Costa Custom Builders

Customer’s Statement of the Problem: (1) The Company never provided a legally signed (by both parties) contractI signed the initial proposal they gave me but they never signed it or gave me any other contractThe "Proposal/Contract" violates HICPA rules in that it does not state everything requiredThey demanded a down payment of 50% instead of 33%They also never signed the two change orders and demanded 100% payment immediately before the work commencedThey also never gave me receipts for any payment I made a Costa Response: We mailed a mutually signed copy of all our agreements to: [redacted] b Costa Response: The contract clearly stated all payment requirements, a detailed scope of work and all the included terms and conditions which we covered in detail during an approximately hour visit beginning at 12pm at Miss [redacted] ’s condo on 7/2/We went over the scope in so much detail that I worked with her on site in order to tailor a scope of work that not only satisfied her needs but her budget as wellMs [redacted] closed on her new home on the 14th of July and we juggled our schedule so that we could begin work on the 15th of July to help expedite her being able to settle into her new home as fast as possibleNote: Ms [redacted] indicated her appreciation at the time and stated that this timeline was one no other contractor she spoke to could meetMs [redacted] paid by check and has proof of all payments via cancelled checks along with the fact that we do send out payment receipts upon requestMs [redacted] never made such a request prior to this complaint (2) They "made or misleading statements to induce me to enter" Change Order #I was concerned about mold on the sq ft ceiling of my small winterized back porch, due to improperly installed insulation, and my broken gutterThey said they would give me a $1,discount if I replaced the drop ceiling with a dry walled ceiling now instead of waiting for a future projectThey didn't provide a breakdown of labor and materials costs, as I asked, so I could see if I was getting a fair priceThey charged me $7,for replacing the small ceilingI thought this included remediating for mold, but there was no mold! It would have been easy for them to check this before writing the COAnd they simply reduced the scope of work by $1,by clipping up the gutter instead of replacing itThe "discount" was bogusAnd I think $7.8K for replacing a small ceiling is exorbitant! When I protested, they said "We can't help it; that's the price our computer gave." a Costa Response: Ms [redacted] removed the ceiling work from her original proposal due to her indicating the ceiling work, among other items, would take her over budgetI explained that we could discount the work if it was completed during and in parallel with the original work we were already completingThe porch ceiling had improperly installed insulation which was stapled to the roof rafters and did not allow adequate air circulation which is a known cause of mold problemsThe scope of work as clearly identified and explained to Ms [redacted] was to remove and dispose of the entire existing drop ceiling, remove the improperly installed insulation, repair the roof as required (which would include mold mitigation if required), build an entirely new ceiling joist system, install two new electrical rough in boxes one of which was a completely new light, drywall the ceiling and finish the seams and perimeter, prime the ceiling, paint the ceiling, and install the two new ceiling light fixturesWe never tried to induce Ms [redacted] into any additional work; we only submitted the change order after Ms [redacted] requested it and it was only after we worked hard to complete the ceiling and did a beautiful job that she protested the priceI am including a quote from an email Ms [redacted] wrote me on 7/31/at 9:06pmThis was written to me after we completed the ceiling work and she expressed concern about the priceAlso note that she did not ask for any price reduction and just mentioned that she thought the price was high all after the work was completedMs [redacted] wrote: “The guys are doing a great job! The kitchen counter looks gorgeous! I really appreciate everyone's efforts I feel at peace, now, about the price of the porch ceiling if I consider it as a portion of the entire project cost (instead of the price of just a small ceiling) You are giving me top quality work Thanks!” (3) They charged me twice for the same tasks (removing basement carpet and patching concrete floor), written in both the Proposal and CO #This is blatant dishonestyThey were going to charge me $2,for installing future bathroom pipes, but the plumber offered to do it for free, saying it was a simple taskFortunately I didn't accept this part of the COBut their dishonesty and intention to cheat and over-charge me has caused me much distressI blindly trusted their supposedly great reputation and feel hurt, shocked and betrayedIn my online statement I said that on CO #2, CCB was charging me $2,for installing future bathroom pipes, which (after I declined that task) the plumber later offered to do for free What I didn't have space to include was that when I asked CCB why it was so expensive, they told me that the plumber had told them he needed to charge so much because he couldn't get a cement mixer down the basement and would have to mix all the replacement cement by hand, which was a huge amount of labor I was very surprised when the plumber brought in his small electric cement mixer later CCB was dishonest with me in many aspects of this part of CO #2: they tried to charge me twice for the same tasks (removing the carpet and replacing the cement), they lied saying the plumber had said something he didn't say, and they tried to way overcharge me for something simple the plumber offered to do for free a Costa Response: We were contracted to change the clogged sewer pipe under the original proposalThis included removing the carpet and removing the portion of the concrete floor only as required to replace the sewer pipe which is approximately a 12” – 24” wide area parallel to the pipeMs [redacted] is twisting the facts because after she requested a price to rough in plumbing for a future bathroom on the far RH side of her basement, approximately 20’ from the area of the sewer pipe replacement, I did in fact explain the concrete and carpet would need removed and replaced along with drains and water supply lines being placed for the future shower, vanity and toilet Our plumber simply installed a “Y” fitting in line with the sewer line replacement which he did offer to do for freeThis “Y” fitting install is a completely simple task and by no means is even close to the amount of work that the complete bathroom rough in would require and this complete bathroom rough in is what Ms [redacted] was given a price for on Change Order # For me this dishonesty is really seriousIt has caused me to completely distrust this company I realize that this is my word against theirs (although my neighbor heard part of my conversation with the plumber) If anyone wants to phone me about this, please feel free: [redacted] I want to handle my end of things with integrity, honesty and fairness Costa Response: I would encourage anyone to carefully read the complaints and statements we made in rebuttal as we are never dishonest with our customers and we always go above and beyond to make them satisfied I would also encourage anybody to ask Ms [redacted] about the level of service she received and the quality of the work that we completed Costa Response: I would like to add that in addition to the scope of work we were contracted to do we completed the additional list of work at no additional charge which would shock and surprise most customersWe did this in order to help a customer outI found this complaint was emailed to me and I have made several attempts to contact Ms [redacted] and she has not been responsive Ms [redacted] has an unpaid balance on her job and has indicated that she is unwilling to pay the final billAfter she reads this we can only hope that she does realize how fair we were and the great quality of work she received at a fair priceThe list of additional work we did not charge for is as follows: · Painted additional exterior trim, fascia, and shutters · Painted HVAC Registers · Removed exterior bird feeder · Moved and setup the entire upper level of furniture in the home · Repaired electrical problem and installed rough boxes and light fixtures in rear porch ceiling (this problem also caused additional ceiling patching and painting) · Sanded, prepped, primed and painted the entire set of kitchen cabinets twice due to Ms [redacted] not liking the original color · Installed an over the range microwave · Repaired a light on the kitchen backsplash area · Replaced plumbing under the kitchen sink that the steel ones were rotted · Installed new hardware on all the kitchen cabinets · Installed smoke alarms · Installed new window blinds · Installed new light fixtures in bedroom # · Moved an entire section of wall in the bathroom along with drywall finishing, priming, painting and replacing two electrical switches to help create more space for a storage cabinet · Removed existing bedroom #doors, filled hinge and lockset strike holes, primed and painted · Furnished and installed additional structural support beams to the underneath of the rear porch · Removed and helped dispose on unwanted items and appliances · Repaired unsafe exposed wiring in the basement ceiling · Leveled and repaired uneven floor surfaces · Built a custom wall storage unit per the customers’ requirements and confirmed the design and size by way of a sketch that was completed witness of the customer on their bathroom vanityEven after this the customer stated the design was not acceptable and even though we did not have to; we credited the entire allowance for the cabinet’s construction and installation and had to eat a custom storage unit · Installed a Y fitting during the inside sewer replacement to accommodate a future bathroom expansion · Moved a hot water tank that did not need to be moved to complete the sewer work · Removed an electric wall heater and terminated the circuit in the sun porch area · Patched many nail holes and helped with a great deal of other miscrequested which were not included in our contractual obligation Costa Response: Ms [redacted] still owes us the balance and final payment of $2,

