Why do repairs always seem to get more involved that you think they should?

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
Say in these "hypothetical" situations:

1) In getting an estimate to install new kitchen floor tiles, contractor says you just don't need new tiles, you need a new floor and sub-floor making it much more costly.

2) The side-view mirror on your car door is loose. You figure a mechanic can tighten it up or, at worst, just replace the mirror. No. The mechanic says you need a whole new door panel. WOW!

3) A superficial scrape on your car bumper. Can it just be painted over? Nope. Body shop man says the whole bumper needs to replaced.
 

I have a "manufactured" home. The roof is 27 years old and needs to be replaced. The home's foundation has settled, so the house is out of whack. This has to be fixed before the roof is fixed. And since the house is out of whack the windows need to be replaced. About the only thing that doesn't have to be releveled, repaired, or replaced is me.
 
Sometimes we can only see the tip of the iceberg.


why-social-selling-tips-are-just-the-tip-of-the-iceberg.jpg
 

#1 is probably true in a house as old as yours.

#2 and #3 sound silly, but have someone else give an opinion, especially on #3, the bumper, because if the damage is ""superficial" as to my concept of the word, a new bumper doesn't seem warranted.
 
Maybe it's connected to Murphy's Law, what can go wrong will go wrong? I know that happens a lot of times, you can usually tell if what they're saying makes sense depending on the condition of what you need repaired. If in doubt, all you can do is get a second opinion, free estimate if possible.
 
debodun said:
How do you know if repair people are telling the truth?
Click to expand...

You don't. I ran into this with plumbing repairs on my house. The sink was leaking around it in the bathroom. It just needed chalk. The plumber stated the whole since needed to be replaced and perhaps the vanity if they didn't have a sink that fit.

Especially being a female. It would be nice to find honest general repair people that just do generalized things. I know they are out there. Repair worries are what I have with buying a manufactured home but I'm determined not to end up in some low income senior apartment telling me I can only have one cat.
 
debodun said:
How do you know if repair people are telling the truth?
Click to expand...

About all you can do is accept the recommendations of others who have had similar work done or deal with people that have been working in your community for many years and have developed a reputation for honesty.

Things are so very expensive these days that even an honest estimate can sound overwhelming. Sometimes I have to sit down, think about the price and break it down into smaller pieces that I can comprehend.

I'm definitely one of those people that loves to see my income go up but hates to see prices go up, the bottom line is even repair men gotta eat, LOL!!!
 
The 1st post did say the situations were hypothetical. Hiring a professional to do something you are not capable of doing does cost.

I understand that being unable to perform repairs is costly, but what seems like a rip off doesn't take into account the tools needed. travel time and hours spent or even the liability and expected warranty for whatever the job entails.

1. Replacing floor tile & counter top tile. Not easy but doable with tool rental.

2. Loose mirror. Disconnect the battery so any wiring that may be attached won't in any way come in contact with a ground. Remove door panel & see why the mirror is loose.


3.Superficial scrape on bumper. Buff and find a body shop that will color match the paint code for you car. Clear coat when paint has completely dried.


Being at the mercy of someone to repair anything is not fun. But thankfully the internet has a way to find the qualifications and reliability of contractors. then there is youtube videos for almost anything you want to do if you want to DIY
 
We wanted to replace the vinyl kitchen floor. They looked at the age (1974) of our condo apartment and said the old floor has to be checked for asbestos, call the testing company. The test showed that it did contain asbestos. A Haz-mat crew has to remove it. Then the flooring crew could put down the new vinyl down. The floor under the vinyl was concrete, no problems there.

Put a non-political bumper sticker over the scrape on the bumper.
 
debodun said:
How do you know if repair people are telling the truth?
Click to expand...

You don't. Pay the few bucks for an Angie's List subscription and get estimates from several of the top rated vendors.

Present yourself with confidence, and let them know you will be getting several estimates.
 
This practice is called "Growing The Job", some
people think it is better to go to the same place
for several days than to travel to different ones
each day.
The car ones are pure greed.

Mike.
 
