# Contractors and cleanliness



## htabbas (Oct 25, 2011)

After 6 months of extension/remodeling, I pretty much have worked with contractors from all trades: exterminators, duct work, electrician, plumbers, builders, roofers, garage door guys, kitchen guys, bathroom guys, insulation guys, you name it.

I found out that they usually try to clean the area where you can see, like in your living rooms etc. But when they work in your attic or crawlspace where they think you would never check, they would leave behind a lot of stuffs. I do check occasionally though and guess what I found? A lot of trash and a lot of tools. Half used tapes, product boxes, packaging, half cut electric wires, duct parts, connectors.... I have spent a lot of time cleaning out what they should have done. And I collected a lot of tools: an electric drill, couple of li-ion batteries, several hammers, a lot of screw drivers (one of them was retrieved from the inside the HVAC register!!), several tape measures, caulk guns, etc. I really don't understand why they can't have a bit more courtesy.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Welcome to the real world, as an owner of a constrution company I can testify to what your going through and can tell you any boss has told the employees at least a hundred times to pick up after there self and to never leave a job until all tools have been account for. 
Since they did not have too pay for the tools, they could careless. I've even taken the price of a new tool out of there pay check and they still loose stuff.
A few loose wire tails left in an attic or crawl space is one thing, but I've had electritions come in and leave all the boxes lights and ceiling fan come in and all the plastic packages switch plates come in laying on the floor where ever they happen to be working. Even though there was a dumpster right outside the door. People that have no more pride in there work then that are not invited back.


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

That can happen---but it's really not that common---I never had any slobs on my jobs--(more than once)

I won't tolerate it and make it clear with any subs that clean up and disposal must be included in their bid-- On additions and large jobs (back when I did that sort of work) I would hire a clean up/helper to save the expense of paying crafts mans wages for janitorial work.

What did you agree to---did you pay for clean up? Or just assume that was included?


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

In 20 plus years of doing remodeling--I have found only two pair of channel locks--one stud finder--a prybar and a folding work light---

Your 'crew' sound like a real bunch of '_*lose*_rs'--


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

My main subs would clean up after their selves but I had a brick crew I could not get them to us the johnny on the job, the dumpster was right beside it but they would us the dumpster. They didn't do but one brick job, the sad part was they were really good. The main thing I had trouble with is guys peeing in the bathtubs. I put a sign in the tubs, we don't pee on you check, don't pee in our tub.

No matter how good a sub cleaned up, I still had to hire clean up crews, it was just part of the job.


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Yuck----they should have used the sump pit:laughing:

I did a basement for a fellow once--He got his own drywall crew---

He was shocked when the hangers left all the scraps on the floor and broken sheets---hundreds of pounds of junk---

Never asked about clean up---I had to tell him--there are THREE trades involved--Hangers--tapers--and scrappers---he just didn't know about the scrappers.

That explained why his guy was cheaper than my guy:whistling2:


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## RTRCon (Nov 20, 2007)

> The main thing I had trouble with is guys peeing in the bathtubs. I put a sign in the tubs, we don't pee on you check, don't pee in our tub.


Years ago i was trimming a builders own personal home. He had some arguement about money with the drywallers.. They peeed in most of the HVAC vents. Couldnt get rid of the smell and had to replace a bunch of it..


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Funnest one I heard of--office remodel for an obnoxious owner----

The hvac installers tapped the bathroom exhaust into the air vent over the owners desk---


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## Ironlight (Apr 13, 2011)

I've had pretty good luck with the subs that I've hired, acting as my own GC. But I tend to look for older guys who are established tradesmen and have obvious pride in their work process as well as their work product. I've found that younger guys often haven't developed the same habits even if they work hard and do good work.

The only tool I recall having found over the years, other than a few stray screwdrivers and pliers, was a Hitachi 18v battery. Called the guy and let him know but he never came back for it. Sorta odd as those things aren't cheap.