Rejection of Business’s Response
 
My concern has never been with the quality of work done by the subcontractors.  I have been pleased with what they have done.  My concern is with the way Mr. Costa has handled his own side of things, namely the contract and payments, his communication (or lack thereof) and his own quality of customer service.
 
1)         Mr. Costa states, “We mailed a mutually signed copy of all our agreements…  This contract clearly stated all payment requirements, a detailed scope of work and all the included terms and conditions….”
            Whether or not they sent me one, I never received a true contract in the mail, signed by both Mr. Costa and myself.  Did it get lost in the mail?  And I have no copy of a dual-signed contract in my files, and I don’t remember ever signing anything that Mr. Costa also signed.  Am I overlooking something? When was this contract dated?  I request Mr. Costa to send to my new address, via overnight mail, the document(s) he is referring to.
What I did receive via email from the office assistant on July 2, 2014, at 10:37 pm was a scanned version of the proposal, dated July 1, 2014, for Job #[redacted], that I had signed earlier in the day.  This only has my signature on it, not Mr. Costa’s.  And it is a PROPOSAL, not a contract. 
Mr. Costa is correct that the proposal lists bullet point items of the scope of work.  Some of the items were crossed out and initialed by both Mr. Costa and myself; these were the items we agreed together to eliminate from the scope in order to bring down the price.  I expressed appreciation to him for helping me this way.  I also thanked him for “juggling his schedule so that they could begin work on the 15th.”  I agree with this part of his response.
 
2)         Communication Issues: 
During the visit at my condo on July 2, I told Mr. Costa that I did not want to have an adversarial relationship with my subcontractor; I wanted us to have a good working partnership.  He told me that his four-generation company does such great customer service for their customers that oftentimes they become “friends for life” and give the Costa’s their repeat business.  I stated that I looked forward to having the same quality of relationship with him.
I had researched online various contractors and believed CCB was the best, and therefore I believed it was unnecessary to get quotes from other firms.  I totally trusted CCB’s reputation for great customer service.  I believed I was in good hands.
Throughout the project I have expressed my sincere appreciation for the work the subcontractors have done.  I have been trying to do my part to build a positive relationship.
Mr. Costa had stated near the beginning of the project that he or his father would try to come out to the site every day to check on how things were going.  I realized that these good intentions would be infeasible at times—there would be times they couldn’t carry this out.  But still I trusted them to communicate regularly with me so I clearly understood the project progression and had all the info I needed to make good decisions about change orders and other matters. 
A key factor in my escalating distress and high anxiety and finally complete distrust of the Costas was that this commitment to good communication and customer service wasn’t even close to carried out.  They communicated frequently with the Subcontractor, but after the project was up and running, rarely directly with me.  They only made a few site visits, and those were mainly to talk with the Subcontractor.  It felt like they only talked with me if I left a voice message urging them to answer me—which wasn’t very frequently, because I quickly got the impression answering me was bogging down their very busy schedule.  Their other high-paying customers were the ones to whom they gave their focused attention. 
I believe that if Mr. Costa had made the effort to regularly communicate with me and carefully explain the change orders and pricing, and if we could have discussed less expensive alternatives, and if he had made sure—not just assumed—I fully understood the situation before charging me, this terrible breakdown in our relationship wouldn’t have occurred, and I would not have to resort to using Revdex.com to have my concerns listened to and respected. 
The following are notable examples Mr. Costa’s lack of adequate communication:
 