1. With a contractor.... Insist on a "not-to-exceed proposal". The word "estimate" only benefits the contractor. Don't know that I've ever seen one come in under the estimate. Working with contractors on bid jobs in excess of $10 million dollars, the industry has allowed those contractors to get away with murder. Bid low to get the job, knowing you can find "change order items" to add on later. Over the past 15 years, I've denied change orders in excess of $100,000 on projects. Make the contractor leave you feeling that "honest contractor" is no longer an oxymoron. And... as another poster suggested... ask for references and call every one of them.
2. Vehicles are designed so only authorized people can work on them. A dealership has to purchase expensive diagnostic equipment to even determine problematic issues. Traveling over the Midwest, I have always utilized dealerships for everything from oil changes to major mechanical work. In a strange town, I don't know Harry's Repair from Joe's Garage. Even at home, it's that way. Why trust a shop that may not even have the correct diagnostic equipment to work on the equipment which I depend on to get me to work, to the doctors, to the grocery store, etc.?? May cost a little more, but I've found excellent service and qualified personnel.
3. Plumbers, HVAC, painters... find a small firm where the owner is directly involved with the work. Just because someone can have lots of service vans running up and down the streets and purchase costly television ads does not mean they are more capable of performing the work. If you get to know your plumber, etc. on a personal basis you will probably find many small items usually added to invoices may be "tossed in".
4. For the loose mirror or scratched bumper... is there not a local technical school with automotive training? On simple automotive repairs, I'd call the local Vocational Technical school and ask to visit with the instructor of the body repair training. Explain you are a senior citizen and have limited resources. Ask him/her if his/her class would be able to perform the small task as a training exercise. Tell him/her you do not expect the task for free. You are willing to pay a reasonable amount... or bring donuts for the class. You might be surprised how grateful an instructor would be to have a small task as a learning experience for his/her students. (In today's litigation happy culture, many schools may not be able to assist due to liability issues.)
5. Network!! Find where the Vo-Tech school automotive instructor's spouse works. Do you know anyone who works with the spouse? Have the acquaintance pass along to the spouse how they could help a senior citizen in need. Church groups, local Chamber of Commerce events, business open houses... the only people you find at the local Senior Center are retired seniors. "Rubbing elbows" at social events get you in front of those still gainfully employed... who may have businesses that you need. Those businesses involved in community activities, volunteering for local non-profits, etc. are quite often those protective of their business reputation.
 
debodun said:
Say in these "hypothetical" situations:

1) In getting an estimate to install new kitchen floor tiles, contractor says you just don't need new tiles, you need a new floor and sub-floor making it much more costly.

2) The side-view mirror on your car door is loose. You figure a mechanic can tighten it up or, at worst, just replace the mirror. No. The mechanic says you need a whole new door panel. WOW!

3) A superficial scrape on your car bumper. Can it just be painted over? Nope. Body shop man says the whole bumper needs to replaced.
Click to expand...

All those you describe can be do it yourself projects.
 
What is DIY to one could be not do-able to another.

We all have different ability and confidence levels. Especially if you are on your own. I think it's often easier for two to figure something out together than one.
 
DIY, Don't involve yourself. I think it's a good idea Ken doesn't get up on his roof. However some, like myself don't have help.
 
Two years ago my son who has his own cabinetry business and is good doing just about anything, remodeled my entire kitchen, I insisted on painted cabinets this time. I figured if something happened to them I could easily touch up.The whole job turned out beautiful until I screwed it up. I am terrible at choosing colors and once the cabinets were painted I decided it didn't go with the new flooring at all. Being me, I couldn't figure that out until they all were painted. I lived with it for 2 years and decided to repaint. The original paint job was in excellent condition I just couldn't stand looking at it.The family thought I was crazy but went along with it to shut me up,I guess. Doors were taken down, drawer fronts removed ,the whole nine yards. Finally after much sanding and washing it was ready for paint. This time I nailed it color wise. The problem is, even though they were sanded and washed, some of the doors must have had a film of grease here and there mostly on the very top of the drawers and cabinets.. The new paint just bubbled over the primer. What a mess. My son said I have to re-sand those areas down to bare wood,and prime again. He said that is why he turns down jobs that need refinishing,you never know what people have put on them that would ruin the new finish. Today I finally finished washing with a special solution, priming and sanding. He will probably paint them this weekend. I am holding my breath. What should have taken a week or two of work that really didn't have to be done is taking more than a month, so far. I will never live this down.
 
