Basement Remodel - Contract

I was wondering if anyone would have any thoughts on the following issue. I will be hiring a contractor to refinish a basement. The approximate cost will be between $15,000 and $20,000. I will be required to buy the flooring in advance of the job's start. There is no contract yet. The contractor said, he usually gives people a contract a few days prior to the beginning of a job. Is this normal? I have had this contractor do some small jobs for me in the past and he has done great work but the timeline for these jobs has not been consistent. He is very busy all of the time.

The cost of the flooring will be about $2,500 and I do not feel all that comfortable spending this money without having a contract. I do not want to have this flooring sitting at my house for an extended period of time. Any thoughts? Thank you.

 

You could have a completion date in the contract with a cost reduction if it's not met. That's if you can get him to sign it.

 

There is no contract yet.. I am trying to find out if it normal for the homeowner to buy the materials prior to signing a contact? I have only hired one contractor for a major job and I do no not think that I spent any money until the contract was signed. For smaller jobs in which I have hired a contractor/painter, etc, I have bought the materials in advance of the job and there was no contract.

 

If something happens and your deal with this contractor falls thru - won't you still need the materials when you hire the next guy?

Have you discussed your concerns with the contractor?

 

Yes, I will still need the materials but they might end up sitting in my garage and or basement for a long period of time. We use the garage for cars and we do use the basement. The materials would take up a lot of space. I have discussed the issue. He will try to get the contact together and send it. I do not know when that will happen.

I am just trying to find out what is normal protocol for decent size job?

 

I would say that buying the materials in advance of completing the contract is not normal. In fact having you purchase the materials introduces another party if a problem arises, example. If the product fails in some way, who is responsible, you or the contractor and who pays for the labor involved? It is commonly referred to as the "finger pointing excuse" which complicates any resolution.

Now, as for the flooring that can be a difficult choice as we often hear on the forum people selecting products that do now do well in a basement, anything related to wood can have issues. There are ways to install some floorings but they can be expensive and the basement needs to be dry. Before you suggest yours is dry I'll say 99% are not, that's the nature of concrete. This link has some basement reading.
https://buildingscience.com/document...ts?full_view=1

Here are some thoughts.
1. Start at the beginning here with what you have and what you are proposing.
2. Where are you (climate) and what is the history of your basement?
3. All contractors working on your property need to have insurance coverage for themselves and anyone they employ, confirmed by a certificate of insurance from his insurance company listing you as also being covered.
4. Be sure he will pull all required permits and be responsible for all inspections.
5. Verify with your home owners insurance agent what they will cover and what they want to see for his coverage.
6. Talk with your local building department about your project.
7. Confirm from that department that all existing work was permitted and inspected. You cannot improve non-permitted work. Perhaps tearing it out and starting over might be acceptable.

Bud

 

So why is just the flooring being required to be purchased prior to starting, That is usually the last item to be done so I don't understand why it's be required and nothing else?

 

I have no idea why this is the only item that is required in advance. The last time that I used a contractor for a major job was to remodel a kitchen. We did not buy anything in advance. We made choices, signed a contract and then may periodic payments. This was a larger company, though.

 

Call him. Tell him what you told us. I doubt that he cancel the job for such a small thing like that.

 

I am not sure what you mean by cancel the job for a small thing. Do you mean if I do not get the floor prior to signing the contract?

 

What I'm trying to say is, you don't like the idea of being forced to purchase the flooring ahead of time. He doesn't know that or does he? If he doesn't, you have to tell him or at least ask him why he wants you to do that. Is it because the flooring should be stored at the location to get accustomed to the climate? I've heard of that when I worked with a floor guy. No matter what, it has to be discussed with the contractor first.

 

I am not sure why I need to have the floor there a few days prior to the job being done. The conversation was not that long. It could be the issue of acclimation, although this is a vinyl floor made to look like wood. He is usually busy and the conversation was informal. I am hoping that he sends me a contract real soon. I think it would only take a few days to ship the floor.

 

Speaking from a contractor's perspective, if the homeowner supplies the material you want to make sure that it's there ahead of time. No profit in showing up on a job with a crew and find out you have nothing to work with. I always preferred to supply the materials, that way I knew they were on site - if not, it was my fault.

 

Makes sense. If the materials are not there, he cannot work on the job. I do not think that he wants to buy it because he may not have a great place to store it. This is a small company.

 

So lets take it a step further, what does the basement job consist of?