2a)       Change Order #2, porch ceiling:  This is where the relationship breakdown began.  I believe the good customer service I had been promised would have involved Mr. Costa coming to the home to hear clearly what my concerns were and why I was considering a change order I had previously stated a few times I could not afford.  My concern was about mold on the roof boards.  If he had been on hand to discuss this with me in person, it would have been so easy to lift the drop ceiling panels, remove some insulation and check for mold on the spot.  I believe a good contractor should discuss several options for getting the problem solved, letting me know the expense of each one, and helping me to find less expensive alternatives that would better fit my budget.  I would feel much differently about the whole thing if he had told me to my face, before giving me the change order, “[redacted], this is going to cost you $7,800.  You have told me several times you can’t afford this.  Your concern is about mold on the roof.  I believe there are less expensive ways of resolving your concerns.”  (It seems to me from the website testimonials that this is what he does for his other customers.)  But I obviously was misunderstanding the situation, due to the lack of adequate communication.  I thought we were remediating for mold.  I realized later that he would have charged still more for actual remediation, since it was not itemized on the change order.  (I still cannot fathom how the work, which was accomplished in @18 man hours at most, on a ceiling so small that it used only 4-1/4 sheets of drywall board, could possibly cost $7,800!) 
            But I was still trying to keep my end of the relationship positive.  I told Mr. Costa I was upset about the ceiling price—when after-the-fact I discovered that I wasn’t getting what I thought—even though at least the guys did a great job making it look nice.  What Mr. Costa states I wrote in my email dated July 31, about my “appreciating the great job the guys are doing,” is true.  I was still trying to maintain trust in him and give him the benefit of the doubt.
 
2b)       Custom-built bathroom cupboard – I paid a lot to have the bathroom door moved over to make room for a custom-built cupboard unit CCB would create for me.  During the July 2 condo meeting, Mr. Costa reduced the price of this unit from $1,000 to $500 by stating his carpenter would use stock cupboard doors instead of custom.  This cupboard unit was very important to me!  If Mr. Costa were trying to provide great service, he should have known that!  When he came to my house to supposedly measure, near the beginning of the construction project, I told him I wanted a countertop on the cupboard that would be the 31-1/2” height of my sink, as well as shelving inside the upper and lower cupboards.  He drew a rough sketch on the back of a piece of paper, and I exclaimed, “That’s exactly what I want!” 
            Mr. Costa never provided me with a detailed drawing with dimensions of the unit, so I could see specifically what they were intending and approve or ask for modifications, and sign off on it.  (According to his website, this is a standard practice he does for other customers, sometimes having several iterations until they get it just right, according to what the customer wants.) 
            When the unit was delivered to my house for installation, I was horrified.  Besides it looking so ugly, the countertop was either 36” high, or if you turned the unit up-side-down, 24” high (you couldn’t tell which was the top and which the bottom).  There was a 3-inch strip of wood down the middle which made the cupboard openings less than 10 inches wide, so that I couldn’t get inside the main items I needed to store in the cupboard!  The larger side had only one inside shelf, and the smaller side had none.  Furthermore, the quality was absolutely terrible—just a bunch of 10-inch-wide boards screwed together and painted with flat paint, which is no good in a bathroom.  The piece was so badly designed that it was unusable and nothing like what I had said I wanted.
            I was deeply upset, because I had really been counting on this unit.  The subcontractor told Mr. Costa I didn’t like it.  When Mr. Costa phoned me he said “Lots of counters are 36” high.”  Mine wasn’t!  What was the point of measuring?  Kitchen counters are 36” high, not bathroom counters!  I began to suspect that Mr. Costa was simply giving me someone else’s reject—made for their kitchen (not my bathroom), and they didn’t want it either!  I realize this is just conjecture, but I certainly got the idea I am not important to Mr. Costa.  Couldn’t he tell it was very badly designed and constructed?  If that is Costa quality—it’s awful!  Why on earth, for someone who says he is dedicated to “always going above and beyond to make our customers satisfied,” would he give me that thing?  He gave me a $500 credit, but that did not meet my need for a well-designed, customized bathroom unit.
            I was shaken up by this incident.  By now I was beginning to think the Costas were taking advantage of me, cutting corners or ripping me off when they could. 
 