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

I'm a painter and had to do some minor drywall repairs for a Landlord on a rental house. He told me there were several buckets of mud in the garage that I could use to patch the walls. This is in the summer with temps around 95 degrees. I open the first bucket.......filled to the brim with human waste.....I open the 2nd, same thing......every frickin bucket was filled to the top with sh**! All were "honey" buckets. Ended up being the guy who did most of the carpentry work for the LL. At the time, there was no plumbing in the house, but, there was a store less than a block away with a restroom. I never opened a bucket of "used" mud ever again.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

RTRCon said:


> Years ago i was trimming a builders own personal home. He had some arguement about money with the drywallers.. They peeed in most of the HVAC vents. Couldnt get rid of the smell and had to replace a bunch of it..


That would have been the one to break the camel's back, it would have been time to open up a good ole can of whoop a..:thumbsup:


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## 95025 (Nov 14, 2010)

They paved the street in front of my house this summer. A couple days later, when I went to mow, I found an almost new 35' Fat Max tap measure sitting on the boulevard. I guess I'm okay with that.


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## biggles (Jan 1, 2008)

you make out with the tools left and the lead guy asks where that favorite tale measure or cutting sheers or has a dead power pack on a drill and asks where the others...that guy is a gonner... lead guys hate it when there tools are used and left behind by i don't give a SH** helpers or guys they don't like to work with....companies don't replace hand tools:whistling2:


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## Bud Cline (Mar 12, 2006)

Years ago I did (quick) tile jobs for the big developers in the Plano Texas area and it wasn't unusual to go into a new home to do some tile and find more than one person had crapped in the bathtub. It happened all the time. The builder had one Porta Potty on every block that was being developed and still they used the tubs. Peed in the shower bases and crapped in the tubs.


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## rusty baker (Feb 13, 2009)

Having done flooring for almost 40 years, we are supposed to be the last trade in (like that ever happens). The trades that leave the biggest mess are the drywallers and electricians. Many times I've had the electricians come in after I had installed pad and just throw their trash (wire clippings, paper from outlet covers) all over the pad. At least the drywall mess is a one-time cleanup before I start.


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## titanoman (Nov 27, 2011)

oh'mike said:


> Yuck----they should have used the sump pit:laughing:
> 
> I did a basement for a fellow once--He got his own drywall crew---
> 
> ...


Usually the hangers put their scraps in the walls and sheetrock over 'em.


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

rusty baker said:


> Having done flooring for almost 40 years, we are supposed to be the last trade in (like that ever happens). The trades that leave the biggest mess are the drywallers and electricians. Many times I've had the electricians come in after I had installed pad and just throw their trash (wire clippings, paper from outlet covers) all over the pad. At least the drywall mess is a one-time cleanup before I start.


You guys SHOULD be last but 9 times out of 10 it is the painter who has to clean up everybody elses mess.


Yes, electricians are the worst of the bunch and for the life of me ,I cannot figure out why.:huh:


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Bubbas, other than painters, think their mothers work for them and will still clean up after them. The best of even finish carpenters could be real slobs so on my projects I built in a sub-contractor clause that said you are responsible for cleaning up after yourselves or I will---at the end of the work day. Factor the time and cost into your bids guys. Yeah right, like I dared.

It took awhile to train them but I had great and expensive clean-up crews. Dumping stuff down heating vents stopped quickly. Leaving crap in basements and attics came second. Most of my subs got into the habit of at least sweeping up. I was not after immaculate perfection. 

