Once again, I am starting a thread as a way to vent, to ponder 'what went wrong."
I'm new at the business side of thinks. A repeat customer has a 'side business' of managing a small strip mall. Unable to find a tenant for a large space, he is in the process of dividing the space into a hair / nail salon now, with a laundromat and sandwich shop to follow.
I managed to move myself from "shoe-in" to "frozen out" with this project.
When he mentioned 'hair/nail salon,' I spent several days examining existing salons, learning what their needs were. I then made a proposal based upon those lessons. I even brought in some HVAC guys to disxuss ventilation, etc. (which turns out to be a really big deal for a nail salon).
The customer then chats with his GC, who happily asserts that I am far too expensive, don't know what I'm doing, etc.
Work has begun. As best as I can tell, there is no permit, and the GC will do the plumbing, HVAC, and plumbing himself (though he is neither licensed nor qualified in these areas). Whether the GC has made any changes based upon the drawing I gave the customer remains unknown.
I'm staying clear of the place - not even looking in the windows. All I can do is trust to fate: that code compliance will learn of the job and shut it down, and that the GC's work will prove inadequate.
At last contact, the customer was relating the GC's plans for getting inside the switchgear and obtaining power for the proposed laundromat .....
I can't wait for the monthly IAEI meeting. I think I will strongly encourage the City folks to have lunch at the fast-food place next door, and just happen to notice something irregular going on. Any patience I may have is sorely tried at the mention of switchgear.