2c)       Change Order #2, basement bathroom rough-in plumbing – This, again, is an example of Mr. Costa’s inadequate communication which caused a distressing misunderstanding.  What he thinks happened, according to his 8/18/2014 Revdex.com message, is different from what I think happened.  He says I requested a price for rough-in plumbing on the far RH side of my basement, approximately 20’ from the area of the sewer pipe replacement.”  I can’t imagine how he could say that.  There were only two possible places for a future bathroom: one near the hot water heater (the sewer trench was immediately next to it), and one at the front corner of the house, right on top of the sewer trench.  If he thinks what I wanted was 20’ away, that isn’t true.  What location is he talking about? 
            I believe Mr. Costa thinks he explained far more than he actually explained.  He certainly didn’t explain enough to bring himself and myself into the same understanding of what he was intending to charge me for.  Before giving me the change order, if he had adequately communicated with me, it would have been in person at the house and showing me exactly what he was talking about.  We would have discussed the two areas I had in mind, which area would be better, what price he was intending to charge for the CO, how to minimize the costs, and what were alternatives to doing a total rough in (such as the Y fitting, which the plumber offered to do for free, saying it was plenty adequate). 
            I asked Mr. Costa why this part of the change order was so expensive--$2,475.  I remember him saying that the plumber said he couldn’t get his cement mixer down the basement and would have to mix the cement by hand—a very labor-intensive task.  A week later when the plumber was on site digging the trench, I mentioned to a handyman I had hired that I felt sorry for the plumber.  The handyman said he knew an easy shortcut for mixing cement.  I said, “Let’s go downstairs and tell the plumber about it.”  The plumber looked rather insulted.  He said, “We have a small, portable, electric cement mixer.  We’ll be just fine.”  This discrepancy led me to believe Mr. Costa was lying to get a high price on this task.
            Mr. Costa can say he didn’t say this about mixing the cement.  It is his word against mine.  Even if it is true that Mr. Costa didn’t say what I believed I heard him say, the predominant issue is that his serious lack of adequate communication obviously caused serious misunderstandings to occur.  And it caused a total breakdown in our relationship.  I no longer trusted him.  I was experiencing high anxiety about having him as my contractor.  What was I supposed to think?  This situation had every appearance to me of the Costas trying to charge as much as they could for the CO #2 tasks and trying to make as much as they could off me, instead of suggesting more-cost-effective measures.  I had no assurance that they had my best interests at heart.  Just because the subcontractors were doing fine quality work, that didn’t mean the Costas themselves were providing me with the high quality of customer care they provided for their other customers.  I felt hurt, shocked and betrayed that they would treat me like this. 
 
2d)       The Final Invoice – When this situation with the plumber occurred, I phoned Mr. Costa on Thursday, August 7.  I told him I would like to have a face-to-face meeting at my house, preferably the next day but later would be fine, too, if his schedule necessitated.  I asked him to phone me again, after checking his schedule, to tell me what time he was coming, to be sure I would be at the house.
            I never heard from him again until Tuesday night when he left a voice message to tell me he wanted to close out the project.  Because I had heard nothing for such a long period of time, I actually wondered whether they had abandoned me and the project.  (But of course not!  They wouldn’t walk away from their last bit of money!)
            Sunday night, an email was sent to me with the Final Invoice, dated August 10.  The invoice is written for $2,350 and includes a credit for the $500 bathroom cabinet I rejected.  However, it does not include the $75 credit Mr. Costa promised me, in an email dated July 19, for the ceiling fan I self-purchased.  The correct amount of the final invoice would be $2,275.
            The “final invoice” was dated August 10.  This is eleven or twelve days before the carpet is scheduled to be installed on August 21 and 22, and the furniture is brought upstairs in accordance with Mr. Costa’s verbal commitment.  They are expecting me to pay before the work is done!
            On Tuesday night, in addition to Mr. Costa’s phone message, I received an email from him verifying that he expected me to pay in full before the work was done.  He stated, “I would like to meet to close out the job and collect our final payment…  My understanding is that you are satisfied with all the work and agree that we are 100% completed besides the Lowes carpet installation.”  I DO NOT AGREE!  THEY ARE NOT YET 100% COMPLETED!  THE CARPET IS NOT SATISFACTORILY INSTALLED NOR THE FURNITURE BROUGHT FROM UPSTAIRS!    THE JOB IS NOT DONE!
            By this point I felt that I was being screwed by this contractor.  What kind of contractor are they?  Do they think I’m stupid?  Whoever pays the final bill before the work is done?  I felt insulted and disrespected.
            I phoned Mr. Costa Wednesday morning.  When he asked whether I was satisfied with the work, I told him I was satisfied with what the subcontractors had done, but I was very concerned about some other matters and wanted to talk with him face to face.  He said he would get back with me about scheduling this.  When I didn’t hear from him, I decided I didn’t want to take any more disrespect or ignoring of my concerns from him, and I needed to get help from Revdex.com. 
Please note:  Mr. Costa told the Revdex.com representative that I hadn’t been answering his communications.  That isn’t true.  He is the one who hasn’t been answering me.  I heard nothing for five days (when I asked to see him), and then all of a sudden he began badgering me to get his final payment.  I simply waited until the next morning to answer.
 
