New Home building not moving along

[ddickinson]

What is the name of your state? North Carolina

We are having a new home built through a large home builder. Permits finally came through mid-December. We've had about 1 weeks worth of work done by the grader in the last 6 weeks. Contract states that there are no promises of completion times due to weather, contractor availability, the usual. Our bother is that the weather has been much better than average (so no weather excuse) and, though the grader is busy for this company, the company admitted that part of the delay is due to the grader taking advantage of nice weather days to do ashpalting for someone else. Are we simply stuck in moving things along, or is there any sort of implicit contract that would bind the builder to use contractors who they can reasonably schedule to do work for their clients? The company also stated recently (as I was complaining) that this grader gives them the lowest bids, so they don't push too hard. However, when we were presented with his being the lowest grading bid, we were NOT told that "his is the lowest but, by the way, it will take three times as long to get his job done".

Any advice or thoughts are much appreciated. This is our first home building experience.

David

 

[HomeGuru]

What is the name of your state? North Carolina

We are having a new home built through a large home builder. Permits finally came through mid-December. We've had about 1 weeks worth of work done by the grader in the last 6 weeks. Contract states that there are no promises of completion times due to weather, contractor availability, the usual. Our bother is that the weather has been much better than average (so no weather excuse) and, though the grader is busy for this company, the company admitted that part of the delay is due to the grader taking advantage of nice weather days to do ashpalting for someone else. Are we simply stuck in moving things along, or is there any sort of implicit contract that would bind the builder to use contractors who they can reasonably schedule to do work for their clients? The company also stated recently (as I was complaining) that this grader gives them the lowest bids, so they don't push too hard. However, when we were presented with his being the lowest grading bid, we were NOT told that "his is the lowest but, by the way, it will take three times as long to get his job done".

Any advice or thoughts are much appreciated. This is our first home building experience.

David

**A: do not see what the problem is in light of the fact that there is no agreed upon completion date in your contract.

 

[seniorjudge]

**A: do not see what the problem is in light of the fact that there is no agreed upon completion date in your contract.

Actually, it sounds like it's moving right along to me.

 

[ddickinson]

Update on Slow Home-building query

What is the name of your state? North Carolina

We are having a new home built through a large home builder. Permits finally came through mid-December. We've had about 1 weeks worth of work done by the grader in the last 6 weeks. Contract states that there are no promises of completion times due to weather, contractor availability, the usual. Our bother is that the weather has been much better than average (so no weather excuse) and, though the grader is busy for this company, the company admitted that part of the delay is due to the grader taking advantage of nice weather days to do ashpalting for someone else. Are we simply stuck in moving things along, or is there any sort of implicit contract that would bind the builder to use contractors who they can reasonably schedule to do work for their clients? The company also stated recently (as I was complaining) that this grader gives them the lowest bids, so they don't push too hard. However, when we were presented with his being the lowest grading bid, we were NOT told that "his is the lowest but, by the way, it will take three times as long to get his job done".

Any advice or thoughts are much appreciated. This is our first home building experience.

David

It is now mid-May, still not done with basement block/brick foundation. Is this considered "moving along" normally? Builder is now looking to find a third mason crew, having picked crews the first two times who do not show up to work on the job. I realize that without a completion time listed in contract we're somewhat stuck, but one more specific item I found in the contract was a mention that block foundations should take 10-15 days, for example (blocks were delivered to site in February, and it has NOT been raining for 3 months here). This is a large homebuilding company in the SE that bragged to me (in order to get me to sign on the dotted line) about how their size allows them to get contractors to do work well and TIMELY so that they don't lose their future stream or work.
I certainly consider that they misrepresented themselves, given our experience, in order to get our homebuilding contract. There has been managerial turnover as well as one poor subcontractor choice after another. Are we still basically at their mercy. I guess there no such thing as an implicit contract in home building.

Do we have any pressure points here?

David

 

[seniorjudge]

It is now mid-May, still not done with basement block/brick foundation. Is this considered "moving along" normally? Builder is now looking to find a third mason crew, having picked crews the first two times who do not show up to work on the job. I realize that without a completion time listed in contract we're somewhat stuck, but one more specific item I found in the contract was a mention that block foundations should take 10-15 days, for example (blocks were delivered to site in February, and it has NOT been raining for 3 months here). This is a large homebuilding company in the SE that bragged to me (in order to get me to sign on the dotted line) about how their size allows them to get contractors to do work well and TIMELY so that they don't lose their future stream or work.
I certainly consider that they misrepresented themselves, given our experience, in order to get our homebuilding contract. There has been managerial turnover as well as one poor subcontractor choice after another. Are we still basically at their mercy. I guess there no such thing as an implicit contract in home building.

Do we have any pressure points here?

David

Three months after your first post: I believe I would be raising holy hell by now.