"Lil" wrote in message
om...
Have hired a landscape contractor to install a patio, a walkway and a
6"-strip of gravel along the walkway, next to our boundary fence.

The landscaper and landscaper's crew while appearing to be competent
failed to adhere to the diagram outlined or to the timetable they
themselves set.

While I understand that things, like the concrete truck breaking down,
happen, making it impossible to keep a tight adherence to the
schedule, I find it incomprehensible that the landscaper failed to
refer to the detailed diagram I've sent him.

The project is nearly done, and they've just done the walkway.
However, they failed to install the gravel along the walkway. Whould
I hold the landscaper to it? (We're talking about 50 or 60 sq. ft. of
gravel.)

BTW, I have not paid the landscaper a dime other than the deposit
required to do the work.

Thanks in advance for your input.

Lil

If I understand the desciption of your project correctly, the gravel borders
the walkway, right? If it were me, my order of doing things would also
leave the installation of the gravel as the last project because walking to
and fro while installing the walkway would be a lot more difficult through
the gravel than it would through the dirt. Also, if they had to wheelbarrow
the concrete in there instead of using a pump (if the chute of the concrete
truck couldn't reach the whole thing) then it'd be a nightmare to
wheelbarrow heavy loads of concrete through gravel rather than over the
compacted earth. And, when the path was completed, the concrete needs time
to cure, typically 7 days at least (30 days is better) where it is kept
covered and moist. After than 7 days is when I'd expect to install the
gravel portion of the project. Have you communicated with the conctractor
at all regarding the *order* that the project is being completed in? You
mentioned unavoidable delays, and it does seem the contractor has at least
been talking with you about them, but perhaps you haven't been fully
communicating your expectations to him, or he misunderstood what you did
communicate. At any rate, if he has not approached you about payment, then
I'm sure he doesn't consider the job complete yet either!

Sunflower
MS 7b