3)         Do we even have a legally-valid contract?
            I am very concerned about this contract issue.  I await Mr. Costa sending me via overnight mail what he thinks is the legal contract (as requested in Point #1).
            If it is only the PROPOSAL I signed at his house, this violates the Home Improvement Consumer’s Protection Act (HICPA) in many details.  If our relationship had gone well and Mr. Costa had steadily been providing me with great communication and his excellent personal customer service—in addition to the subcontractors doing a great job—this wouldn’t matter to me.  But in the context of the mistrust that has developed due to the way the Costas have related to me, it is a matter of serious concern to me.  It seems to me to be just one more way they are ripping me off.
            HIPCA Section 517.7(a) states:  “No home improvement contract shall be valid or enforceable against an owner unless it
·         Is in writing and contains the home improvement contractor registration number of the performing contractor
·         Is signed by all the following:  (i) the owner, his agent or other contracted party. (ii) The contractor or a salesperson on behalf of a contractor.
·         Contains the approximate starting date and completion date.
·         Includes a description of…the materials to be used and a set of specifications that cannot be changed without a written change order signed by the owner and the contractor. 
·         Includes the amount of any down payment.
·         Includes the names, addresses and telephone numbers of all subcontractors on the project known at the date of signing the contract.
Please note that the CCB Proposal contains none of these.  I don’t remember ever seeing, let alone signing along with Mr. Costa, a contract that contains these items.  Also, please note that they never signed any change order they gave me; they only had me sign and demanded immediate payment in full.
            HICPA Section 517.9 Prohibited acts states:  “No person shall…
·         (9) Demand or receive any payment for a home improvement before the home improvement contract is signed.  (I’m not sure we ever signed one!)
·         (10) Receive a deposit in excess of one-third of the home improvement contract price. 
Please note, the Costas demanded I pay ½ of the contract price as a downpayment instead of 1/3.
 
            I state again that this wouldn’t matter to me if we had a good relationship and I felt I could trust the Costas.  But unfortunately, that is certainly not the case.
 
4)         Additional List of Work at No Extra Charge
            Mr. Costa claims a long list of additional work items they accomplished but didn’t charge me for.  I do not agree with his list, particularly the following points:
·         Painted additional exterior trim, fascia, and shutters.  I painted the shutters myself, and I paid to have my handyman install them.  The Subcontractor never painted any shutters.
·         Moved and setup the entire upper level of furniture in the home.  This is completely not true.  The Subcontractors never moved one single piece of furniture upstairs.  The facts are that the moving van workers placed as many articles of furniture in the basement as there was room for, and just left the minimum upstairs that needed special protection or I needed to live in my home.  I carried upstairs myself several small items to make my home more homey while I wait for the carpet to be installed.  My intention is to move them out of the way or carry them back to the basement myself to accommodate carpet installation.  The Subcontractors had nothing to do with any of this, and it has no impact on the Company.
·         Sanded, prepped, primed and painted the entire set of kitchen cabinets twice due to Owner not liking the original color.  This isn’t true.  For one thing the paint I chose (when the cabinet stain Mr. Costa chose was a blatant mismatch) was primer and paint all in one, to make things easy for the Subcontractors.  I paid for the paint myself at no cost to the Company.  The Subcontractors never sanded or primed the kitchen cabinets.  It also isn’t true that they painted them twice.  They only applied two coats of paint, which is normal.
·         Repaired a light on the kitchen backsplash area.  What happened here is that the Subcontractors inadvertently discarded the kitchen light cover, which is irreplaceable.  So I simply requested that the light be removed completely, and I purchased the electrical cover plate myself at no extra cost to the Company.
·         Installed new hardware on all the kitchen cabinets.  This item is included in Change Order #1, which includes a provision for kitchen cabinet trim and hardware; anyone would assume this means installing them!  I purchased all the door handles and hardware myself at no extra cost to the Company.
·         Installed new window blinds.  What happened here is that the Subcontractors inadvertently discarded the pull-down blinds in my den.  I purchased replacement blinds myself at no extra cost to the Company, and they were reinstalled.
·         Install 2 new light fixtures in bedroom #2.  This line item is clearly specified in Change Order #1, which reads, “remove fluorescent light fixture in third bedroom; replace with owner supplied surface mount fixture.”  Only one light fixture, which I purchased at no extra cost to the Company, was installed in addition to the specified replacement.
·         Removed 2 existing bedroom #2 doors, filled hinge and lockset strike holes, primed and painted.  This line item is clearly specified in Change Order #1:  “Remove two doors in smaller bedrooms…paint all remaining doors, door frames and base board.”  The only additional task was filling the hinge and lockset holes.
·         Furnished and installed additional structural support beams to the underneath of the rear porch.  This line item is covered in the original proposal:  “Enclosed Rear Porch:  Replace existing support posts with 6x6 treated posts.”  The proposal does not specify the number of posts; this is the Company’s responsibility.
·         Removed and helped dispose of unwanted items and appliances.  This line item is mostly covered in Change Order #1:  “Remove and dispose of knife holder, phone, soup cup holder, cup hook unit near stove, wall-mounted shelving and Dixie cup holders.”  It is true that the Subcontractors helped me carry the dishwasher and microwave outside, but I arranged for a third party to haul them away at no extra cost to the Company.
·         Installed a Y fitting during the inside sewer replacement to accommodate a future bathroom expansion.  This is not true.  The Company did not do this.  The plumber offered to do it for me for free since I was already paying for all the new sewer pipes.  This was solely between me and the plumber; the Company had nothing to do with this.
·         Moved a hot water tank that did not need to be moved to complete the sewer work.  This is not true.  The Company did not do this.  I personally paid the plumber $100 to move the hot water tank to the place he suggested.  This was solely between the plumber and me; the Company had nothing to do with this.
·         Removed an electric wall heater and terminated the circuit in the sun porch area.  This is not additional work for the Company.  During the July 2 discussion about the project’s scope of work, this line item was always my request.  Mr. Costa forgot to write it in the written scope of work, but it is not extra.  Note that Revdex.com requires its companies to honor verbal agreements.
 
