We're in the process of converting our garage into a separate apartment and started this project back in July. While the contractor does solid work when he's actually here, he tends to disappear for months at a time. Currently, the project is only about halfway done, and the last time he showed up was in February. We're really uncertain about when he will come back to finish. We had plans to move out of the country once the work was completed, and we're feeling desperate to leave now. It feels like we've invested too much time and money to just abandon the project. In total, he's only managed to work maybe 2-3 weeks over the last 10 months. What can we do?
3 Answers
It sounds like he's juggling too many jobs and taking advantage of you. Moving forward, it’s crucial to have everything in writing—dates of start and completion, and consider having deadlines with consequences, like fines, to motivate them to finish. For contractors in places like California, they can only ask for a 10% down payment to start a job, which can help keep them accountable.
It sounds like you're facing the classic sunk cost fallacy. Have you considered just telling him to get lost? Check your contract—there might be options for you to pursue if he’s not delivering as promised.
I went through something similar with my renovation. My contractor kept saying it’d only take a couple more weeks... but it stretched into three months with minimal progress. Eventually, I had to fire him and asked for my money back. He initially refused, so I filed a chargeback with my credit card and managed to get more refunded than expected. If you paid a percentage upfront, you might want to explore that route, but be aware it’s not a guaranteed win; the contractor can counter with a lien on your property.