Contractor law

[Mike1997]

I'm a contractor in Pennsylvania. I won a contract to build a pole barn. I started the project and weather did not cooperate. After fill was brought in and excavation was completed we dug holes for the posts set a few poles and the next morning found out the ground water table was to high to properly set pole's. We had to postpone till spring. A few thousand dollars of materials was already on site. Contacted customer in spring to let them know it should be good now and they said no your fired we hired someone else. Now they fired me, used my materials plus my excavation costs are imvoled and there demanding the deposit back in full. Where do I stand???? Thanks for your time!!!

 

[John Se]

When did you inform your customer in writing of the problem with the water table? and what conversations and letters back and forth did you have at that time? How is the pole barn constructed? because concrete will cure under water, are you saying you bury wood in the ground? like a telephone pole? Was there a permit? Plans, architects or engineers? what is the value of the contract? what is the value of the materials used and not paid for?

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

Is there a completion date in the contract with a penalty for not meeting it? Absent that, your customer has little ground to tread on though it would have been good business to keep them informed. They could owe you materials, labor invested and profit if the have another contractor do the work.