What is taking so long??????

Your contractor told you It would probably take "two weeks" to finish the job and now it's been TWO MONTHS!!!!! WHAT IS TAKING SO LONG???????? By now you may be thinking about firing him and finding someone more reliable, right? If you do, it may not work out in your favor especially if you have a contract in place. Remember contracts are there for your protection as well as the contractors protection. Most contracts stipulate the contractor will work in a "timely and professional manner". He is going to want to stick to that. The contract will also more than likely also say something about circumstances beyond the contractors control. The "beyond his control" thing, it happens ALOT. I will not be able to list all things that can go wrong but lets mention a few of the big things that might. In my industry (masonry) the biggest obstacle is weather. We work with a special masonry mix very similar to concrete (we call it mud). This "mud" is specially formulated to create the strongest possible bond with the stone, brick, block, etc. There are rules we must follow to make sure this bond is strong. Most people are understanding that we cannot lay in freezing weather the "mud" cannot dry and cure in freezing weather. However, what most people don't know is we cannot work in weather below 45 degrees. It must remain 45 degrees all day otherwise your masonry may not bond properly. The strength of your project depends on us following these rules. Of course we also cannot work in rain and inclement weather. Heat can also make is cut our hours short for safety reasons. Another problem may be other contractors that need the space we are in. We cannot always work over one another. Sometimes we can move to another area but not always. Sometimes a contractor will hold off working so another can finish, that way we are not "tripping" over one another. This is often a safety issue. Illness, and equipment issues can stop a jobs progress. Several employees may become ill at once (i.e the flu) which can cause a halt in work. If there is a major problem with an important piece of equipment it will stop a job dead in its tracks! Many other problems can cause delays. Each industry has its own set of problems and you can expect delays on every project so its best if you anticipate them. A good rule of thumb would be to ask the contractor what , if anything might cause a delay. Find out if you can do anything to prevent any possible delays such a scheduling contractors to where they are not in each other's way. Most importantly communicate. If there is a delay ask why if you do not understand. Be patient when there is a delay. Always pay by the job and never by the hour. A contractor who gets paid by the job wants to get it done as delays actually cost him money. Your much less likely to end up with unnecessary delays with a contractor who works that way.