My clients wanted to see work in progress and I thought it looked tacky to see scraps all over the place that could have been swept up at the end of the day---they did not want to find them in their HVAC vents later. I was willing to pay for it so I wasn't being unreasonable. Selfishly I did not like crunching on pieces of 2 by and bad shot nails. It takes much less effort to clean a job site as you go. Last and most important is that a clean job site is a safer one.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

chrisn said:


> You guys SHOULD be last but 9 times out of 10 it is the painter who has to clean up everybody elses mess.
> 
> 
> Yes, electricians are the worst of the bunch and for the life of me ,I cannot figure out why.:huh:


Nope! Wrong this time on two counts. Plumbers have to be the best at not cleaning up ever after themselves. Landscape contractors will tell you they are always last on the job and have to try to plant a lawn where stuff was just tossed out windows. Ask any of them what they find and paint roller covers rank right up there with everything else they have to turn into a planting base. 4-24 months late for no fault of theirs, but responsible for everything back to the guy who screwed up the foundation inspection. :furious:
Client is screaming of course. Only contractor left is the landscape contractor. General is in hiding.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

On my jobs, the landscapers came after the cleanup crew. The yard leveled or the holes filled and ready for the landscapers. I always had a clean up crew for the final clean of the house also, windows washed after paint scraped, carpets cleaned and floors mopped and waxed, entire house cleaned ready to live in, even good air freshener. Sure it cost but that was just the norm for some builders, some charged for it, some just took the hit. It was turn key, not clients have to do a lot to move in.

Just one more slob story: Way back when I was working for my dad I was to install cedar T&G in a walk-in closet just off a bathroom. The door was closed so I waited for the guy in there to let me get in. He walked out and I walked in where he had just took a dump in the tub. Needless to say that guy cleaned it up before I worked in there.

Not all construction people are slobs, most care about their jobs or should I say some. I had some good subs and I only took on one job at a time (after I learned 5 crews just wasn't worth the trouble) so I was on the job everyday, most of my subs at least picked up after themselves, except my plumber, you didn't want to tick him off or the job would never get done.


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## Hates my roof (Dec 3, 2011)

This: "...they usually try to clean the area where you can see..." says it all. Many contractors have a keen awareness of which shortcuts are easy to get away with. Most customers are clueless to this unless they are both knowlegeable and observant. Customers might check up on the contractors work progress once or twice or three times a day. During those brief inspection periods, the contractor might put on a show to make it look like they really care but as soon as your back is turned, that faked concern disappears.


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## rossfingal (Mar 20, 2011)

Back in the late, 70's - early, 80's - I worked for a roofing/siding
supplier/installer.
We had a large custom/semi-custom builder as an account (not "tract",
homes).
One thing that was impressed upon us from the start - all the "trades"
were equally, important!
Everyone works together, and everyone cleans up after themselves!!!
Everyone!!! - no "golden boys", no "prima donnas"! - nobody with an attitude - my trade is "this-or-that" - your trade is "just", "THAT"!

Since, I was on the job-site earlier and later, then most of the other "trades":
All the expensive tools I retrieved (before they "grew, legs") -
All the electricians, plumbers, framers, HVAC, concrete, brick-layers - people that became my friends!
Sometimes, I even did a little clean up when I saw something that I
knew was a "Big", "bad", "No-No" - if the superintendent, came out in
the morning and saw it!! 
I was a "Sider" - no-one had to worry about me cleaning up! -
Aluminum = scrap = "free money"! 

You're a "Pro"? - make it look like you're a "Pro"! -
Even if, all it means is piling up the stuff in the middle of the room!
Don't leave your "shot", strewn around!
End of "Vent"! 

rossfingal

Happy Holidaze!


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## rusty baker (Feb 13, 2009)

As a flooring installer, we had to clean the floors before we went to work and almost all, bag the scraps and throw them in the dumpster. It seemed that most of the trades before us just left their mess knowing we would have to clean it. And many GCs seemed to think it was our job and would not pay extra. I have had to hire an extra person just to clean in front of us.


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## Bud Cline (Mar 12, 2006)

All of my contracts state the areas we are to work in will be "broom clean" upon our arrival or we will not stay. Had to turn around and leave more than once over the years.


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## fixrite (Mar 1, 2009)

On one job site I had to let the plumber go because of very bad workmanship. I had never used him before, so I learned a lesson. I tried to call him later but he would not take the call, in fact he would answer and then hang up. Well I didn't feel bad about not returning his brand new Rigid remote camera that he had left behind on the job. Hey I did try and return it.


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