That talk with my neighbor about firing our contractor still bugs me

My neighbor Mike stopped me last Thursday while I was unloading boxes from the truck. He said he fired his general contractor mid-reno because the guy tried to rush the foundation pour before the rain hit. Mike held his ground and waited, even lost his $2,000 deposit on the concrete truck. But the pour ended up solid while three other slabs on our street cracked within 6 months. Was that a clutch move sticking to his guns or did he crumble by losing that deposit unnecessarily? The foundation is good but he's still fighting the contractor in small claims court. Has anyone else had a make or break moment with a contractor where waiting saved the job but cost you up front?

2 comments

2 Comments

faithf7710d agoMost Upvoted

Hold on though, I gotta gently push back on calling that deposit "lost unnecessarily." In my experience, that $2,000 was basically a cheap insurance policy against a cracked foundation later. Mike didn't crumble, he bought himself peace of mind. Those three neighbors with the cracked slabs? They probably saved their deposits too, and now they're looking at five figure repair bills. Small claims court is a hassle for sure, but a solid foundation is worth fighting over. I'd rather be out two grand and have a good pour than save the money and watch my house settle wrong.

rowanc2910d ago

Nah Mike totally made the right call there and anyone saying otherwise hasn't dealt with foundation issues before. That 2k deposit feels like a lot in the moment but cracked slabs are a nightmare that never ends. Plus the contractor showing he'd try to cut corners like that tells you everything you need to know about the rest of the build. Small claims court sucks but at least Mike's house isn't sinking into the ground while he fights it.