Dealing with roofing consulants

I know this subjects' been addressed before, and I have my acquired opinions....However, I would like to get some imnput from some of you on this paticular type of situation....To say I have no problems what-so-ever, with roof consultants in general, would not be completely honest....I do respect, understand and cope with authentic, (is there such a thing?...JK), roofing consultants when a project involves one....

This is a situation/project we're involved with currently; HOA, (condo complex), has hired a sort of advisor to the HOA board. His roofing experience and knowledge is extremely limitted, and in my opinion is nothing short of a charlatan....He has no engineering degree, he's admitted to only installing a few roof in his lifetime....Never been a roofing contractor, never worked for a roofing contractor....He appears to be some sort of handyman, that has managed to dupe this HOA board into entrusting his self-generated opinions over a truly experienced/qualified roofing firm.

We did 4 of the 10 bldgs last year....The project went fairly smooth; We simply humored him through the process, obliging his idiotic idealisms....No problems. with the roofs.

This year he has turned a 180....We did have words last Sat. in which I did let him know that my patience was wearing thin with his constant interfering/badgering with our employees on the jobsite, and his exhuberance in what appears to be his attempts at justifying his mere existence on the job.

It has been learned that he speaks out of both side of his mouth, and is playing people against each other....Again, my opnion is that he's stirring things up so as to protray the need for his services on the job. Most-likely, unbeknownst to the consultant, an employees was working nearby and happened to hear a phone conversation he had with most-likely, a "board member"....

The guy's behavior is reprehensible in my book. He tell's me everything's fine to my face, then turns around and tells a different story to "the board"....Another intance comes to mind' In what I view as almost juvenile, he told an employee that he had taken pictures of nails in a driveway and wasn't going to tell him where they were....And that we could just pay for the tire fixes.

I've called for a special meeting with "the HOA board", so as to attempt to brinag all this light....My thoughts are to be completely non-PC and lay it all on the line....Wadddaya think?

It all boils down to the almighty dollar, huh? Good, accurate statements though....

As human beings, we're blessed and cursed with an ego, which is basically a self-esteem and self-image reinforcement machine. Since being wrong hurts our self-esteem and self-image, the ego makes us think we're right about more than we actually are. That can take the form of elaborate justifications, and the more intelligent the person, the more elaborate the justifications. An economic policy that makes you richer becomes the best way to improve everyone's bottom line. Whole health sourse... something we all should strive for

As a former consultant estimator, I know first hand what being that inspector is like. It sucks having to be an asshole all day@ ;) When I saw one thing I didn't like, I would also mention one or two things that were going well. Now, as an estimator at a commercial/ industrial roofing contractor, I now deal with consultants on a daily basis and most of the time it is fine with me. I work with most in town and know what each expects so there is no unexpected issues.

first post in years, made new profile. Thanks for having me.

;) .... oh yeah.... I'm keeping my PC hat on. It's hard for me, but I can do it!....Just another week os so, and we're through it....whew!

when I was A kid I spent alot of my time in the glades with gator and snake hunters.grew up doin it myself. they told me,theirs 2 things boy,you don't turn your back on.snakes and gators. you got A snake in your midst.

All hunky-dory now....RC requested mtg. w/us....assured us he would convey to "the board" that all is well....Claims all the turmoil caused by a particualr board member....I really don't care....We'll be out-of-there, next week....

While I largely agree with Jet, these boys have a tough task and for the most part are caught between a rock and a hard place. They have to ensure the job is done to spec- so for instance the fastening pattern on ISO/base sheet is done right- which in turn means they can't just show up at the end "for inspections" cos they won't be able to tell........yet also satisfy the HOA that they are doing their job, and the HOA is gonna wanna see their prescence on the job much of the time. Basically the contractor does'nt want them on the roof, and the HOA does cos they feel that's what they are paying for. It almost always ends in tears.

Having been in a long drawn out lawsuit with an incompetent HOA board I can assure you he (the consultant)"knows" somebody on the board. That's how he got the job in the first place. You have to make a very strong case during your presentation and keep it professional. Bickering about who said what to who will only look petty in the HOA board member's minds. They want to know the work is done per spec and there will be no problems with the job. Inform them that this "consultant's behavior with your crew is both disruptive and non-productive and that he is to stay away from the job until he's needed for inspections. When that time comes only YOU meet with him and go over everything in detail, a written report would be the best. Personally I'd never work with one of them..........

JET

No arguments here.... ;)

your description of the "consultant" and his "expertise" leads me to believe he wants to be a storm chaser when he grows up. cause they to are as dumb as A flat tire.

Your awesome Mike!

I would save the little gem about the nails in the drive for your meeting with the board. After everyone has had an opportunity speak and start to hang themselves on their one tree, hit him with:

"Mr. Smith, you told one of my employees, Mr. Joe Jones, that you saw and photographed nails........fix flat tire. My question sir, is this: If your services were obtained to provide some degree of protection to the owners of this fine facility, just who is protected should these nails lead to a highway speed blowout? Who is protected if one day, late for work, or worse yet, an emergency exists, the owner comes to their car only to find a flat? You and I have the unique opportunity to act as a harmonious team with one mutual goal, providing these owners with a quality product, yet your recent actions would indicate to me that you are more concerned with serving yourself than serving those that are paying for your self-appointed-expertise. I realize that you are an expert in this type of relationship, while I am a mear roofing contractor with XX years of experience behind my reputation, but I have having some serious difficulty wrapping my roofer mind around this issue. Could you, in laymen's terms that I might understand, explain the benefit of withholding the location of these nails?"

Well i would certainly bring everything to light,then i would start asking him roofing ?'s and i would get things in writing from "employees" , sounds like his head grew a "little",time to pop it before it backfires.

Better to be completely PC and lay it all on the line. Feels as if he probably has a "special" relationship with one particular board member? I'd have the meeting and play along until I figured out where the lines of force are actually drawn. I would only strike if necessary.