Clarendon Home Services

I've been working with Clarendon for about 5 years. I have quarterly maintenance plans with them for my residence and a rental property. I've hired them, beyond those contracts, for dozens of large and small projects. They are extremely knowledgeable. They have their own craftspeople and a bevy of subcontractors. They coordinate all the subs on big and small jobs so that you don't have to be home. It's just a great company. I hope they keep expanding their staff and service area. For purposes of this review, I've given details about one project, a pretty complex one, which involved excavating the cellar of an old house, waterproofing it and insulating it.

Review: Due to a number of circumstances including lack of "project management," scheduling delays and workers not showing up when they were supposed to, and most recently an unfortunate incident in my home, a bathroom remodel that should have been complete is barely started. The bathroom fixtures are sitting in my front room.

The company had promised guidance in selection of bath fixtures, but I had to do the searching and shopping myself. There are thousands of vanities, faucets, tiles, etc., out there, so it took me quite some time, which could have been avoided had I been given the expected guidance.

There were also a number of scheduling delays, due to workers not showing up. The tile technician went to a baseball game the day he was supposed to have started the job!

The latest delay is caused by my request not to have workers in my home unless I am there. One afternoon when I was out and the only people in my home were workers for the company, I returned home to find that my personal belongings in my bedroom had been rifled through. This was most distressing. When I contacted the owner of the company, he made no attempt to question his workers or to even acknowledge the incident. His response: "I respectfully disagree with your characterization that anyone associated with CHS "rifled through" your personal belongings" (email from [redacted],April 2013). He also told me I would be charged a "surcharge" if workers in my home were restricted in the time they were permitted in my home. Frankly I am shocked and appalled at such a response.Desired Settlement: I would also request that the work be completed in a timely manner, i.e.,within 5 working days, that the charges for the project be adjusted due to lack of project management and scheduling delays. if the work can be performed only while either I or my husband is at home, it can be performed on evenings or weekends, at no 'surcharge.'

There is nothing than can compensate for the emotional distress caused by the invasion of my private space, but I would like an apology from the owner of the company for his complete disregard of the implications of the incident that happened while his workers were in my home. He should also attempt to find out who rifled through my personal belongings, even if it involves the police.

The work delays, cost of the project, and the invasion of my privacy need to be addressed.