Slimey contractors

[TheCableVine]

This morning my co-worker said she got grilled by a home owner on how dig-line works, how they get paid, etc. She said she got the impression that the contractor the HO hired may be charging him for the utility locates.

Have you heard of contractors charging HO's for locates? Personally, I've never heard of it.

Seems like it would be tempting to an unscrupulous contractor to charge an HO for a free service.

[ProfessionalLocator]

This morning my co-worker said she got grilled by a home owner on how dig-line works, how they get paid, etc. She said she got the impression that the contractor the HO hired may be charging him for the utility locates.

Have you heard of contractors charging HO's for locates? Personally, I've never heard of it.

Seems like it would be tempting to an unscrupulous contractor to charge an HO for a free service.

If that is the case I know how the s.o.b. will try to weasel out. That he was charging for the time it took them to call the ticket in.

In some jurisdictions there are charges for a call before you dig ticket. Fro example some municipalities, counties, etc. are allowed a nominal fee charged to the excavator who called it in.

[GPGrasshopper]

I had a homeowner tell me that the contractor she hired to do her landscaping charged her $100 to call for locates. He told her that it was more a labor fee for having to call it in. That was about 6 months ago. It was the first time I had ever heared of that.

[ProfessionalLocator]

I had a homeowner tell me that the contractor she hired to do her landscaping charged her $100 to call for locates. He told her that it was more a labor fee for having to call it in. That was about 6 months ago. It was the first time I had ever heared of that.

$100 for the phone call is robbery. Some number of states there is provision for no phone call, the contractor surfs in via the internet to the call before you dig website. With their own registered name and password they directly enter their own ticket. Depending on your jurisdiction the method of marking request, phone or internet, is denoted on the ticket.

In some areas you can surf into the call before you dig website and view the ticket directly via address or ticket number.

If they charged $100 for internet entry I would lodge a complaint with the call center, abuse of the internet access results in being banned to telephone only. If they called it in the $100 to make the call is excessive and their can be repercussions if not from the call before you dig center then the state licensing agency for contractors.

[AULupstate]

That happens all the time on the private side of locating. One-call stops at a certain point on the property line, contractor HAS to have the rest of the utilities marked out so they call in a private. Contractor gets billed, Contactor bills the homeowner. It's a 'Change of Work' Order.

If the Contractor is charging for the One-Call mark out then I could see the homeowner getting pissed. I would think though if the Contractor was 'Smart' (in a slimy way) if they WERE going to charge for One-Call that would be thrown into their proposal and definately NOT itemized on the bill.

[Dave72]

$100 for the phone call is robbery.

You've never dealt with a lawyer have you ?

[Mke]

Dave, I was thinking the same thing. My lawyer charges me 175 an hour for phone conversations. He lowers it to 100 if I talk to the Legal Aide.


I'm with AUL, Most of the time contractors will charge locates refering to the Private locators, or the locators brought in to find specific services. We charged about $120 to locate a sanitary service in a residential area.

The thing you have to take into consideration is that she got this information from the homeowner.......not the best of sources.... I know cause i "is" one.

mke

[yahoo]

the only thing i've heard like this ....is for a private locate only.