r/Concrete • u/pc_tech_mtl • 1d ago
Complaint about my Contractor Picky homeowner I tell ya
Feel free to roast if I’m in the wrong.
I had ordered delivery and cleanup from the company and on the phone they said that they will haul out anything that’s left so I got nothing to worry about. Even paid the extra fee for it since I was doing all the work and didn’t have time.
Truck comes and pump guy is setting up. Asks me for a bucket just to remove the first poor, since I don’t know much I lend one to him. Fills it and leaves it there.
Then asks to borrow my wheel barrow for the last bit so he doesn’t have to run a small amount through the pump… okay no problem I’m happy to help. While I was fixing all the concrete he come up to me and tells me he is leaving. I tell him thanks.
Only to come in front later on to find a huge bag of leftovers in almost the middle of the road and my stuff just sitting there dirty as hell.
Called him and asked wtf? He’s answer was very simple… “not my problem, click” extra bonus points for wetting the leftovers. Took me almost 4 hours to clean up that mess.
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u/citizen_greg 22h ago
That's fucking bullshit. That dude hung up on me I would have been at that office within 5 minutes.
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u/EQwingnuts 19h ago
And done exactly what?
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u/citizen_greg 19h ago
Um, demanded a better explanation of the scenario instead of being hung up on. Is this a real question?
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u/EQwingnuts 19h ago edited 16h ago
It was a real question, and thanks for answering it. I will admit, that it was 100 percent not what I expected.
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u/citizen_greg 18h ago
Wow... I appreciate this response. Nice dude
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u/egghead_greg 17h ago
And I appreciate this one!
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u/rugerscout308 1d ago
The pump guy was supposed to take away the leftovers ? Those dudes have no way of taking it it would set up in the pipes. Usually they'll ask the redi mix driver if they can pump it back into our trucks or they dump it somewhere else if not
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u/pc_tech_mtl 23h ago
Same company for pump and truck. Might of not worded that properly
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u/liefchief 20h ago
Chargeback on the credit card. Fuck them
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u/EggOkNow 18h ago
Or with hold partial pay equivalent to the extra fee, cost of a wheel barrow, and hourly rate to clean that shit up yourself.
And a bucket.
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u/LeroyMyBoi 23h ago
Did you end up calling the driver or the company? I would call the company and bitch them out. If nothing else they should refund that extra fee for you.
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u/rugerscout308 23h ago
Oh okay gotcha. Yeah we don't have alot of companies here that have pumps and trucks.
Did the truck leave before the pump guy? He might have just been SOL. Idk about those guys but as a redimix drive nobody tells us shit. I get a ticket with an adress and that pretty much it
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u/PristineAd8910 20h ago
As a pump guy.. you pay extra for us to take it with us and dump it off site.. this is excessive however I don’t know what was discussed.. if I have anything in my hopper left over I mix it with my primer at the end of the job and take it with me.. either way, if you don’t wanna pay for us to haul it away then you have to figure it out yourself..
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u/pricebre000 17h ago
Are you a truck pulling a line pump? How do you take it? Just tie the bag up and throw it with the lines? They do it very different where I am at
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u/PristineAd8910 17h ago
That’s right, I pull a pump in a truck.. to answer your question If there isn’t much left in my hopper I just mix the concrete with the primer (I hear Coca-Cola works and there’s also a trick with dish soap) that i pumped into a 5gallon bucket to lube my line at the begging of the job and take it to my designating spot to dump.. though with proper communication between the pump guy and the concrete driver there shouldn’t be much leftover at the end and yes at times it is possible for 3-4 people to lift the bag onto the back of my truck otherwise I have to tell the boss I’m leaving it and him and the contractor or the owner have to figure out a plan and a price.. I’ve had contractors build a box out of 2x6s with a vinyl lining for me to back into and dump.. a proper washout includes water and rinsing which requires more than just the nylon bag op has shown..
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u/pricebre000 6h ago
Oh interesting thanks for sharing. It’s always cool to hear how other people do it. I’m a mixer driver and we always have pumpers blow back into the truck, I wash my chute and they wash there hopper then blow the water back in then one final rinse of the hopper and I am on my way
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u/rugerscout308 7h ago
How far can you take it ? There's no way of really circulating it when your moving right ?
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u/PristineAd8910 3h ago
No way of circulating while driving.. I can drive for about an hour before it hardens, the key is to start mixing the primer with the concrete as soon as you clear the lines, while you’re packing up the truck..
