Imagine hiring a contractor to do a home renovation project. What would you do if you sent him a text with some questions, but he didn’t respond? Would you keep texting and waiting, or would you ask one of the subcontractors who was working on the project?

In this story, one couple was in this situation, and they decided to ask a subcontractor. When the general contractor found out, he was furious and threatened to shut down the construction project.

Now, the homeowners are wondering if they really did mess up or if the contractor overreacted.

Let’s read the whole story to decide.

AITA for asking subcontractors questions when my general contractor doesn’t answer?

My husband and I are 7 weeks into a major renovation on our home.

The general contractor is the owner of a company that also makes cabinets.

We learned after the project started that he is running at least 10 job sites at one time in addition to cabinet only orders.

We communicate mostly via text and email. He writes back sometimes, but often does not respond to specific questions.

There was a problem, so they asked a simple question.

When the light in a hallway was removed by crew, we found a fairly large hole that needs drywall in order for a new light fixture to be installed.

We asked the drywall crew if it was something they could fix, and they said it was.

This morning, we received this text from the general contractor, “They can do it but I have to charge you for their time. As I have asked you both previously. Do not talk to my guys or my trades about work. All communication must go thru me. If this happens again I will be forced to shut your project down and you have to meet with me on everything. I am trying to run your project as efficiently and professionally as possible. You both keep trying to do things without my consent. This is wrong. “

This happened one other time.

We were told one other time to not talk to his crew.

We asked a question about split wood and bubbling laminate on a mantle they made and installed via email. The general contractor did not answer, so we asked the site manager what the plan was.

Are we out of line? The crew found the hole. We asked a question. Of course we will pay for the work. It seems like a reasonable exchange with the customer and the on site crew.

The contractor seems to be overreacting. If there’s a problem that needs to be solved and the contractor has so many jobs going at once that he doesn’t respond to his texts, it seems reasonable to ask the crew on-site a simple question.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a couple whose new neighbors’ construction noise is ruining the whole neighborhood vibe.

Let’s see if Reddit agrees.

Here’s a suggestion.

Another person has questions.

This person offers some advice.

A general contractor offers his perspective.

This sounds like a really frustrating experience. The couple just wants to make sure the work is going to get done. I can understand their perspective.

On the other hand, the contractor has a lot going on and wants all the decisions to go through him. If he can’t actively be on-site to answer questions and monitor the work, perhaps he needs a project manager for the couple to talk to and run their questions through.

Home renovation projects can be really stressful. Hopefully, the couple can work something out with the contractor, like a weekly in-person or online check-in to get all of their questions answered.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a waitress who refused to return a tip after a party returned to the restaurant with a complaint.