Before Jody Wirth moved into his brand new home, he started searching for a contractor to finish the basement. He hired Braveheart Construction, and just like other Denver7 viewers, he’s now out thousands of dollars.
I've been in the business for 50 years this is how I do it . When the contractor shows up in your driveway with a crew and materials you pay them 25%. When the job is 50% complete you pay another 25%. Now the job is half done and half the money has been paid. When the job is complete you pay 40% holding back 10% for 30 days. This method has never failed me or my customers.
lol...Bro, I don't know where you live but letting a customer have a 40% leverage on you is ASININE! And a 30 day wait? AND you buy the materials WITH YOUR OWN MONEY before you get a draw? LOL...How much are your jobs- 50 bucks? ... You got lucky and you SURE as hell don't live on the east coast...
As a customer I agree up to the point of when the job is done. When it is complete and you and your customer have done the final inspection and agree it's done, payment is normally done right then and there. Not sure why you let them wait 30 days to pay the final bill? I always make sure my contractor has check in hand the day they finish. And I'm very anal about high quality work - and I will pay for it.
Day 1 u need to give guy money for all material so fuk off with this 25% bullshit. If u would comprehend prices of material and labor u would know that most of your invoice is allways for material. Seen jobs that cost 70% just for your shit. Framera labor is cheap
@@DanKirchner5150 When I get a job, I buy materials and pay labor daily , If I can make that deal, then I don't hire the contractor. Missed a lot contractors, but I haven't been screwed by some of the worst people, make lawyers look like saints..
thats not damage that's how rough in plumbing works, if you want the bathroom in a different location than where the builder left the basement plumbing you have to do that
That price was low for a 1600 square foot basement with a bathroom. But the job should have gotten farther ahead with the money he put down. That’s closer to a 50, 000 dollar job
As a customer, $37k for a master bath seem very steep. There surely isn't $5k worth of materials and unless you're charging $150hr labor....where are you getting these prices? It's almost like you're inflating prices to give yourself $28k in profit and hoping the customer will go "okay". How much is your labor per hour?
@@rickj1983 free market kiddo, he can charge 1000 bucks per hour if he so wishes. Back in 2012 small full bath costed 5k and u re surprised that prices inflated after all this years.
Something isn’t right with this story. My guess ? Money ran out. Wish more homeowners understood. The only way to cut costs is to roll up your sleeves and do as much as your comfortable doing so you don’t have to pay to have it done.
Exactly...even when you hire and pay to have it done "professionally", doesn't necessarily mean it's done correctly or good craftsmanship. Some of the subs hired couldn't care less about the quality, want to collect a paycheck and move onto their next job. I've redone a lot incorrect work over the years learning on my own saving myself the aggravation of calling the main contractor back only for them to tell me there's nothing wrong to protect their egos.
Exactly this! So many people can avoid the 'scams' we all see on news pieces like this...from oil changes to replacing a light switch, if they'd 'man up' and learn to do some sh%t for themselves! This guy isn't elderly or disabled and is a TEACHER (so you'd think he could LEARN also) and could've at the VERY least researched and educated himself some on home improvement and remodeling? Back to what you said though, too few younger 'white collar' males these days are willing to put sweat equity into anything if opening up the checkbook is so much easier. This guy probably figures any type of labor is beneath him, which is why "now he'll have to save up all over again"....LOL!
Well said. I have no experience in building... But have been watching many RU-vid videos and will be building a shed in my backyard as office space!! I got a 10k estimate for a shed and said no thanks... Time to roll up my sleeves!!
There is not any damage at least not to the concrete floor because that has to take place in order to put a toilet there. I just don’t know if you’re getting the basement done for 37 grand not with the price of material today. I don’t know could be I didn’t see everything. This guy openly said he ran out of money that’s why he hasn’t finished
No it doesn't. All the base plates will rot because not pressure treated. The beams are against the foundation wall which also is bad because you need to leave space.
What rep? I am a maintenance man and I flip houses on the side and this is NOT the way to do business. Besides, taking a cue from someone else's comment, there's NOT 27k worth of work done . Me ,I wouldn't have paid his behind up front except for a retainer fee and supplies!
If the homeowner feels ripped-off, he's free to file a lawsuit against the contractor for fraud and not honoring a signed contract. The local county building department may also suspend the contractor's license for these kinds of issues. I was a contractor in Colorado Springs for 17 years and I never took up-front money for any projects. My contracts required payment in full upon completion of the job. I also used formal printed change orders that were required when changes were made to the original contract. That way, I was covered and so was the client.
I’ll take money for material sometimes, but ONLY once it’s on the premises. I don’t take any labor or money for material that’s not there. Keeps it nice and fair. But most times I just wait till the end and get it upon completion.