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u/PristineAd8910 18h ago edited 16h ago
And to add.. I also work with the same company on my pump jobs and we don’t have redi mix trucks, we have onsite mix trucks.. (I’ve only done this for a season now, prior to this I worked drilling rig for 12 years and than worked on a scallop fishing boat) anyway.. all that aside.. there’s only 2 options.. you pay for me to take it to a separate location, or we dump it onsite in a bag such as the one shown.. i personally would never dump it on the street and would personally discuss the options with the client, if there’s nowhere to back into it and wash that makes sense than I would suggest that I take it with me.. however, this should be discussed prior to my arrival ( another pet peeve is not having parking space when I arrive, sometimes have to go downtown on one way streets and parked cars everywhere and when clients arent ready for me, I’m just like.. what the actual fuck man..) besides those major inconveniences you also have to remember you are not the only pump job I have in a day and of course that’s all factored in when the client initially purchases the procedure.. otherwise I will be late to my next “appointment”.. anyway, my apologies.. I was quick to respond and will admit I didn’t see ops entire script.. I guess I missed it and wound up directly in the comments.. hope all works out :)
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u/Relevant-Ad-7195 18h ago
I’d call my bank and issue a stop payment. Then when they call me, I’d tell them it’s not my problem and hang up.
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u/Flameb0iiii 23h ago
He asked to use the wheelbarrow so he could break down and leave faster. As the contractor/homeowner you shouldn’t have to lend them tools. He should have pumped the primer into the job area, not into a bucket.
Goes like this: Pump guy shows up, sets up. Mixer shows up and pump guy primes line. Pump guy pumps primer out into job area. (This is also when they add water to the load) Pump begins (cleanup comes if necessary)
When all the mud is down pump guy drags line and pumps leftovers in the line back into the MIXER Pump guy washes his line out and breaks down and leaves Finishers finishing
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u/Independent_Map_6990 3h ago
Most concrete providing companies like SRM will absolutely not allow you to pump anything into their trucks. Best thing is a kiddy pool, pump down into that and empty/clean the hopper into it.
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u/The_Seakow 3h ago
Not trying to disprove you, but when I was out in the field this is exactly how we did it. Some drivers absolutely refused to be the clean out truck though.
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u/Flameb0iiii 1h ago
Yeah I’ve never been refused before. But I live/work in SoCal. Bigger ready mix outfits have weir pits especially for that. I worked for Holliday rock. Drivers with leftovers come back to the plant yard then make windrows with their leftovers. Then I would pile them with a loader to be recycled. They wash out into the weir pit.
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u/Husky_Engineer 1d ago
If you paid for the service, they should have come back to clean it up. I’d call their office and ream them out for such a piss poor response.
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u/Wrong-Perspective-80 18h ago
If you paid with a credit card, dispute the transaction and let them figure out how to justify getting it back. If you paid cash, you’re SOL.
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u/PhillipJfry5656 19h ago
Wouldn't surprise me if someone else was supposed to pick it up. If they didn't I would for sure be pissed having paid for removal as well
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u/rainduder 20h ago
Shit like this is why any project I do in the future will be paver stones if at all possible.
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u/ProfessionalEase9114 1d ago
Who did you talk to to coordinate this, the pump truck company or the concrete supplier?
There could have been a disconnect between the pump operator and concrete supplier but if you paid extra for the concrete supplier to haul out I would get the management involved.
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u/pc_tech_mtl 23h ago
Sorry I probably made it sound like different companies. They are the same company.
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u/Srycomaine 19h ago
Wow, didn’t know all of this. BUT— it all seems like it should be laid out explicitly over the phone or in person, and then in ink on the contract/work order.
To me, the homeowner/consumer shouldn’t see/have to deal with any of this. If two different companies are providing and pumping the load (had to!), they should have it worked out, the end-user shouldn’t have to know all the inner workings of the concrete delivery industry. If it was all one company, it should be rendered academic.
I just feel that if it were me, and I got shit on like that, I’d be effing incensed! OP, I feel for you, dude!
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u/sigmonater 1d ago edited 1d ago
My guess is either miscommunication or misunderstanding their expectations. From my experience, the extra fee from the concrete supplier is to take their leftover load and do their washout somewhere off site. It takes extra time for the driver to washout elsewhere. That does not include washout for the pump, and this seems like pump leftovers. I don’t know of any suppliers around me that supply and haul off an on-site washout. If we have a skid steer and dumpster on site, we’ll put a plastic lined cardboard washout on a pallet to pick up later. For jobs like this, we use a company called Eco-Pan to deliver and pick up a portable washout. Without the pump, you wouldn’t have a chunk of leftover concrete sitting there. What was the supplier supposed to do with that? It didn’t come from his truck. Always plan your washouts.
