New House construction, Beer on the jobsite

[J.J.]

Ok I hope I can get some advice from y'all.
The subject will give you a general idea but here are the details...

I am not sure if anyone knows but I have posted about having a house built. (A KB Cookie Cutter home... etc etc.)  Here is the story.

Well today at 3:30 I drove by the new home site and was excited to see that the foundation was poured.  It was beautiful to see that the next step was done and 7 days from now they will start the frame work.  The down side of all this is that I see the machine that they use to smooth out the cement sitting unattended and next door inside the garage I see a large group of people drinking Shiner Bock beer. I cant fault them (this time) on the beer choice; its a good beer (unlike last time when it was Bud Light.)

As soon as the workers see me they stop drinking and hide the beer... once they realize I am going to the site that they are supposed to be working on they quickly proceed to get back to work.

What aggravates me is the fact that instead of working on my house they are sitting next door drinking beer!  This is twice now and its getting old.  I dont know what I can do.  I am just annoyed by it all.  Twice I have found evidence of people drinking instead of working.  What can I do?  Am I getting worked up over nothing or do I have reasons to be exasperated?

[armedcitizen]

Is there a representative of the builder "assigned" to your house?  If so, I'd report it to them.

[grampster]

Who is the general contractor?  Was he drinking otj too?  If not tell the crew that  you like their choice of beer, congratulate them in fact on their good choice, offer to bring a case after working hours, but tell them if you catch 'em drinkin' otj again, you'll have a talk with the general contractor.

If the general contractor was there too, I'd seriously consider firing him! For all the obvious reasons.

[J.J.]

I have contacted the super twice.  It seems every time I drop by when workers are present I see drinking or evidence of drinking.... Today he walked up uncovered the beer and took pictures with his cell phone.  The workers were conveniently working when his car pulled up.  So he didn't see them actually drinking just found the beer.

[roo_ster]

Heavy equipment, concrete, hand tools, and overhead loads don't mix well with alcohol.

Keep on the supervisor.  If you don't get satisfaction, perhaps local code enforcement or the local news might be helpful.

[Nathaniel Firethorn]

Some random thoughts:

1. Get your own pix of the drinking. If the clowns recognize you, have a friend take them.

2. Consider hiring a PI to get names, addresses, and photos.

3. Contact your attorney and find out what your options are legally.

- NF

[Randy in Arizona]

I have often heard KB Homes referred to as KaBoom Homes.  I now wonder if that is just a coincidence - -

[Guest]

Just after highschool i did some day labor work for contractors, and every single site i worked at had drinking on the job when the boss wasnt around. I got the impression that this was silently accepted behavior since noone seemed to think it was out of the ordinary. Definatly complain about it, if there is a problem down the line having something like this on file will help your case, but dont expect it to stop, they will just be more carefull. Just be thankfull that they were shooting up.

[TarpleyG]

If your new house is in one of those big neighborhoods, good luck getting anywhere with the GC or anybody else.  They simply don't give a *expletive deleted*it about you or anyone else and their work is ALWAYS half-ass.

Greg

[lwsimon]

I'm an electrician, and there is no drinking on the job at either of the companies I've worked for.  At least here, it is NOT overlooked.  Pot, otoh, is more common that cigarettes, and I'd say 20% or so of master electricians I know toke up on the job.

[grampster]

Electrician - pot - What a buzz!:lol:

[J.J.]

I appreciate all the posts. I will just have to try and keep my temper under control and realize I can't control people.  I can't make others do the jobs that they are supposed to, so I might as well just hire an independent inspector and let him/her look over the work at various stages and make sure that its done right.  

What worries me the most is the fact that every time I have seen the Super I have had to complain about beer.  I am afraid if I keep this routine up, I will have problems with the job being slowed down or what not.

 So in the future I will -
I will document with pictures whenever I see it.  Next time I will just have the fiancée drive by hop out and take a picture if i see anything going on that shouldn't.  That way I have it on file for myself.   Why try and sneak a picture.  On the other hand I wonder if its even worth it.  I will decide next time I see drinking I guess...

Grampster.. You made me laugh.. I think that was so bad it was funny...

[gaston_45]

Well, I think i have a different take on this.  They finished what they were supposed to? On the timeline they promised?  Were they sloppy drunk, falling all over themselves?  Was their work sub par?  If not, then I see nothing wrong with one or two beers at work. Everywhere on earth it is perfectly acceptable, but the puritans cursed us with  this never drink attitude.

http://www.kimdutoit.com/ee/index.php/essays/un_lubricated1/

An intersting perspective on the subject from someone who has lived under BOTH systems.

[Kharn]

What time's their quitting time? Some crews work like 6-2.
When our church expansion was under construction (Dad was the church's rep), the workers were allowed to drink on Fridays close to quitting time.  Basically they just sat around drinking for the last 30-60min of the day having some beers and shooting the breeze.
 
Kharn

[kudu]

If it's your house on your property, and you have already paid for the work going on, quality work, then you have a right to complain.  Now if it were a lunch time with one beer maybe, I could understand.  Document every time it happens so you can go back and sue for faulty workmanship if that is the case.  I don't like sue happy people, but you deserve what you pay for.  Make this known to the contractor and tell him that is the way it will be.  

I work as a plumber on big jobs and alcohol and power tools do not mix.  Residential construction is a different world, but accidents still happen, no need to throw alcohol into the mix.

[J.J.]

Kharn-  It wasn't quiting time it was 3.  I know it wasn't quitting time becasue as soon as they saw us the crew hid the beer and and got back to work.

Kudu- not on "my property" (yet) its a cookie cutter neighborhood....so the company building owns and pays for it all until its finished.... ya know