Hired help can drive you INSANE!
First of all, I didn't start this thread to attack the professional tradesmen, but sometimes it gets to a point where even if you want to pay someone for a job, you end up DIYing the last 10% (or 25 or 50) of the work whether it be additional damages, debris cleanup or poor workmanship.
May be this is unique in South Florida, I am not sure.
I have a long list of pet peeves, but I will just mention a few here that I noticed that seems to happen almost all the time.
For example, whenever I hire someone to do work outside, say painting, stucco plastering, landscape, pest control, anything that involves borrowing your garden hose to dilute, mix, rinse...they ALWAYS find a way to deform the hose ends - by stepping on the connection, cross threading the connection, dropping the nozzle, clogging the nozzle, and they NEVER turn the hose bib off, they just release the nozzle handle and leave the hose pressurized. Last year I had a hose ruptured in the back yard, and water was spraying for two days, until I heard water running in the walls late at night when no one was using any water. My water bill that month was $600 more than usual.
Also, I have not seen one that will properly dispose of trash. Even after explaining that we have black carts for regular trash, green carts for yard waste, blue carts for recycle (paper, glass, aluminum), the good ones would throw burger wrappers into the yard waste carts, put soda cans and bottle water into the regular waste carts, and put caulk tubes, left over 2X4s, and an entire ceiling fan into the recycle carts. That's the good ones. The bad ones would just leave trash everywhere. I mean, the trash can is 18" from him, he finished drinking his coffee, then he walks 20 feet away from the trash can, and tosses it on the floor. He would go to the refrigerator, takes out a new water bottle, takes a sip, then leave it by a window, 30 minutes later, he comes back and takes another bottle, and at the end of the day, there would be six bottles of water still 90% full laying around in different places, two of them knocked over and spilled.
Have you lent tools to someone you hired? Their sawzall isn't working, or their drill isn't working...OK in order to keep the progress, here is mine. But is it a rule that one must step on the tool plug real hard so when you return it to the owner the plug blades are bent 45 degrees from each other? Also, if you borrow MY cordless tools, is it possible to not take my drill and use it as a hammer? Why does EVERYONE who borrowed my cordless drill or impact driver use the battery end to pound on nails or lumber?
Is it too much to ask to use the materials as intended? Say I have six pieces of 2X4s and six pieces of 2X6 I bought for some framing work. I showed the carpenter what needs to be done and the materials is there. You have EVERYTHING? YES I HAVE EVERYTHING. First thing he does, takes a piece of 2X6 and wanted to use it, but he needs a 2X4, so he goes to the table saw and rip himself a 2X4. Two hours later he calls me and said he can't proceed, because he needs 2X6s. HELLO???
Recently, a friend of mine who is building a set of six town houses in the final stage of finishing. His finish carpenter who did the first five houses wasn't available due to hurricane stoppages, so he hired someone new to do the baseboards and door trims on the last house. The guy when to house #3 that was already finished, removed the painted baseboards and trims, and installed it in house #6 then collected payment.
Is this unique to South Florida or are others having similar experiences?
I know a lot of this involves proper vetting, checking references, BUT, it all depends on the knowledge of the previous clients. If they can't tell the difference, their references are worthless.
Again, not trying to attack the skilled professionals, but some of the stories are just comical. I am sure there are many bad clients as well.
Share your pet peeves.