Contractor Taking Too Long: What Are My Options?
One study found that respondents’ average length of a construction dispute was 17.6 months. If you’re hiring a contractor, you want the job done promptly.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen.
Sometimes, there are unforeseen issues that your contractors encounter during construction. Other times, your contractor isn’t prioritizing you.
If your contractor takes too long, you need to know your options. Keep reading to learn the best ways to give your contractor a nudge – and what to do when that fails.
Why Is Your Contractor Taking So Long?
Before you start making any demands of your contractor, it’s best to know the whole story. Your contractor could take longer to finish your home improvement project due to unforeseen complications or issues they must resolve before the work can continue.
For instance, if you hire a roofing contractor for a roof replacement, they could encounter rot in your roofing materials, which means the contract duration will likely need to be extended.
Or, if your contractor is taking too long, this could be due to a lack of supply for the products they need to finish the project – which means your product will only be completed when these materials come back in stock.
A responsible contractor will always keep you in the loop, so you’re always aware of the project’s scope and how long it will take. However, this often isn’t the case. Asking your contractor why it’s taking so long will help you to understand whether you need to intervene.
When Your Contractor Is Taking Too Long – Your Options
Here are your options when your contractor is taking too long – and not giving a good reason.
Keep Your Contractor Accountable
When your contractor takes too long, you must document all communications and work performed to hold your contractor accountable.
If your contractor says your new kitchen cabinets will be complete by the end of the week, and you have evidence that it hasn’t been completed by the week’s end, you can use it to hold your contractor accountable.
Approach your contractor with the evidence and state that you’re not happy. Frequently, showing your discontent with the service will give your contractor the nudge they need to make more progress with the project.
Refuse Payment
If you suspect your contractor is drawing out the length of the project to create more billable hours, you have the right to refuse payment. Offer to pay for the cost of services to the projected deadline instead of the actual deadline.
Your money gives you leverage in the situation, and if you use it during the project, you can ensure your contractor knows the consequences of their slow service.
Of course, while this is a decisive move, you should always use respectful language when communicating with your contractor – this is a business interaction, not a personal one.
Leverage Reviews
In addition to having money on your side, you can leverage reviews to make the construction process go in your favor.
If you’re unhappy that your contractor is taking so long, you can threaten to leave a negative review for the service. Let your contractor know that you’re dissatisfied with the contractor’s service and that you wish to leave a review to let others know that the service is slow and they might not complete their projects on time with this contractor.
Since many homeowners use reviews to decide which contractor is suitable for their project, a negative review could be costly for the business. Hopefully, this threat will be enough to get your contractor moving.
Go To Senior Management
If you’re not dealing with one of the higher-ups in the company, you can always go to senior management to resolve your issue.
Typically, senior management will intervene to confer with your contractor about the project and why it is taking so long. If there isn’t a good answer, the senior managing authority will take disciplinary action to ensure your project gets finished on time and in line with company values.
Take Legal Action
In severe circumstances, when nothing you do can sway your contractor to finish the project, it’s within your rights to take legal action.
When you hire a contractor, your home becomes a building site. You could be without a kitchen, bathroom, or living area for months. If your project goes on for too long, this has a tremendous impact on your quality of life.
To take legal action, you’ll need documented evidence of your contractor’s proposed deadlines and failure to meet said deadlines. If your contractor has been rude or disrespectful in communications, you may also wish to include this evidence in the claim.
Simply filing a claim might be enough to get your contractor to take you seriously and finish the project swiftly. If not, you could be entitled to compensation – or at the very least, you won’t need to pay for the services.
And Remember – Be Respectful
No matter how poor the services of your contractor are, you win more flies with honey than with vinegar. If you use disrespectful language with your contractor, you could tarnish the relationship, and it could turn sour.
If you handle yourself well during the dispute process, things are far more likely to work in your favor – and you won’t need to avoid your contractor in your house for the remainder of the project.
Summary
Contractor disputes are extremely fatiguing and challenging. Unfortunately, if you hire a contractor, you need to prepare yourself to be assertive and ensure deadlines are met. By following the steps in this post, you can gracefully and effectively navigate a contractor dispute without acting outside your character.
The Above Guest Article Provided by – Mackey Wallace <mackeywallace36@gmail.com>
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