Was not as many scum back then too, also material is very expensive rn, I think these homeowners wanted alot for little, I seen 3 lies with my own two eyes in the video I know for a fact are lies and misleading, this could've been handled way different and I said it before and I'm saying it again, the greatest thing other than freedom in this great country is do process, two sides to every deal, this homeowner facts he showed us here don't add up, I'm betting the contractor was given even playing field to explain his would probably clear things up for us all, that's what's wrong with some of these stories, we only hear one side and that's misleading unfortunately...
a deposit from the owner shows that they are honest people also. It goes both ways. Just do the job and do it right and there are no problems. Is pretty simple.
School teacher with a brand new Toyota Tundra? Yeah I’m sure it takes a lot of time to save when you’re dumping $1,000 a month into a truck you don’t even need lmao
@@alonsogarcia9113 really? Because a base model 35,000 plus taxes and fees will land you at 40 grand Plus a 5 year loan $670 a month before interest and that’s brand new. Pre owned sell for more I’m sure
They have a Biden/ Harris sign on their lawn, Joe told them they should enjoy prosperity, nothing to see here... Are you a DEM cunt too?? The dude said "we saved for 8 years" and you want to give him shit over his Toyota?? WTF is wrong with you!!?? Obviously you aren't wrapped too tight... How the HELL do you know he has a "truck he doesn't need" what do you ride? A skateboard? You are definitely a gender perfect Democrat. You assholes are ruining our country.
In my business I only take one job at a time. Customer pays directly for materials. and I collect a check once each week for work completed.... I am backlogged for over 2 years. I do have other multi skilled workers I hire also. Honest straight good work pays off.
I'll guarantee there is a lot more going on here than what we are being told. For example - one air-head client insisted on using (and scheduling) her own plumber and electrician. Neither of them was available when the job was ready. Faced with a stand-still, I told miss air-head to call me when those guys were done, and went on to my next job. It was nearly 6 weeks until they were done, and then she "forgot" to call me for 3 more weeks, and was pi$$ed at me because I didn't come back in the next day. That's just one example, but the reality is that for every crooked contractor, there are at least 5 crooked or stupid homeowners.
I see this a lot. Hat I do to protect myself and my customers is 1/3 up front 1/3 halfway through and the rest at the end. Everyone is protected and I’ve never had a problem.
If I'm thinking about this correctly 37000 for about 1500 square foot? And that's for materials, permits, framing, drywall, plumbing, electrical, painting, inspection? That's an insanely good deal, even if they did just the framing and duct work. Framing looks good in the video me. I think the contractor realized they quoted to low, then wood prices increased which was the last straw that made the leave the job Midway.
Framing looks good r serious all the bottom plate is bare lumber it use be pressure treated lumbe He agreed with client for 37k n client gave 27k Which almost 75 percent of the payment did he get 75 percent worth of project done . It just rough in which s not done n not inspected yet This almost 3 days worth of work
Awww....poor guy. 37k to remodel his basement? Must be rough. I paid less than that for a whole house and will do all the work myself. How do these whine babies make the news?
I’ve been doing commercial and residential electrical work for 25 years, have had our own business for 6 years now. We have worked for some really bad builders, a few really good ones. A lot of them are just out for the dollar, and not the quality of their finished product. I’ve seen a lot of shoddy work that I would’ve been ashamed to tell people I did it. Sometimes I’ve truly believed that the best part of some jobs is what we did. And that’s horrible because everything on a job should be the best it can be. Nothing is perfect, ours isn’t either but we should always do our best because at the end of the day, these are peoples homes and businesses we’re working on. Also, good luck finding someone to finish that after someone else already started it.
That's why i run progress payments, to give my customers assurance. I also give a referral list of my customer base, which is 70% investors and my company is impeccable with them, so i have no worries. Then i either take them or show them pictures of some of my work and give them insight into my sub contractors companies. I spend a great deal reassuring customers before i even get the job, to get them comfortable with myself, my company and how we operate. Too many laborers and janky handymen out here making our industry look bad
MCJ that's a good thing. In this case I don't think there was a reasonable expectation that the work could be done for 37k. That leaves me with a list of questions for the customer. What scope of work was covered under the 37k? From what I saw in the clip, there was absout 8 to 10 k of plumbing rough in ready for inspection, some 12 to 15 k of framing, some 12 to 1500 bucks worth of hvac rough in. That's roughly at around 28k including material. Permits, drawings, and engineering (if required) would be about another 5k possibly. That's roughly the 37k. How were you planning to pay for insulation, vapour barrier, electrical, drywall, flooring, doors, trims, paint, plumbing fixtures, etc.
@@alejandroc7357 contractors aren’t in charge of the customers bad money management. They’re just there to make a living. You give them an inch and they take a mile. But they take it inch by inch.