When Mr. Costa replies to my rejection of his response, I request that he does not brag about how fair he is, the track record of his company, or the way he always satisfies his customers.  That rubs salt in my wounds.  He may treat all the rest of his customers great, but he hasn’t treated me that way.  That is what hurts so much!  If he treats everyone else so well, why has he treated me like this?  I certainly didn’t want it to go this way.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
I am disappointed with the way my relationship with Costa Custom Builders is ending, but I want to cooperate with the Revdex.com procedures. 
Please note that currently there are two outstanding warranty items to be fixed:  (1) the plumber repairing and reseeding the front lawn; (2) the electrician fixing the
short circuit in the fusebox he installed.  (I have tried to return phone calls to the electrician, but we haven't been able to connect yet.)  Please handle these items
as soon as possible.
Regards,
 
[redacted]

Customer’s Statement of the Problem:
(1)  The Company never provided a legally signed (by both parties) contract. I signed the initial proposal they gave me but they never signed it or gave me any other contract. The "Proposal/Contract" violates HICPA rules in that it does not state...

everything required. They demanded a down payment of 50% instead of 33%. They also never signed the two change orders and demanded 100% payment immediately before the work commenced. They also never gave me receipts for any payment I made.
a.      Costa Response: We mailed a mutually signed copy of all our agreements to: [redacted]
b.     Costa Response: The contract clearly stated all payment requirements, a detailed scope of work and all the included terms and conditions which we covered in detail during an approximately 2 hour visit beginning at 12pm at Miss [redacted]’s condo on 7/2/14. We went over the scope in so much detail that I worked with her on site in order to tailor a scope of work that not only satisfied her needs but her budget as well. Ms. [redacted] closed on her new home on the 14th of July and we juggled our schedule so that we could begin work on the 15th of July to help expedite her being able to settle into her new home as fast as possible. Note: Ms. [redacted] indicated her appreciation at the time and stated that this timeline was one no other contractor she spoke to could meet. Ms. [redacted] paid by check and has proof of all payments via cancelled checks along with the fact that we do send out payment receipts upon request. Ms. [redacted] never made such a request prior to this complaint.
 
(2)  They "made false or misleading statements to induce me to enter" Change Order #2. I was concerned about mold on the 112 sq ft ceiling of my small winterized back porch, due to improperly installed insulation, and my broken gutter. They said they would give me a $1,000 discount if I replaced the drop ceiling with a dry walled ceiling now instead of waiting for a future project. They didn't provide a breakdown of labor and materials costs, as I asked, so I could see if I was getting a fair price. They charged me $7,800 for replacing the small ceiling. I thought this included remediating for mold, but there was no mold! It would have been easy for them to check this before writing the CO. And they simply reduced the scope of work by $1,000 by clipping up the gutter instead of replacing it. The "discount" was bogus. And I think $7.8K for replacing a small ceiling is exorbitant! When I protested, they said "We can't help it; that's the price our computer gave."
a.     Costa Response: Ms. [redacted] removed the ceiling work from her original proposal due to her indicating the ceiling work, among other items, would take her over budget. I explained that we could discount the work if it was completed during and in parallel with the original work we were already completing. The porch ceiling had improperly installed insulation which was stapled to the roof rafters and did not allow adequate air circulation which is a known cause of mold problems. The scope of work as clearly identified and explained to Ms. [redacted] was to remove and dispose of the entire existing drop ceiling, remove the improperly installed insulation, repair the roof as required (which would include mold mitigation if required), build an entirely new ceiling joist system, install two new electrical rough in boxes one of which was a completely new light, drywall the ceiling and finish the seams and perimeter, prime the ceiling, paint the ceiling, and install the two new ceiling light fixtures. We never tried to induce Ms. [redacted] into any additional work; we only submitted the change order after Ms. [redacted] requested it and it was only after we worked hard to complete the ceiling and did a beautiful job that she protested the price. I am including a quote from an email Ms. [redacted] wrote me on 7/31/14 at 9:06pm. This was written to me after we completed the ceiling work and she expressed concern about the price. Also note that she did not ask for any price reduction and just mentioned that she thought the price was high all after the work was completed. Ms. [redacted] wrote: “The guys are doing a great job!  The kitchen counter looks gorgeous!  I really appreciate everyone's efforts.  I feel at peace, now, about the price of the porch ceiling if I consider it as a portion of the entire project cost (instead of the price of just a small ceiling).  You are giving me top quality work.  Thanks!”
 
