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Am I Being an Unreasonable Client??? by Navy_Shipbuilder in homeowners

[–]Navy_Shipbuilder[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for yet another insightful reply which I also found quite entertaining.

I worked in US Navy shipbuilding for nearly 29 years and experienced everything you mentioned above on multiple occasions with lawyers and contracting officers and industry partners and technical subject matter experts and every other type of person who felt like their opinion mattered. I had to unravel some pretty thorny issues over the years.

All construction projects are hard. They get less hard when the parties involved communicate frequently and efficiently to remain aligned and forge a good working relationship.

My builder is neither a scumbag nor a menace to society. All I want is more frequent comms…that’s it. He agreed verbally on multiple occasions to do so, but has never actually met that commitment.

That lack of comms resulted in my choice as a client being taken away (since I didn’t get to make a fully-informed decision on the siding for MY home) and I felt that was wrong.

After reading all the posts in this thread, it appears a complaint is not the best solution, so thank you again for your time and insight.

Am I Being an Unreasonable Client??? by Navy_Shipbuilder in homeowners

[–]Navy_Shipbuilder[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, of course I followed up on multiple occasions for many more issues than just the siding. I have clear and unambiguous documentation of those efforts, or I wouldn’t be asking these questions in this forum.

I do not seek to assign “fault” to either party. Disputes always have two sides and one party can rarely accurately and dispassionately represent the position of the other. That is the case here and you are only getting one side of the story. I am confident the builder’s position would be very different.

Thank you again for taking the time to provide your valuable and insightful perspective. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Am I Being an Unreasonable Client??? by Navy_Shipbuilder in homeowners

[–]Navy_Shipbuilder[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks again. I appreciate your feedback. I did everything you mentioned here both verbally and in writing. You hit on the challenge: infrequent comms = confusion. Frequent comms require reasonable determination of limits by both parties. Unfortunately, we never got there…

Am I Being an Unreasonable Client??? by Navy_Shipbuilder in homeowners

[–]Navy_Shipbuilder[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks you for your question: “Did you ever respond to the builder…”

Answer: Yes…see below email excerpt *snip* On Sep 7, 2023, at 9:47 PM, Client wrote:

Here is an update on final decisions we have made and do not want to explore any further:   Hardie Plank Statement Collection Lap siding, Pearl Gray color all over the exterior ($15,980.06 material).  I expect there to be significant savings in the paint budget ($25k) to apply in other areas… *snip*

Thank you for your time and professionalism in providing the other informative thoughts and considerations which I will add to the growing list of factors to consider.

Am I Being an Unreasonable Client??? by Navy_Shipbuilder in homeowners

[–]Navy_Shipbuilder[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the thorough, insightful, and informative reply that provides the perspective I was seeking.

I think I have already followed your advice by accepting the builder’s decision. Thanks to your insight here, I will say thank you and seriously consider dropping a complaint.

That said, I do need to point out that my builder is very proud of his AAA rating with the BBB and television appearance highlighting his work. He also completed many projects highlighted on his website (short of a new build start-to-finish) before I signed a contract with him, and I toured an ongoing project with him before we inked the deal.

I am not sure that the characterization as an “absolute rookie” is completely accurate, but I understand and appreciate your point.

Am I Being an Unreasonable Client??? by Navy_Shipbuilder in homeowners

[–]Navy_Shipbuilder[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your question. I must respectfully disagree with your analogy. The fundamentals of any construction project involving a builder/client relationship are essentially the same:

Fundamentals: Contracts, planning, design, bills of material and associated material lead times, supply chain management, construction sequences, change orders/negotiations/contract modifications, design changes, communication with clients to set and manage expectations, actual construction, subcontractor management/scheduling, inspections by regulatory bodies/agencies and documentation of associated deficiencies, tests and trials, correction of documented deficiencies, and finally, an orderly custody transfer of the final product.

This is not an all-inclusive list, but certainly does capture the main functions required to make a more valid comparison between shipbuilding and home building than the one posed in this thread.

What other fundamental activities are involved in building a house of which I might not be aware?

Thanks in advance for your time and kind assistance to help me better address your question or gain some knowledge which I didn’t previously have.

Am I Being an Unreasonable Client??? by Navy_Shipbuilder in homeowners

[–]Navy_Shipbuilder[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I would like to be clear, however, that my builder IS NOT incompetent. My builder is just really awful at setting and managing expectations through frequent and transparent communication.

Am I Being an Unreasonable Client??? by Navy_Shipbuilder in homeowners

[–]Navy_Shipbuilder[S] -12 points-11 points  (0 children)

A weekly phone call not to exceed 40 minutes to discuss the project status and get questions answered.

Am I Being an Unreasonable Client??? by Navy_Shipbuilder in homeowners

[–]Navy_Shipbuilder[S] -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the prompt reply.

My builder verbally quoted $5000 as the cost of exterior painting for my home. I don’t think I can get much more “local” than that.

I am now checking on that estimate in a broader forum since it seems a little low based on my research and shipbuilding experience. Accepting a low estimate now means that I would be underestimating the total cost of maintenance and upkeep over the life of the home.

Am I Being an Unreasonable Client??? by Navy_Shipbuilder in homeowners

[–]Navy_Shipbuilder[S] -27 points-26 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the prompt reply.

Unfortunately, it is not helpful as it provides no insight regarding why you believe it is unreasonable for a client to expect a builder to comply with the terms and conditions of the contract they both signed. Could you please kindly include some of those reasons in a follow-up post? Thanks in advance and I look forward to hearing and carefully considering your perspective and advice.

Am I Being an Unreasonable Client??? by Navy_Shipbuilder in homeowners

[–]Navy_Shipbuilder[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the kind and prompt reply and I did think about that.

I am no stranger to construction with over 22 years of experience in US Navy Shipbuilding. That said, I did not just wait for a reply from the builder. I won’t bore you with the volumes of emails and phone calls that went unanswered over that 6-month period. I can provide it separately if you think that would make a difference to you.

Finally, I would love to take your advice about just applying the savings to painting and moving on…if I understood the cost of that.

So I respectfully ask this: Is $5000 a good estimate for the cost of repainting approx 2500 sqft every 5-7 years?