Figuring out what partial work is worth.

[edavid3001]

First contractor -- paid ~$1400 for wood to frame basement. As soon as wood arrived, he passed this job onto another contractor.

We are 6 months into it and the second contractor has done most all of the framing with some minor areas needing boxed & the inspectors minor changes.

He's also ran electrical, though I did have to pay another electrician $1000 to finish up pre-framing electric work. I paid to have the cable/phone/network ran myself.

So this guy's done the framing for 1000 square feet, he has done electric work, and he has purchased the drywall, tape, and mud. I have since paid for a plumber..

Anyway, this second guy walked off the job with $6000 paid to him. For doing framing, some of the electrical, and purchasing the drywall materials. He passed the job onto another person.

I need to figure out how much what he did was worth, and I am not sure how to do that. The drywall, while impressive looking down there, is not that expensive afaik. We're talking maybe $500 for that material, right? How can I try and calculate what the labor for the framing is worth? It took him 6 months, but he would be gone for 3 weeks at a time doing nothing to my basement. And then what the amount of electrical work he did was worth? There is not an accounting of the hours he worked so I can't simply do hours X $50 for example.

This is a lower wage area, in a small US city.

Thanks!

[m Ransley]

Havnt you ever heard of paid upon completion.

[edavid3001]

Yes. However this job is/was being paid partial payments as work progresses.

[DK]

I'd let it lie. The price sounds in the ballpark for an economy job. Someone could prove up with contractor witnesses in court that you got

12,000 worth of work from him.

My guess is you are not entirely without fault. You probably made a few design changes along the way, right? Those usually are billed at top dollar.

Let it go.

[Goedjn]

If you have a contract, get someone else to finish, and pay the guy what walked whatever the difference is. If he wants more than that, make HIM justify it.

[trader4]

What does the guy say he wants? You've already paid $8500 to frame, drywall and run electric to a 1000 sq ft basement area. That sounds like plenty to me. The time to have established costs was upfront with a written contract. Do you have anything in writing? Or what was the verbal agreement you had?

[edavid3001]

Yes, I do have a contract. That sounds like a good idea to me. Thanks.

We have a written contract. $13,000 to finish everything up with the exception of the cost of the ceramic flooring materials. It did include labor, though.

The changes were no including three closets in three rooms which we originally planned on having. This was because the inspector told us prior to work beginning and after the contract that we could not have closets.

So that would be billed at top dollar, eh? Since that is work that was planned into the contract and not actually done, does that mean I get to deduct top dollar from the contract? Is that what you are saying?

Nothing has been added to the project. There was an elaborate draft of the work to be done made at the beginning. Details including how many electrical outlets, their location, number of light switches & their location, etc. We put this together with the help of the contractor to prepare the bid.

If I am at fault for anything it is letting months pass with no work getting done.

[DK]

Well, then. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do. So step up to the plate and sue the bastards.

[edavid3001]

That seems a little extreme to me. I took Goedjn's advice, and the contractor thought it was fair. So we are square now. Thank you.