(3)  They charged me twice for the same tasks (removing basement carpet and patching concrete floor), written in both the Proposal and CO #2. This is blatant dishonesty. They were going to charge me $2,475 for installing future bathroom pipes, but the plumber offered to do it for free, saying it was a simple task. Fortunately I didn't accept this part of the CO. But their dishonesty and intention to cheat and over-charge me has caused me much distress. I blindly trusted their supposedly great reputation and feel hurt, shocked and betrayed. In my online statement I said that on CO #2, CCB was charging me $2,475 for installing future bathroom pipes, which (after I declined that task) the plumber later offered to do for free.  What I didn't have space to include was that when I asked CCB why it was so expensive, they told me that the plumber had told them he needed to charge so much because he couldn't get a cement mixer down the basement and would have to mix all the replacement cement by hand, which was a huge amount of labor.  I was very surprised when the plumber brought in his small electric cement mixer later.  CCB was dishonest with me in many aspects of this part of CO #2: they tried to charge me twice for the same tasks (removing the carpet and replacing the cement), they lied saying the plumber had said something he didn't say, and they tried to way overcharge me for something simple the plumber offered to do for free.
a.      Costa Response: We were contracted to change the clogged sewer pipe under the original proposal. This included removing the carpet and removing the portion of the concrete floor only as required to replace the sewer pipe which is approximately a 12” – 24” wide area parallel to the pipe. Ms. [redacted] is twisting the facts because after she requested a price to rough in plumbing for a future bathroom on the far RH side of her basement, approximately 20’ from the area of the sewer pipe replacement, I did in fact explain the concrete and carpet would need removed and replaced along with drains and water supply lines being placed for the future shower, vanity and toilet.  Our plumber simply installed a “Y” fitting in line with the sewer line replacement which he did offer to do for free. This “Y” fitting install is a completely simple task and by no means is even close to the amount of work that the complete bathroom rough in would require and this complete bathroom rough in is what Ms. [redacted] was given a price for on Change Order #2.
 
For me this dishonesty is really serious. It has caused me to completely distrust this company.  I realize that this is my word against theirs (although my neighbor heard part of my conversation with the plumber).  If anyone wants to phone me about this, please feel free: [redacted].  I want to handle my end of things with integrity, honesty and fairness.
Costa Response: I would encourage anyone to carefully read the complaints and statements we made in rebuttal as we are never dishonest with our customers and we always go above and beyond to make them satisfied.  I would also encourage anybody to ask Ms. [redacted] about the level of service she received and the quality of the work that we completed.
Costa Response: I would like to add that in addition to the scope of work we were contracted to do we completed the additional list of work at no additional charge which would shock and surprise most customers. We did this in order to help a customer out. I found this complaint was emailed to me and I have made several attempts to contact Ms. [redacted] and she has not been responsive.  Ms. [redacted] has an unpaid balance on her job and has indicated that she is unwilling to pay the final bill. After she reads this we can only hope that she does realize how fair we were and the great quality of work she received at a fair price. The list of additional work we did not charge for is as follows:
·        Painted additional exterior trim, fascia, and shutters
·        Painted HVAC Registers
·        Removed exterior bird feeder
·        Moved and setup the entire upper level of furniture in the home
·        Repaired electrical problem and installed rough boxes and light fixtures in rear porch ceiling (this problem also caused additional ceiling patching and painting)
·        Sanded, prepped, primed and painted the entire set of kitchen cabinets twice due to Ms. [redacted] not liking the original color
·        Installed an over the range microwave
·        Repaired a light on the kitchen backsplash area
·        Replaced plumbing under the kitchen sink that the steel ones were rotted
·        Installed new hardware on all the kitchen cabinets
·        Installed smoke alarms
·        Installed new window blinds
·        Installed 2 new light fixtures in bedroom #2
·        Moved an entire section of wall in the bathroom along with drywall finishing, priming, painting and replacing two electrical switches to help create more space for a storage cabinet
·        Removed 2 existing bedroom #2 doors, filled hinge and lockset strike holes, primed and painted
·        Furnished and installed additional structural support beams to the underneath of the rear porch
·        Removed and helped dispose on unwanted items and appliances
·        Repaired unsafe exposed wiring in the basement ceiling
·        Leveled and repaired uneven floor surfaces
·        Built a custom wall storage unit per the customers’ requirements and confirmed the design and size by way of a sketch that was completed witness of the customer on their bathroom vanity. Even after this the customer stated the design was not acceptable    and even though we did not have to; we credited the entire allowance for the cabinet’s construction and installation and had to eat a custom storage unit.
·        Installed a Y fitting during the inside sewer replacement to accommodate a future bathroom expansion
·        Moved a hot water tank that did not need to be moved to complete the sewer work
·        Removed an electric wall heater and terminated the circuit in the sun porch area
·        Patched many nail holes and helped with a great deal of other misc. requested which were not included in our contractual obligation.
Costa Response: Ms. [redacted] still owes us the balance and final payment of $2,350.00

[redacted]
 
I truly want [redacted] to be a satisfied customer and I am sorry if she experienced any difficulties with our relationship as I tried my best to make her a happy customer.
 
The amount owed by [redacted] is a wash after her bathroom cabinet credit and flooring credit. I attached the invoice showing her paid in full after these credits and we consider the job completed and closed out.
 
Thank you,
 
[redacted]
Costa Custom Builders, LLC
North Huntingdon, PA 15642
[redacted]
www.costacustombuilders.com

Review: Never, never, never sign a contract with this company. I entered into a contract with Costa Custom Builders. Once they had my money, they did some investigation. In ten minutes they told me that one of the jobs they contracted for could not be done in the location they suggested. Then they had an engineer come in and look at another job they had contracted for and said it would require work they had not counted on. Id have to pay an additional 36% to get these jobs completed. I told them that that was a staggering difference from what we agreed and I could not proceed. When I received my refund check, a huge amount of money was gone. When I complained to Mr. Costa that I was being taken advantage of, he made it absolutely clear that his contract is specifically designed to give him total discretion and power in this situation.I will be going to court over this matter in the near future and I will post my result, win or lose. Why? Because if I lose, and indeed, the contract allows the company to arbitrarily keep as much money as they want, then that only makes my point: never, never, never sign a contract with Costa Custom Builders.A final note: During our negotiation, Mr. Costa explained that his pricing was fair and straightforward: he took a subcontractors fee and added 15% to 18%. I offer to anyone who wants to see the one job Costa Custom Builders completed, for $2,500, to come to my funeral home - you are welcomed. I will then show you, side by side on my building, the work that another contractor just completed along with his invoice. You can see with your own eyes and decide for yourself just how fair and straightforward Costa Custom Builders is.It is my sincerest wish you dont suffer from getting involved with this company, as I have. [redacted]Desired Settlement: $1000,00 plus my attorney fees.