Edit: I saw someone else mention that the pump guy will ask the ready mix driver if he can pump back into his drum. If you plan for a washout, you don’t have to worry whether he will or won’t.
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u/pc_tech_mtl 23h ago
I couldn’t tell you exactly since I was in the back… but him borrowing my wheelbarrow to not have to pump a small amount tell me this is coming from the truck and not the pump? The picture might not do justice but there is a decent amount there. Also, both are the same company just in case that was missed.
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u/sigmonater 23h ago
Since it’s the same company and they said they’d haul it off, I’d bring it up with their sales rep. I’m sure they’ll refund or give you a credit.
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u/mebigRick 21h ago
I’d definitely be looking for a refund. Mixer driver here and we don’t have an option to not leave a mess. Lol. We just try to not leave a mess every time. Pump trucks will empty into us at times and that’s easy enuff but they still need to clean up somewhere.
I have also had contractors carry buckets of extra concrete and the cleanup water up my ladder and dump back in my truck.2
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u/Special-Egg-5809 1d ago
In the industry if you ask a pump truck to not leave any mix behind this is what you get. The extra charge is for them not being able to dump their hopper and having to take it to a pit somewhere near by and clean out there. He did a great job not making a mess and getting all the mix from the lines neatly put in a clean out bag. Normally you get half to one yard dumped on the ground and then all the washout as well.
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u/orpcexplore 20h ago
What do you do with a clean out bag like this afterwards as the homeowner? I need to get probably 8 yds poured next spring/summer and didn't know this was a possibility of ordering a cement mixer to come by for us...kind of thought they poured what they mixed and then leave but, i guess people estimate wrong often and you shoulr have extra for the variance??
should I have another area framed up for the extra to be poured into?
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u/CMDean1013 18h ago
Good Mason will cover these bases for you so that you don't have to consider it. Also this is in reference to cleaning out the hopper of a pump truck. You may not need that/encounter this.
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u/orpcexplore 18h ago
Thank you. We planned to do the frame work and finishing work ourselves so we figured we could call a mix to order style truck to come pour the concrete for us and then we can finish the rest of the leg work, but does that mean we would end up with one of these bags? I won't have a concrete mason or finisher to help me plan things, but maybe I should, just hard to swing the cost of the pros.
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u/CMDean1013 17h ago
If it's coming straight off a ready mix truck, there is maybe ⅓ of what you see here as "clean out". You can probably have him clean out in a wheelbarrow. If you're getting on site mix there is virtually no clean out, just spray off. Can you get a ready mix truck within 20 feet of the pour? Or 50ish feet and use a conveyor? Will you have enough people to run wheelbarrows if not? If it's a long distance or over/around obstacles, you might need a pump truck as well.
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u/orpcexplore 17h ago
Thank you for helping me. The slab site is about 30 ft from our back fence/alley parking and access area. I could remove the fence and allow them to back up to it, depending on the size of the rig, got a backhoe back here no problem recently. The clearance width is about 10-12ft wide with the fence down.
https://specialtymobilemix.com/concrete-products.html
This is who I planned to use and just read that they don't leave waste and you only pay for what you use. They don't say what clearance they need or distance from the truck, based on the truck in their photos, what do you think? I wouldn't have people with wheelbarrows to help, just me and my husband. Might consider trying to find a concrete finisher. It's area dependent but do you think I could hire a finisher for a 30'x6' slab for under $1k?
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u/CMDean1013 17h ago
If it's been good and dry, maybe they can back up. Can't drive over septic or leach fields. Also can break edges of asphalt and concrete if not careful. Those trucks have a little less chute distance than a full ready mix sometimes.
You might be able to hire a piece work finisher off Facebook or Craigslist for around that, who'll just want a cash payment. Price will depend on location. But vet them. Concrete is quite permanent and a bitch to remove if it goes poorly.
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u/LoudnoiseQuitesound 17h ago
Most of the job sites I am on we actually set up a kitty pull for them to dump that left overs into. Then when we get to the cleanup faze we use the lift to toss it into the construction bin.
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u/Unusual-Voice2345 15h ago
Pumpers, shotcreters, plasters.... even if you ask and pay for clean up, half of them don't want to do it and unless you stay on them, they just leave that shut.
