leer12•18d agoProlific Poster

That PM who ignored the rain forecast cost us $18k in rework

I still think about this from 3 months ago on a site near Austin. The weather app showed 90% chance of storms Thursday, but the PM said trust his 30-year gut and poured the slab Friday morning. It rained by noon. Concrete was ruined, crew had to demo and repour, supplier charged us for the second load. I called him out in the trailer and he just shrugged. Has anyone else dealt with a senior guy who treats weather apps like suggestions? How do you actually get them to change course without making it a fight?

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chen.phoenix18d ago

That "trust his 30-year gut" thing always gets me... a gut feeling is just a guess with a fancy suit on. The app had 90%, and contractors live and die by weather data. Sounds like he confused his gut with his ego, honestly. One thing I'd push back on though, you said the supplier charged you for the second load. Usually they won't do that if you call them first and explain it was a weather issue, at least the good ones won't. A lot of times they'll split the cost or knock something off if you ask. That said, the real fix isn't the supplier, it's the PM. I've seen guys like that only change when the money comes out of their own pocket. If the owner had made him eat part of that $18k, you'd bet he'd check the radar next time. You might not win the fight in the trailer, but next time, print the forecast and put it on his desk. Make him write "I see it" and sign it before you pour. Sounds dumb, but it covers you when he shrugs again.