starsailor803

when a homeowner decides he's going to cut costs by doing some of the work himself.

So we were wiring a remodeled house for a contractor. This is going to be his personal home. Remodeling 1800 sq ft plus a 900 ft addition. We gave him the price and it was a little out of his budget but he said "we'll work it out." He was supposed to have his guys demo all the old wiring from the attic and crawl space. Well, he demo'd half of it and decided to get a head start on the new wire for us without us knowing.

Well, we come to start the job on Monday and find he's pulled half the house. Nothing stapled or marked. Wires criss-crossed everywhere under the house. 75% of the Romex looked like shredded cheese from dragging them across the brick pillars. The worst kinks you've ever seen. Plus, most of the old wiring still there, looked like it was stapled by Superman.

There's no way I was going to let any of that fly. I spent two days under the house and in the attic removing the brand new wire as well as the old. Left it in a big pile to make a point. Here's some of it.

vinster888

oh man stuff it in the van. the price of cu is going up

starsailor803

I wish I could have but that would just be adding insult to injury. Poor guy wasted several hundred bucks for nothing.

leland

Same story here. My good friend won't use me coz I'm to exspensive (he's a GC). BUT...Ive been to his house 3 times for open ckts.
See he added a 2nd floor,and between the 2...all kinds of boxes.

He hates my solution,so....... I point and leave.

__________________
"When one American is not worth the effort to be found, we as Americans have lost" (Rolling Thunder MA 1)

480sparky

So he can hire the cheap guy to fix it.

Sorry, 'cobble it back together"?

If I had a GC that called me more than twice to find a problem, but wouldn't let me fix it, I'd program his number into my cell phone....... with Do Not Answer as the name.

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starsailor803

Forgot to mention the guy has a business that does high end structure wiring, home theaters, security,etc. He's really smart and pretty meticulous about most things but definitely no electrician.

He's got j-boxes between floors? Are they inaccessible? If so tell him that's a major no-no.

leland

I hear ya 'sparky'. He is also a good friend. Mutual agreement.NO business deals. He will give out my number but won't hire me.

Different standards you mite say.

Oh well.. Tons of fun on the bike rides.

"He's got j-boxes between floors? Are they inaccessible? If so tell him that's a major no-no."

Yep, That was the beginning of the end. (his own house)

__________________
"When one American is not worth the effort to be found, we as Americans have lost" (Rolling Thunder MA 1)

starsailor803

Yikes. Sounds like you're better off not doing the work. There's nothing I hate more than going behind someone else's shoddy work. Just like the house I described. I'd rather rip everything out and start from scratch then try to get by. Even if it takes twice as long(which it did).

InPhase277

I was doing alot of addition wiring for this guy's lake house. He ripped up the floor in the main part of the house and discovered at least 25 (by my count) junction boxes. It's as if someone had a pile of two and three gang boxes and a boat load of 6' pieces of wire. They went everywhere and powered everything. He asked what we could do about it. My suggestion was to rip it out and re-feed everything. He didn't like the price I gave him, so he asked "what else" could be done.

My suggestion: "Put your new floor down and act like I never saw it!"

starsailor803

Jeez. Exactly, do it the right way or just don't do it. It's like they want you plug a hole in a sinking ship with bubble gum instead of paying a welder.

slowforthecones

It's not that hard to mark/label wires... and definately not that hard to yank the old crap, put in new crap. If he does structured..makes me wonder what kinda quality that structured wire is..... residential NM romex is pretty darn easy to label, run whene verything is open.

BIGRED

Those cheap ba$tard$ make me sick!!! All that just to save a nickle. Now it cost him twice as much, I love when that happens to those know it all cheap ba$tard$.

steelersman

Hahaha! I'm with you!

"F" those corksucking cheap "F" 'ers.

InPhase277

A bunch of mortar forking cork suckers, they are! Sunamabeeshes.