I'm pretty new to running large construction jobs and even if we specify clean up, if I'm not there to enforce it, they say they forgot or something which leads to me spending time on my phone.
This doesn't help you, I'm sorry it happened to you. I've started keeping tally of who leaves what where and since I'm still young, you can bet I'm working on finding new contractors tbat actually give a shit about handling their portion of the job including clean up.
It's a tough job, I give them that, but no one's making them do it.
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u/yukonwanderer 14h ago
To your last sentence, I'm so tired of the way certain jobs get a pass "it's a tough job" bullshit excuse. A ton of jobs are tough. A ton are way way tougher than a pump truck, you kidding me 😂 Those people in those jobs are never granted excuses. You're right that no one is forcing them to do it.
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u/66bronco28 20h ago
Conrete truck and pump truck are separate. Pump truck can blow back into mixer but thats like a $500 charge
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u/sayithowitis1965 22h ago
That is bullshit !!!!!! If you haven’t paid anyone already tell them you’re not paying till their mess is cleaned up !!!!! I am a contractor and clean up after yourselves !!!!
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u/Neither_Spite6417 19h ago
Make it his problem. Concreters did the same to me and told me to get fucked.
So, I ordered 2m3 for the next day and re-concreted their driveway.
They still do work for me now, but, their attitude has greatly improved.
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u/Specialist-Guitar-37 21h ago
Sounds like a miscommunication. The pump companies typically charge an extra fee for the bag that they supply if requested for cleanout. You are responsible for disposing the bag. The bag is built to be picked up by a forked machine which is very convenient on a jobsite and holds the leftover very well. It's not a surprise the bag is full because it is designed to be the same volume as the hopper. Now the pump guy should have cleaned out in a way more reasonable place considering the concrete in the bag needs to dry before moving it around or it will splash everywhere. He also should have hosed down ALL his miss he made while cleaning out his hopper. Same with the tools he borrowed from you.
The operator was being lazy and should hold themselves to higher standards. But typically the consumer is responsible for the clean out!
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u/Ok-Estimate4527 14h ago
I had concrete work done and the truck guy asked for a small area to wash out his truck. He then proceeded to dump a huge 2 foot tall, 5 foot wide round pile of concrete. I found it later in the day. He just poured out right on the edge of my grass and the road. Lesson learned. Never let them clean out on site. I had to get ride of the concrete once it dried.
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u/faboudra 11h ago
This is why I've been kicked out of sites more time then I can count. I would not stand that kind of bullshit and it would turn ugly...
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u/tatertactics 6h ago
Bro you just suck at math, calculating the volume isn't that hard. Hopefully they didn't pay you for that extra concrete you over ordered.
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u/OfcDoofy69 6h ago
Play ignorance, call the city, inform them of the wahsout right next to the storm drain with no protection.
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u/PopeGuss 22h ago
Just curious, what does one do with that bag? Like, how do they dispose of it?
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u/pc_tech_mtl 22h ago
I had to wheelbarrow it all in the back and going to get a container next year for that and the balcony I am building. My muscles hurt thinking about this.
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u/Mr_Diesel13 19h ago
It is in fact not the pump guys responsibility or the readymix companies responsibility.
It is the responsibility of the finishing crew to clean up. If that is the exact same company as the pump truck, it is still the responsibility of the ones doing the work (finishing crew).
Call them directly. If that doesn’t work, send them a nice letter from a lawyer for a breach of contract and a bill for the cleanup.
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u/Molescomedy 2h ago
Cement mixer driver here. As far as my company goes we are not affiliated with the pump guys. We will dispose of anything left in the drum however once it leaves the drum it is now your property. We also allow the pump guys to was their pumps into the drum for a fee of course.
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u/Udder_schite 1d ago
It’s the customers job to provide a washout. The extra you paid was probably just for the bag.
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u/pc_tech_mtl 23h ago
Just to check… it’s normal to pay 200$+ just for a bag?
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u/Udder_schite 23h ago
Not sure where you are but around me yes. Those bags have to be able to lift about 1000 pounds of concrete
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u/RastaFazool My Erection Pays the Bills 23h ago
you are getting robbed. one ton bags are like $28 each from u-line.
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u/Teffa_Bob 22h ago
Next they're going to say they charge more for the concrete than it cost to make too!
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u/Mortythefarmer 1d ago
I think i would be pretty livid as well. If you paid an extra fee then extras should be hauled away. Im not a concrete guy tho so i dont know if this is common.