Aunt Bea said:
About all you can do is accept the recommendations of others who have had similar work done or deal with people that have been working in your community for many years and have developed a reputation for honesty.

Things are so very expensive these days that even an honest estimate can sound overwhelming. Sometimes I have to sit down, think about the price and break it down into smaller pieces that I can comprehend.

I'm definitely one of those people that loves to see my income go up but hates to see prices go up, the bottom line is even repair men gotta eat, LOL!!!
Click to expand...

I have an honest plumber with whom I've worked for years and whom I trust; I found him by asking around in my neighborhood. I've found other people in the same manner. If it's something where I need somebody I've never worked with, I check around as best I can, and then I sometimes cheat by getting a male friend of mine to come over when I get the estimate and stand around and look formidable, so I don't look like the old lady living alone who hasn't got a clue. I also sometimes drag that same friend with me to get estimates or whatever on automobile work, because in that case, I AM the old lady living alone who hasn't got a clue. It helps. Sad as it is, I DO believe that sometimes tradespeople take advantage of women alone who don't understand what's going on. When I find somebody I trust, I always make sure to tell them how much I appreciate their good work and recommend them to others, as well. I found a great car guy just last year and he's a treasure. I found him quite by chance, a young guy just starting out his own business and doing some part time work for someone I know. Now he's got a whole gaggle of little old ladies bringing their cars to him for everything you can think of.
 
This may not help but.......

Ruth n Jersey said:
Two years ago my son who has his own cabinetry business and is good doing just about anything, remodeled my entire kitchen, I insisted on painted cabinets this time. I figured if something happened to them I could easily touch up.The whole job turned out beautiful until I screwed it up. I am terrible at choosing colors and once the cabinets were painted I decided it didn't go with the new flooring at all. Being me, I couldn't figure that out until they all were painted. I lived with it for 2 years and decided to repaint. The original paint job was in excellent condition I just couldn't stand looking at it.The family thought I was crazy but went along with it to shut me up,I guess. Doors were taken down, drawer fronts removed ,the whole nine yards. Finally after much sanding and washing it was ready for paint. This time I nailed it color wise. The problem is, even though they were sanded and washed, some of the doors must have had a film of grease here and there mostly on the very top of the drawers and cabinets.. The new paint just bubbled over the primer. What a mess. My son said I have to re-sand those areas down to bare wood,and prime again. He said that is why he turns down jobs that need refinishing,you never know what people have put on them that would ruin the new finish. Today I finally finished washing with a special solution, priming and sanding. He will probably paint them this weekend. I am holding my breath. What should have taken a week or two of work that really didn't have to be done is taking more than a month, so far. I will never live this down.
Click to expand...

When I was a teenager I took it upon myself to use some vivid green gloss paint, the same oil based paint used previously on the same outside door. Unfortunately it was a very hot sunny day when I/WE (lets blame my brother as well) decided to try this DIY job and shortly after we'd finished paiting the door it all bubbled :(.


My mother came out to tell us what had gone wrong, dont paint on such a hot sunny day etc. and I think th ebubbles were actually caused by the fact their was water, hence water vapour sealed underneath the new paint and this swelled once sealed in and caused the bubble.

It may have absolutely nothing to do with what went wrong for your obviously indoor painting job, but just in case I thought I'd mention it ;).

BTW my late father was another man pretty useless at DIY, so should have meant "Dont Involve Yourself" as far as he was concerned (maybe it was a cunning plan to avoid my mother asking him to do these jobs).
 
I say because you don't know what you can't see. You haven't any idea what was done by someone else in the past before you uncover it. A lot of times it was left a mess and may not be up to modern day codes and have to be put right. Old houses are notorious for both.
 

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