Have you or someone you loved ever suffered from LJC? LJC, or low jobsite cleanup, has been around ever since the first for-hire hammer was slung. It’s what happens when you hire someone to upgrade your house into something prettier, and they ironically make it messier in the process. Sure, you wind up with a shiny new kitchen or bathroom, but you also inherit a big old mess. We’re talking everything from sawdust residue to spent nails to empty soda bottles. Throw in some crushed cigarette butts around your landscaping for good measure, and you’ve got yourself a case of LJC.
LJC affects thousands of people every year. It often heralds other conditions, including post-construction rage and “remodelaphobia”. Symptoms may include raised blood pressure and chronic resentment. When you have been struck by LJC, there is no missing it. The good news is that while LJC can be treated only with your own elbow grease, it can be prevented with 100 percent efficacy by following one simple rule:
Get it in writing.
Look, there’s no such disease as LJC, but it’s certainly a plague on the remodeling industry. So, any time you work with a contractor, make sure it’s explicitly stated in writing that jobsite cleanup will come with the package. Some contractors unfortunately think cleanup work is beneath them (it’s not) or falls outside their area of responsibility (it doesn’t).
Finding someone who’s experienced a case of LJC is as easy. Don’t be the next victim. Don’t be your contractor’s maid. Get the jobsite-cleanup clause in writing.
