Workmanship
Standards in Rehab Jobs
Differences
of opinion about the quality of workmanship required under
a contract can lead to serious disputes between property
owners and contractors in rehabilitation projects.
Here
are some guidelines for City-financed rehabilitation projects:
Materials, accessories, fixtures, etc., normally should
not be "low-end," i.e., the cheapest grades or
models available. Such materials can be seriously limited
in function, maintenance cost, and useful life. Unspecified
items usually default to what is considered "standard"
in the construction industry. That tends to eliminate cheap,
flimsy products on the one hand and costly, fancy grades
on the other.
Seconds and recycled materials generally are not acceptable
in contract work, except where all parties have agreed to
a substitute to cut costs.
In construction work, squareness, plumbness, and proper
fit are always important. Any deficiencies found in the
existing structures should be corrected under a change order
and not covered up.
Finish work should not show easily noticed flaws, such as
tool marks, cracks and holes, burrs, open joints, etc. Smears
and stains should be cleaned up, and all metal fasteners,
such as finish nail heads, should be hidden, Fill-in pieces
should fit the existing pattern. Scraps should not be used
when full-length materials are available to span an area.
Unless otherwise stated in the contract, the work should
be a "turn-key" operation, with no finish work
or cleanup required by the Owner to be ready for use.
Preventing and Dealing
With
Contract Disputes
Many disputes can
be prevented by giving special attention to the wording
of the specifications before a contract is signed. Some
instructions that seem clear enough in the planning and
bidding stage can turn out to be vague and confusing when
it comes time to select and shape actual materials.
It
is reasonable to expect work to be done according to "commonly
accepted trade practices," using "grades of materials
that are appropriate to the house and neighborhood."
But not everyone will agree on what that means in a particular
situation. So anything that can be spelled out in terms
of size, quantity, type, color, grade, etc., is less likely
to be a point of disagreement later on.
Pre-bid
tours and pre-contract conferences with the Owner and City
representative can promote a closer "meeting of minds"
about quality and workmanship expectations. Specific samples
of materials, siding, carpeting, paneling, etc., are always
helpful.
Matters of quality still
depend a lot on personal taste and can be very difficult
if not impossible to define. For this and other reasons,
it is not possible to write specifications so clearly that
there will be no differences to be worked out later.
In
the end, once a contract is signed and construction starts,
both parties have to share responsibility for any fuzziness
in the specifications they may have overlooked earlier.
If
the parties to the contract still cannot resolve their differences,
the matter can be referred to a third party for mediation.
In such cases, the mediator must consider the circumstances
as well as what was put in writing and then decide what
is most fair to all parties.
