I hired Charles Lewis to put a great room and a new kitchen and entry way/mudroom on my 1000 sq. Ft. Home. The room was 22x24 and was "supposed" to have a wall of windows facing the west (large windows with two triangle and one rectancle window in the pitch of the roof with vaulted ceiling.). The quote for the complete job was a range with the high end being $55,900. This person states he does not use his credit so I had to pay for materials up front (yes, I am new and he was my son's friend's dad so I was trusting). He had $15,000 worth of materials that I paid for.
As the project continued, I could see the price was going to be closer to $70,000. When I questioned him regarding receipts to prove the over amounts, he told me to BACK OFF or he would quit (because he has NEVER been audited in the middle of a job) and I would have to find a new contractor. Well, I had no wall and he had my money, so I backed off, still hoping and praying he was honest.
He did nothing right for my project, continually told me things he would do and didn't follow through and on most days, 6 hours was a long days work for him. He did not match my soffit of my existing house (I have an accent color and he bought the same color as the siding), yet put it up anyway, he wrecked my roof, he hired his Uncle from California to help with the roof and I likely paid for his trip. He put in no roof vents and put up wet plywood. You can see what happened to my NEW roof by the pictures. It had to be ripped off and it was COVERED in MOLD!
Another area of the roof need repaired because it had a flat area that collected water, leaves, etc, so it needed replaced also. He put up a tarp over the addition while working on it, NAILING it to my existing roof then pulling the nails out when done. He put tar over some of them and missed many others leaving my attic of my house leaking. I have a new $400 door hanging crooked and you can see light through the top, he caulked around all my windows and doors like a trailer, my trim siding around my windows didn't match up and looked like he cut it with plastic sissors, I have crooked walls, and closets. I could go on forever.
I have filed complaints with the State of MI, the Cass county Prosecutor and the BBB. I was given a finish date of Dec 1, but on Feb 19, he refused to finish all he had left unless I paid him the balance of $450.00. I told him to get out and gave his shoulder a little shove to get him out my door so I could slam it (he was standing in the doorway). He went to the police the next day, filed an assault charge against me and used that as an excuse to NOT finish the LIST of things he had yet to finish for the $450 of labor.
I had already paid him 23,050 in labor alone and most needed repaired. I got two quotes on the needed repairs he left me with. One for $7400 and the other was $11,300!!! That is just what was visible at the time. We have found so much more and they didn't know what was causing the roof to sink at the time.
This experience was HORRIBLE. IT WAS BY FAR THE WORST 6 MONTHS OF MY LIFE working with that man! I had to do lots of the running, buying 14' and 16' casing for my window in my Honda Accord. He states to the BBB he gave me $6000 free labor but my friend and I stained and varnished all the window casing and floorboard. ALL of it! He would tell me to buy 8' pieces to go around the side of my doors and said, "it is a little waste". He didn't even know they came in 7' pieces.
He billed me frequently for little things like batteries for his tools etc... I would ask him to do something specifically and he would ignore me. I had custom kitchen cabinets handmade for me. I asked him to make sure the kitchen ceiling was painted BEFORE he hung them. When I got home, half the cabinets were up WITHOUT the ceiling painted. I painted the ceiling while he had lunch before the rest of the cabinets went up. I wanted measurements for countertops so I could order them. He set up my kitchen cabinet bases in the middle of the living room to take the measurements. Not in the kitchen. Oh no. The living room!
I told him I wanted them SET before I would order. He was horrible to work with. Did things his way only... Played with my dogs many days and when i came home he would show me pictures of my dogs on his phone. Please see pictures of my addition on Facebook.com under Nancy Fantetti. You will be amazed that this person is still in business. My friend and I also had to redo the drywall in many places, ALL the siding was removed and put back up correctly since the wind was blowing it off anyway plus it didn't meet up anywhere near my existing siding.
He told my I upgraded for the increase in price. I was supposed to get 3 windows in the pitch of my roof yet weeks into the project, they told me the pitch was not high enough for 3 and I only got one arch window. They also quoted my project with white vinyl clad windows yet every other window in my house is Anderson, brown terreatone color... Yet I upgraded since I wanted my windows to match. I guess that isn't important since the siding doesn't match anyway.
Oh, the shingles don't match either. I have brown and he bought gray. Saying that was the closest he could get. I am telling you, I can go on forever. My outside door has a crack from each corner to the ceiling because he cut out a small piece of drywall to fit just above the door with a full piece of drywall on each side... Hence a crack on both sides that has been repaired but keeps coming back. When I went to the village building inspector, I found out that he pulled the building permit in my name and he doesn't have to be licensed if I am the one who pulls permit.
He lied saying he was licensed, bonded and insured & tricked me by pulling permit in my name. And this man went to the police about me!!! I was taken completely. I have lived in this little bitty house for 20 years saving for this project and was screwed. Please look at my pictures on facebook and don't let it happen to you. I can't put my name here so I will try to open a facebook with SEBD Construction as the name... Don't know if that is possible. The pictures are amazing and unbelievable!!!
Overall F
Price F
Quality F
Responsiveness F
Punctuality F
Professionalism F
Nancy
Edwardsburg, Michigan
U.S.A.
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