I am just so fed up with other trades coming along and man handling my fine conduit craftsmanship. Again this week a mechanical contractor thought his work was more important than my work. I had all my home runs heading down to a soon to be mounted panel. I went back out a day later and all my conduits were jacked up so he could hang his heater. I confronted him and he gave me the no habla ingles bullcrap.sheeeeeeeeeesh.

Sounds familiar. How many times have you had the tin-bashers install the duct work 4" from the ceiling and directly under a junction box?

The way it was explained to me when I was a "noob", the plumbers are at the top of the "contracting food chain" - ie they can cut what they want, and run wherever they need to.

Electricians are next.

HVAC guys are lower, then cable/phone/security.

Rockers are supposed to cover it all up so you can't see it, but somehow they're below the painters and trim carpenters, who hide the sheetrock; they're also below the framers who provide the wood they hang the wallboard on.

I also just write it up to them wanting to feel more important.

Just a question, did this job have mechanical prints?

Did you look at them before you ran your rack?

In general if the mechanical prints show unit heaters and duct work in a certain location and you go and put stuff in the way it will be your own fault for not paying attention to the other trades.

Now if your on a job that does not have detailed prints that is a whole other story.

Many times the electrical prints will show exactly where to put something, and the mechanical and/or plumbing will also show that location for something else. What is needed is a job meeting with the general contractor to work out these problems before they are problems.
If it were easy, any one could do it!

The plumbers are at the top of the priority list because they have run and slope requirements for the drains. We can shift and offset with little effort (usually). HVAC guys are usually ahead of us in the priority list for similiar reasons. Everybody abuses the rockers because it is so easy (inexpensive) to repair holes in the rock.
Really, it all boils down to who will charge the most to move or repair the damage.

Well we have the mechanical prints but they hung an elaborate unistrut and all thread set up and pushed my stuff out of the way

On a residential job, I always love the duct guys who install their vents right in the middle of the room where a ceiling outlet should be. Who are the geniuses who walk away and say, "that's good." But I see it all the time. I believe most common sense comes with experience in the trade.

Some HVAC contractors around here are worse than others. But usually we can share priority. For larger pipe runs 2" and above, and for recessed cans they will work around us, especially if they had the lighting print when they engineered the mechanical. but for the small conduit runs for branch circuits and what have you we let them have priority because it is a lot eaiser to re route a 1/2" emt than a 12" solid duct. The bigger problem is usaully the superintendant because he usually says "Its not my problem you guys figure it out." And he goes back into the trailer to play solataire.