Construction Issues in California

[Vi Huang]

I was wondering if anyone can please give advice on how to get my contractor to finish up my project. We are building an ADU in California and he was supposed to be done by end of April. It is now mid July and he still has a fair amount of work to do. We're almost at the finish line but we've been "almost done" for the last 3 months. Now that we're putting the finishing touches, I've noticed some issues with craftsmanship and am concerned that having him fix these issues will further delay us. I have told him that I will share my experience on social media if he doesn't finish by today but we still have quite a bit left to do. Hoping some flippers or attorneys might be able to share how they've been able to get contractors to move quickly or if anyone has advice on what the best next steps are to ensure we finish up soon. If he actually sends people to work I'm guesstimating that there's maybe 1 or 2 weeks of work left to do at most but I see 1 or 2 things done each week.

[Joe Homs]

@Vi Huang contractors are only motivated by one thing, "Money."  Hopefully you have not paid him the entire contract.  If you are having that many issues with him, get a new contractor.

Good Investing...

[Vi Huang]

Hi @Joe Homs thanks for the quick response. I have not paid him everything. He tried to bill me for "Touchup" work but he hasn't even installed everything. We've paid the majority but not everything. Do I tell him he has a certain number of days to complete or I will find someone else to finish? Also, do I need to get a lawyer involved?

[Joe Homs]

@Vi Huang Yes, tell him he has a certain number of days to complete the job or you will look for someone else to finish and contact the contractors board to report him.  Hiring a lawyer just makes them rich.  

Good Investing...

[Peter Mckernan]

Quote from @Vi Huang:

I was wondering if anyone can please give advice on how to get my contractor to finish up my project. We are building an ADU in California and he was supposed to be done by end of April. It is now mid July and he still has a fair amount of work to do. We're almost at the finish line but we've been "almost done" for the last 3 months. Now that we're putting the finishing touches, I've noticed some issues with craftsmanship and am concerned that having him fix these issues will further delay us. I have told him that I will share my experience on social media if he doesn't finish by today but we still have quite a bit left to do. Hoping some flippers or attorneys might be able to share how they've been able to get contractors to move quickly or if anyone has advice on what the best next steps are to ensure we finish up soon. If he actually sends people to work I'm guesstimating that there's maybe 1 or 2 weeks of work left to do at most but I see 1 or 2 things done each week.

 Joe is correct and I would go after his bond too if he is bonded (hopefully he is). This could get some of your money/time lost back...