Fixing a Mobile Home Roof

[Argee]

Have you considered putting a conventional roof over the metal roof? Scissor trusses with plywood and shingles set on posts like a pole barn. Do it around here all the time. Scissor trusses allow a return for a soffit. Looks pretty nice when it's done and gives you peace of mind.

 

[jasonf]

Bird:
I have had the same problem with the guy that I paid to set the trailer. I am against a deadline of June 1st. I have to have the building inspector give me a CO by then or the Town will make me remove the trailer /w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif. The guy who blocked the trailer for me did a half assed job and dug up both of my water lines while excavating. When I came back from work he had the trailer blocked, but the last course of blocks are not even full blocks but pieces of block. I paid this guy Very good money to do this because I am up against the time limit. All I ask of someone is that they show up when they say they will and do what was agreeded upon. I took time off from work (1 week) so that I could be there and see the work progress, instead I got no shows and no calls. It was only after I had paid him that I went down to the trailer to see if the doors stuck and as I was going back up the hill I noticed this rip in the roof. I don't know if he did it while jacking/setting the trailer, or if I did it when I was connecting the septic line. When I was making that connection I pushed up on the pipe, but I didn't think I pushed hard enough to rip the roof. He said that the middle of the trailer was sagging by 3 inches and that he had to jack it that much to set it level. I guess this is why I always do things myself. Every time I pay somebody to do something I am always disappointed. Sorry about the bitching, but I thought you guys would understand....... Jason

 

[Bird]

Yep, Jason, it seems to be a battle all the way, and I just plain can't understand it. I know it happens to some extent with a lot of businesses, but seems to be so bad as to be incomprehensible with installation, set up, and /or repairs to mobile homes, and with installation of swimming pools, regardless of which companies you deal with or where you're located. It seems to me that an honest and competent person in those two businesses could really do well.

 

[justractors]

Bird,
You are right about the lack of attention to detail and independent attitude some of these installers seem to have.

However, I disagree with your comment about an honest and competent person really doing well in this business.
The honest and competentbusiness owner will more than likely end up on welfare because when he tells most of the homeowners the fair and honest price they will tell him that their buddy Johnny Tightenough would do the job for half the money.

The competent and honest person who is striving to make a living from most service businesses is being under bid by fly-by-nights and "scabs" who bid the job cheap simply because they don't have the same expenses as the business owner.
The fly-by-nights normally will not have workman's comp and liability insurance premiums, income taxes, advertising expenses, and all the other business related expenses that the regulated business owner had to deal with.
They also do not have to worry about being sued by an irate homeowner because a moving target is much harder to hit.
Bill

 

[Bird]

I can well understand your point, Bill, and know you're right in some cases at least, but not all.

 

[jasonf]

Some of your points are valid, however, in my experiance this business said that it would take 4 days to complete the job, yet it took over 2 week for the guy to put in the 3 days it took to complete the job... I did not go by the LOW bid, in fact I probably paid too much for the job, and went with my impression that this person was honerable and would do what he said he would when he said he would do it. I told this guy that I was taking off from work so that I could work on the plumbing while he did the excavation, and he was noshow nocall for 3 days. BTW does anybody know how much it should cost to take a mobile home that is on site and block it and move 10 bucket loads of dirt around so the water flows away from the trailer ? Even a ball park would be nice to know.

 

[Bird]

<font color=blue>how much it should cost to take a mobile home that is on site and block it and move 10 bucket loads of dirt</font color=blue>

I think it would be $600 to $1,000 around here, depending on how many blocks it took, size of the home, and how hard it is to move that dirt. Of course, in addition to blocking and leveling, they have to anchor them down.

 

[bgott]

Not counting dirt work, these guys around here will drop the trailer and block it and tie it down and pull the axles in about three hours. That's as long as they don't have to use rock anchors or go through any extra trouble. I've done one by myself in a day screwing around. They usually charge from $800 to $1200 supplying the blocks, base pads, anchors and straps. Hook ups and dirt moving is your baby. I usually can scrounge up blocks and base pads ( Hey, lady, need someone to get rid of those blocks for you?) and anchors, straps are $1.25 or so each. I pay $350 for a drag and drop and can get one of the haulers to level and set it for $100 on their off days. If I screw up and pay them before they are done I end up having to do the anchors myself. Never pay a contractor before the job is done, you'll get screwed every time. There is fresh money on the next job, they already have yours.

That $800 to $1200 includes the move.

 

[dmccarty]

Jason,

I FEEL and I do mean FEEL your pain. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

I have a new neighbor whom I was talking with yesterday. I went to the
property to see if the power line crew had finally showed up. When I arrived
I noticed that my neighbor was talking with a contractor. Turns out he was
the contractor that was supposed to turn up on Saturday and finally showed
up on Wedsday. But only after a nasty phone call....

The power line crew finally showed up for my place yesterday. They were
supposed to have been DONE running underground power by the end of
MARCH! Since I'm not paying them a dime I can't really complain but I
will anyway! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

They where supposed to have started on Tuesday between 2:00 and 2:30.
I pulled a muscle in my neck this week that has been VERY painful. The
most painful muscle/tendon injury I have ever had. I could not move
my neck, left, right, up or down without IMMENSE pain. I was going to
go home and try to rest but the contractor calls out of the blue and
says they will be there between 2:00 and 3:00. I have been working
10-12 hour days so I really wanted to just go home and rest my neck.
But I headed out the property anyway. I get there at 2:15. No contractors.
Gee, what a surprise. Checked on some things and left at 3:00. They
never showed up. Not happy.

At least they did show up yesterday and the work they did was pretty good.
They did not damage my gate. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Back to my neighbor. He is trying to get contractors to come out and do a
few things around his house and he is having the same old problems. No
returned calls. Say they will show up on a certain date and time but then
they dont, etc. One guy he had come out is highly recommended by some
other neighbors. I talked to this guy a couple of times 18-24 months ago.
I had lots of work to do and he had the job. All he had to do was SHOW UP.
He never showed up. I got fed up with him and the other contractors I was
trying to give work to and bought a tractor instead. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif My new neighbor
talked to the highly recommended contractor just like me. Spent quite a bit of time
with him. Just like me. Never could get the contractor to call back much less
do the work. Just like me. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif//w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

The neighbor is really Really REALLY thinking about getting a tractor. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Just like me. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

So I really do FEEL your pain. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif And its a real pain in the neck. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Later...
Dan McCarty

 

[Egon]

I know I'm getting of topic but I seem to recall a TV program that had a documentary on fly by night repair specialists. It would appear that there are a group of people all related in some way who spend the summer doing repairs and the winter down south. They operate with rental equipment and do the minimum possible or less. Many times their office is a mobile phone and pick up. They seem to concentrate on driveways, roofs and painting but will take anything on thats offered.
Some more trivial information as best as I can recall.

Egon