomes theirs.
Destiny23 over 13 years ago
That’s what happens when you upgrade to the Rootie Tootie Flandango, instead of settling for the standard Flandango.
Justice22 over 13 years ago
I think the work is already completed. If it were an estimate they could always go with someone else. There was probably a clause in the original estimate for over runs.
TexTech over 13 years ago
I know a guy who does a lot of heavy remodelling on his house. He told me his method for estimating how long it will take. First, he makes an estimate. Then he doubles the number and then goes to the next unit of time, e.g. days to weeks, weeks to months, etc. Thus an initial estimate of 2 days ends up being 4 weeks. He says that so far it has worked pretty close to right most of the time.
prrdh over 13 years ago
Justice22, the couple is hearing the estimate in contractorese; only the reader can see the English version. As for ‘the work is already completed’…as Dave Barry says in Homes and Other Black Holes, after the contract is signed and the old roof torn off or the old floor torn out or whatever, “A skilled contractor can actually cause himself to dematerialize, into hyperspace, before your eyes.” The completion date is t+c, where t is today and c is a constant.
dflak over 13 years ago
@Nabuquduriuzhur
I once worked for a defense contractor. We built a prototype system and won the bid for the follow-on, but since we were not one of the “usual” contractors, we had to team with one of the big boys.
When they put the proposal together, I complained, “but that’s not what they want!”
Their respons was. “Yeah, we know. We make money on the change request$.”
pschearer Premium Member over 13 years ago
Yahoo Babelfish was no help.
Varnes over 13 years ago
I love Rockadoodle music….
JanLC over 13 years ago
Anybody see “The Money Pit” with Shelly Long and Tom Hanks? “Two Weeks”“Two Weeks”
Jml58 over 13 years ago
Kheop´s law.Nothing gets built on time and whitin budget.
reynard61 over 13 years ago
You can have it:
1. On time
2. On budget
3. Error free
Pick two.
Barbaratoo over 13 years ago
I feel lucky – my kitchen was only $600 over – to a man who installed a cabinet incorrectly before realizing (as I had said a million times to everyone who wouldn’t listen) that the refrigerator doors wouldn’t open if the cabinet were put where the “designers” wanted it. The money was for his added expense! Yikes! And to think I’m moving and will have to have work done in that house. Sigh! (P.S. Wiley, if you live in Maine, retirement awaits me in Bath.)
Joseph Krois over 13 years ago
Snag pobble di topo…Effe do no san leto…Canu du no deffe sanu…Topo co topo su ni…Affe ni sa ni copo…F@#k if I know?…Could be May…Could be September…
mikdeeps over 13 years ago
Serves you right for going for the cheap bid.Quality costs money