Summer 2002 My wife and I hired an employees now exhusband, Mark Drennan to GC the upgrades we wanted done to our house. He and his team did most of the work. Verbal estimate was a lowball. Well after they started the work, he produced a written estimate double the orginal price discussed.
He then applied a discount saying I was such a nice guy. Said it included all of our change orders. I told him it was more than I had and we'd have to cut some of the job out. He said he'd work with me. The mason work on the addition was sloppy. The footing was poured without forms, just concrete in a hole.
Destroyed my lawn with parking his trucks, garbage, spilled concrete and material. New cabinets in kitchen was mix matched. Recessed lighting had gaps on side of fixtures. No new electrical was run, just jumped onto a nearby box. Tile floor put in without durock flooring. Grout for tile was not all same color and poorly applied.
Bull nose tile never finished and what was done was poor. No polish, no detailed work whatsoever. Corners were slapped together, no 45 degree angled cuts to fit nicely together. He ran out of bullnose, and when he went to get more, it was out of production.
HVAC put in was not what we paid for. No-name and scratch & dent stuff, ie. Waterheater with dents. No kitchen appliances supplied as contracted. Materials used throughout house were not appropriate. I made installments and he got ahead of me.
I repeatedly asked for a renewed estimate with upstairs bath cut out, few other items out as well. I had a home equity inspection coming up and need to know how much I had to totally have. Drennan kept putting me off. Guy shows up one day with his new BMW. Says he's going on a 2 week cruise. Said he'd have the estimate in time for my appraisal. Never did it. Appraisal came back inconclusive.
My wife and I continued to see things. Basement used regular pine in areas where it will get damp. No waterproofing of block walls in basement before framing. All summer they drank and ate from our pantry. Telephone sysem left in shamble. Wiring for whole basement run from a single existing box. Electrical feeds taped together.
Attic stairs unfinised, uneven, untrimmed. No insulation, no attic fans put in as contracted. Siding never performed. Rain warped exposed wood on addition. New mahogany doors cracked from exposure to rain and sun. Warranty expired on doors. No trim carpentry done. My complaints were ignored.
One day he picked up all equipment. I called asking if what was going on. He said he was still on the job. Brought back a few ladders and a dumpster.in hindsite, it was all for appearances. This guy said he was out of money and had to start a couple other jobs. He didn't realize the cost of the materials we were asking for, that he was trying to do the job as cost effective as possible.
Was he out of his frelling mind. This was no taj mahal. Another payment. Windows began leaking with September rain. No trim kits for windows, doors. Fireplace just a hole in the wall. No shower glass door we had asked for, no fixtures, not even a tile soap dish in the bath. Again in hindsite, the details all pointed to a rip off.
November. I knew now it was a serious problem. I was out $97,000 and our house wrecked. I fired him. Pulled permit file in Dec, found no electrical, no plumbing. I'm now faced with pulling down walls to satisfy inspectors. Found out he never had plumbing license, used his family's data.
Business card said licensed and insured. All BS. I should have done a background check on him like I do with my employees. Had to pull out tile work in bathroom. Found electrical tape holding the plumbing together.
Drywall was used in bath, not durock. The tiles on the walls was never leveled, one wall higher than opposite side, one tile protruding here, another there. Backsplash in kitchen came off, countertop in one corner fell in 1 inch. Drywall on addition ceiling cracking. New estimates to fix and complete, $75,000.
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