That TJI with the square cut out for a 2" round vent pipe sure it cute. Seeing garbage like that tells me everything I need to know about the "general contractor."
As a owner of a construction company I get deposit and I go to the lumber yard and purchase the materials then I call the homeowner and let them know it's on the way so you media guys get it right contractors who have THIER shit together don't need to be belittle by you
The framing looks good. The i beam joist with the duct running thru is sloppy but acceptable for those joists. Not sticking up for the contractor but you have to breathe slap to put bathroom plumbing in.. there is no way around it.
That is not an acceptable size hole for those i joists and per manufacturer recommendations holes should be circular not rectangular as this causes stress points
Square holes are permitted, read the TJI specs sheet. However, no reason to do one here for a circular protrusion and no reason to make it comically oversized
37,000 for a project like that…People need to be careful not to go with the low cost contractor but rather go with the actual cost..A project like that I would charge more like 100k…Me as a contractor would have never taken the 37k that’s a no no no….Bad contractor practice…
I know this breaks hearts out, but he did not do his homework! A guy like this stands out if you do your research. NEVER handover money like that and be fool by " I need this much money to by materials " get a type of escrow account were both signatures are needed to spend money. At lest you get the materials. It cost more, but not as much as this poor guy.. I just went through this a week ago and because I saw the sings all I got was a bad texture job, no damage and he didn't get most of the payment for the job. I contracted to have the entire house textured , ceilings and even the garage. A big job that costs thousands. Because I knew what he was doing I spotted the signs. All I did was spend time on RU-vid. And I was on site everyday all day! If you have work like this done you can't trust the person now days. You have to assume he will rip you off. Dig into his work, his last job, pick workers brain for information. Watch RU-vid, and contractors hate RU-vid. They make you feel dumb because you had to use it, as if everything on RU-vid is wrong...no they hate it because it exposes them. As far as damage. That's a tough one because most homeowners don't know about codes and what can be done. Fortunately I have experience in this area and can spot bad work. I feel for this guy, but you can't hand over that much money!
ugh horrible. you can pay up front but only a small amount. 10% should be ok to get it started and then in increments. a lot of scumbags out there ripping people off.
for labor 10 percent per week if it takes 10 weeks. If there’s no material, there’s no work to do. So materials has to at least be there. Adding up materials for whatever this project might have been as a whole, I can’t see that price being unfair. But a price is the price. Different contractor, different price maybe. Just depends. It’s better to get people that specialize in one thing and call them for just that. General contractors aren’t always a great idea but specialized general contractors are usually pretty good. Just gotta talk to them and find out what they’re like. Use your judgement to determine whether or not you got the right guy or gal. Try them on a small project first
There is no way in hell that some contractor will pay 40 grand from his pocket for material needed for your garvage home . Day 1 u collect money for material, u dont like it then fak off
That's around 20 bucks a sqft. He quoted job too low and probably didn't have any Capitol to finish the job. A reputable contractor would finish the job even if he did bid job too low. You should break job up into 3 or 4 parts and as the contractor finishes each part he gets paid. The deposit should rarely ever require more than 1/3rd down. A good business owner contractor has enough capital to cover materials over agreed deposit.
I've been a contractor for 25 years of which the first 17 in Colorado. from the beginning I've been getting a 50% deposit, another 25% after drywall is up, and the final 25% upon completion, never had any issues, I also never advertised, all my work was from referrals..
I do full basements, framing done/ electrical done... just look at those can light, give me a good explanation on how they got there. Plumbing is done just need to be poured. 37 grand and 27 up front. The contractor probably signed a contract breaking up payments and the homeowner couldn't get the rest of the money. Some homeowners go through lenders which isn't smart
I feel like we are not hearing the full story. People try and get contractors to do work without being paid all the time. Never hear about nightmare customers.
Somebody probably quoted him an accurate price, and he chose "braveheart construction" instead. They got him with the old "il quote you 1/2 the price, il get 3/4 the money, and il leave you with 100% of and unfinished project when you stop giving me more money" gimmick.
ive been stuck having to finish jobs ,basements included like this one that were obviously underbid ,and have to eat it , the customer's attitude dictates the outcome . this guy here's doing the "should've been finished last week " on a underbid project ,that looks pro built ,yet he chased the contractor away making him feel he'd never receive final payment . I've had this happen ,late yet totally complete -no final draw = bk
School teachers are the biggest victims. I saw this car with a small uhaul trailer on the back, and there was a sign on it. It said school teacher relocating for new job, and then it had all their information for $donations$. This guy has a new home, truck, money for a basement etc.... gimme a break with the woe is me, I am a teacher, have pity on me......
