Do you have links showing a lot home building companies stiffing their contractors? I was in an adjacent industry at one point and don’t remember that being at all commonplace, but would be interested in learning more.
I think he was referring to the practice of using lowest-quality materials.
I was referring to building with the cheapest materials around for a huge profit margin.
Can you point me to examples that show this to be a widespread phenomenon?
The building materials and construction have to at least meet code, and the finish levels are typically predetermined based on the types of consumers they are targeting. That’s on pre-built homes. On custom builds, the process is insanely transparent and I’m going through it right now. There is a base level for all finishes that is negotiated at the start and built into the price. You are free to pick from a wide range of things within that level. Each custom item or design that exceeds that level has an up-charge that is approved by the buyer on an individual basis.
I’m not saying that Trump was the first, last, and only fraudulent builder, just that I don’t believe it’s quite as common as you are making it out to be.