John, Elite's footings foreman, and a crew of four Mexicans arrived with form-a-drain and went to work. Within a couple hours the entire perimeter of the house was laid out. I'm sure they must have had loads of fun splashing around in that muck down there. Out came the transit and the levels and the string, and they measured and measured. It all looked good. We were just thrilled that something was getting done.
And then we came to ANOTHER problem. John measured three times, then realized there was going to be big trouble. He told us.
The garage was excavated too shallow. It was six inches too high. They couldn't put the footings forms in there until it was fixed.
For about the 90th time, AAARRRGGGGHHH!!!
We contacted the excavator. I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise he tried to blame the foundation people for wanting the wall at a non-standard height. But after some discussion and clarification, it appears that Elite did want the garage at the standard height (five feet exactly, from the dirt grade in the basement to the dirt grade in the garage) but his guys had cut it wrong.
Frustrations continue to mount at home. More screaming. Getting very tiresome. But we're at the point where we won't turn back now, since we actually appear to be on Elite's schedule for a change.
The excavator came out Monday morning, May 14. Elite had also asked that the dirt pile at the front of the house be cut down a couple feet so they could have room to move the concrete trucks there. They ever-so-generously informed me that if the excavator would cut down the pile that Elite wouldn't backcharge them an extra trip charge for having to come out again to lay the garage footings. How nice of them.
The work was done by the end of the day. The foundation scheduler let us know that if it didn't rain the next day they'd be out to finish setting the garage footing forms, then pour them the next day, then come back in a week to set and pour the walls. Sigh. Well, whatever.
Would it come as a shock that it rained on Tuesday?
Wednesday came. The garage forms were set. Elite called for an inspection. The inspector came out the next day.