So the guy ran out of money? Always 2 sides to every story. That hole in the truss is fairly normal. Not a big deal as the main supports are still there- only some particle board was removed to accomodate HVAC which is done every day in nearly every home without issue. Clueless resporter. Not damage- incomplete job because again, the homeowner stopped paying.
@@Hello-zf5lq "an affordable" contractor. stupidddddd. let me guess, only the good ones are the unaffordable ones? the ones charging out the ass. go get a recheck on reality buddy
( Do anything )what's u talking about is a lot work done there just on wood materials $7k plust hard heavy labor work finis rough framing Owner have a big deal there for small amount him pay
@@TeslaBoy123 i have done the basement framing myself and have done with inspections. am i a contractor? No. but i know how to do whatever i want with patience and by following the rules. 7k+? No. didnt cost me that much, it cost me less to do something similar.
Buy the material yourself and work out a payment plan…it’s not that difficult! This story has 2 sides we aren’t on any of them to know what the truth is…but ther are always ways to protect both parties
I'm not sure about this one, if he hire a licensed contractor, that contractor is regulated by his state board why wouldn't he reach out to the state board? They'll fix the problem for him if the contractor is violating or taking advantage. If he did reach out to them and they did nothing about it that means that the owner actually did breach the contract. Nothing you can do there.
Those tgi joist are allowed to be cut that way,I mean it looks like shit but is perfectly legal, you cannot touch the top or bottom boards but the half inch osb in the middle allowed !!!
37k, that's not expensive. It's foolish for anyone to expect a hired contractor to pay for price increases in material. He said school teacher 5 times. Maybe he learned something for once.
$37,500 for 1600 square feet is way too cheap. It can't be done for that kind of money. No doubt he went with the cheapest bid and got what he paid for, a cheap contractor.
An entire basement from a-z for 37k?…… what nutty contractor says yes to that? and what’s even more puzzling is what nutty home owner expects a good quality job for that price?
Something is not right. $37k for more than 1600 sqft is just really low. Especially with the cost of material and labor right now. Crazy. I feel sorry for both parties. I hope they get an agreement.
Teacher already said that he ran out of money to pay and contractor said that he breached contract. How y see peace here?? Contractor working for free?
All ways happen when someone charger very cheap $35k only for materials bcz materials prices sky high that don't included labor A 1600sf full basement job a complete remodeling easy cost $70 - $90 thausand or more depending on custom details costumer ask
Guys defending this Contractor are funny! These probably are buddies of his. That price is waaaaayyy too low for this project. That's a red flag usually for a contractor who WILL cut and run. My best advice is file a complaint with the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations. If this slime is stealing money he should be held to account.
Do not hire companies to ask you for more than half of the projects cost especially upfront if they’re asking you for a huge deposit it’s probably because they are completely broke themselves trying to pay their truck payment these are not the type of people you want working for you you have to look out for red flags. The first big red flag is 1600 square-foot basement being done for $37,000 I hired a company to refinish thousand foot square garage Cost with a whole new bathroom being installed what is 12,800 drywalling plumbing electrical everything. Job was done in 2020 of July. Drywall is cheap man do it yourself hire a plumber call electrician. Good luck
Now a failed floor joist in my geographical area due to the large hole cut in it. Tack on the lack of treated plates and no moisture remediation on the concrete walls and you’ve got trouble ahead. And this is just what we can see on the video. A hack job for sure.
The best practice for me has always been customer pays vendor directly we always use reputable lumber suppliers who work hand in hand doing a phone sale or i grab a check made out to the vendor when materials are delivered i take a 30% deposit on my labor, when the rough in inspection is passed or what ever inspection footer electricity plumbing which is best to funnel those into one day its never failed me be organized with your subs and this always works. Once that inspection is complete ill take a 50% check to pay my subs. At finish i recieve the last 20% percennt which is my paycheck and business taxes.
If it takes you 8 years to save 30K, you're foolish to blow it all on a stupid basement remodel with some jabroni...I've been doing basement remodels since the 80's...That basement is 85 K not 35...No wonder...But, if you wrote the contract for a finished project with all the trades and permits included for that; more fool you...The Electric and plumbing is half the job...
1 ) Look at that damn framing, OMG wtf is tha, bro doesnt know how to estimates measure the heights. 2) sry for no basement at that sq footage should be costing that, thats like a 500 sq ft basement price with no kitchen type of thing, and possibly no bathrooms. But I am sorry for your loss.
They need to hold contractors accountable for the service they provide to customers. People pay their hard-earned money for a complete job. The cost for construction is not cheap! If you purchase a vehicle, you get a vehicle ... not a partial vehicle.
Hope you are ok call basement Dreams it will cost will it does and take a little bit if you want my work my work is perfect and speaks for itself and it comes with a one-year warranty just on material not labor and that's only if the company pays for the material if not I mean I'll fix it but I'm not going to pay for it
