Like you, they take pride in their work

I spoke to a contractor this week, a really nice guy. We chatted about all sorts of things.

And what was really clear was that this guy loves his job as a contractor.

He takes great pride in his work, never lets a problem beat him, and has a good rapport with his subcontractors. Most of all, he loves working with his clients, working with them to build a loft to give them exactly what they want. Explaining what’s possible, finding the best solutions, and finishing the project so that the client is happy, and he knows he’s done a proper job.

Afterall, every job is his testimonial, and the last thing he wants is to leave a bad job.

So although contractors have a somewhat dubious reputation, remember they’re also skilled experts who want to please you. Not to take you for a ride.

So how did we get to this point?

Well, construction is complicated. The basic rules are well established but the finer details and the reality will always throw up a few problems along the way, especially working on old and existing buildings. Problems such as -

• Roofs sag over time, and those rafters don’t match with the new rafters (ageing)
• Past works on the house have positioned fittings in awkward places (boilers!)
• The construction of the past was not great (“They don’t make em like they used to”, to which builders say “Thank god!”) and new construction has much higher demands on quality (insulation, for one)

So when a project gets delayed, it’s 99% due to uncovering issues which can’t be walked away from, and have to be remedied.

Summary

Your contractor is doing the best he can. Buildings are complicated and problems arise during the project. Bear with him, and try not to jump to assumptions.