Hey Luke, I just thought of one of my little mistooks from way back when I was a mason contractor. I had recently gotten a new backhoe somewhat larger than the one I had used for three or four years. I had a garage to build for a new customer who, from my conversations pre estimate, i knew was rather fussy and had voiced several complaints concerning other contractors. In spite of his mild complaining, i did like both his wife and him.
I laid out the job, but did not set up batter boards. The garage was to be on a fairly steep slope with barely space for me to set up my backhoe. Batter boards would have gotten knocked over before i even made my first bucket load dig. I just put a few stakes in the ground at the corners and about half way down the slope. Ordered concrete hoping for early morning delivery the next day. The dispatcher told me he had a truck in the yard that he could send out right away, or he could send one in about an hour if it would be a quick unload. I assured him the whole pour was on a slope and the trenches were half way dug already. I would call the BI to see if he could check within the hour. The BI had seen me working in the past and knew I would not pour unless it was a clean trench with solid base. He told me he had another job to check within a quarter mile of my job and he would take a look on his way.
I went right to work finishing up the trnches and had everything shipshape by time BI got there. He gave me a tag as the concrete truck roared into the driveway. The pour worked out fine and quick. My rep was still in tact with both BI and the concrete dispatcher. By 4:30, I was home and sitting at the kitchen table chatting with THE BOSS LADy over a cool one while she sipped a cup-a-tea.
About the time i finished my beer, the phone was ringing. I answered to a very irate owner who was yelling into the phone with a force to rattle the wax out of my ears. He told me i was about 6 feet short on the back (lower side) footing. I managed to calm him down a little when i told him I would be right there to check the problem. I took one look and realized the mistook.
The man was a carpenter by trade, so i had the explanation that he would certainly understand. "Phil, have you ever measured a board with your six foot folding rule, marked the end and added a mark six inches further on the board where you wanted to make your cut? AND, then you cut at the first mark?"
"Well, yeah, i have done that."
"Well, if you look down the hill, you can see the two stakes I drove into the ground to mark the corners of my footings. The trench I made is between the two stakes I put in at the end of my 25 foot tape. I had measured the extra five feet to the corners, but did my digging at the first markers."
The carpenter just started laughing. I re dug the extended trench, ordered more concrete and poured a day later and every body was happy, except for my wife who writes the checks for materials. [wink] I guess over all the man was happy. I did more work for him and he recommended me to others. :
Tinker