Business

Response:

We contracted with Mr. [redacted], the owner of [redacted], to do a variety of work including installing a coffee bar, modifying two internal load bearing walls and repairing a window leaking / cracking issue. Mr. [redacted] approved our proposal and put down his deposit. He explained that he needed the window repair in his casket storage room completed as soon as possible due to an overseas shipment of caskets he had coming in and needed to store in this location. I had my crew on site and completed the repair within just a couple days of him signing in order to help him out.

Next, we had our professional structural engineer (PA PE State Licensed) come in and evaluate the wall modifications. Mr. [redacted] was told that the estimate was just that, an estimate, and it could change after the structural engineer’s evaluation. The engineers report indicated that due to the facility age, being so pieced together, and existing structural issues there were limited options to accomplish the goal and it would require a great deal of additional work, well above and beyond what we originally expected. Although it is not common this happens in our business from time to time. We then explained this to Mr. [redacted] and submitted the change order detailing the additional work and associated charges. Mr. [redacted] wanted to think about it. Simultaneously we were evaluating the coffee bar plan and it was found that it could not be placed where Mr. [redacted] originally wanted it. Per his request we offered alternative designs and submitted 3D drawings and associated change orders for several additional options which Mr. [redacted] went back and forth changing his mind several times. Each design triggered site visits and hours of engineering and design expense.

After all was said and done Mr. [redacted] finally decided that he did not want to do the coffee bar or modify the walls. We then cancelled the job, although we did not have to per our contract, and immediately refunded his money only retaining the charges for his window repair (which we completed to his satisfaction) and the design / engineering services all of which he received detailed invoices and engineering drawings for.

I know Mr. [redacted] had several other quotes for the work we performed so I would argue that we were obviously very competitive even though he indicated otherwise. As you can see by simply researching in all our years of business and for over four generations we have never had a negative comment filed here or on any other public area. The Costa name is synonymous with quality, excellent customer service and honest fair business practices. We worked hard for Mr. [redacted] and feel his comment was not fairly expressed.

Even considering all of this we still refunded all of our charges except those for the window repair because our customer's satisfaction is most important.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is totally satisfactory to me.

Review: (1) The Company never provided a legally signed (by both parties) contract. I signed the initial proposal they gave me but they never signed it or gave me any other contract. The "Proposal/Contract" violates HICPA rules in that it does not state everything required. They demanded a down payment of 50% instead of 33%. They also never signed the two change orders and demanded 100% payment immediately before the work commenced. They also never gave me receipts for any payment I made.(2) They "made false or misleading statements to induce me to enter" Change Order #2. I was concerned about mold on the 112 sq ft ceiling of my small winterized back porch, due to improperly installed insulation, and my broken gutter. They said they would give me a $1,000 discount if I replaced the drop ceiling with a dry walled ceiling now instead of waiting for a future project. They didn't provide a breakdown of labor and materials costs, as I asked, so I could see if I was getting a fair price. They charged me $7,800 for replacing the small ceiling. I thought this included remediating for mold, but there was no mold! It would have been easy for them to check this before writing the CO. And they simply reduced the scope of work by $1,000 by clipping up the gutter instead of replacing it. The "discount" was bogus. And I think $7.8K for replacing a small ceiling is exorbitant! When I protested, they said "We can't help it; that's the price our computer gave." (3) They charged me twice for the same tasks (removing basement carpet and patching concrete floor), written in both the Proposal and CO #2. This is blatant dishonesty. They were going to charge me $2,475 for installing future bathroom pipes, but the plumber offered to do it for free, saying it was a simple task. Fortunately I didn't accept this part of the CO. But their dishonesty and intention to cheat and over-charge me has caused me much distress. I blindly trusted their supposedly great reputation and feel hurt, shocked and betrayed.Desired Settlement: I desire The Company to settle with me in the following ways: (1)Provide legally signed contract documents according to HICPA rules. (2)Provide receipts for all the payments I have made. (3)Waive the final payment of $2,275 to make up for the exorbitant price of the small ceiling. (4)This is optional: provide me with "compensation cash" (the amount would be up to them) to atone for the emotional distress I have suffered from the way this project has been handled.

Business

Response:

Customer’s Statement of the Problem:

(1) The Company never provided a legally signed (by both parties) contract. I signed the initial proposal they gave me but they never signed it or gave me any other contract. The "Proposal/Contract" violates HICPA rules in that it does not state everything required. They demanded a down payment of 50% instead of 33%. They also never signed the two change orders and demanded 100% payment immediately before the work commenced. They also never gave me receipts for any payment I made.

a. Costa Response: We mailed a mutually signed copy of all our agreements to: [redacted]

b. Costa Response: The contract clearly stated all payment requirements, a detailed scope of work and all the included terms and conditions which we covered in detail during an approximately 2 hour visit beginning at 12pm at Miss [redacted]’s condo on 7/2/14. We went over the scope in so much detail that I worked with her on site in order to tailor a scope of work that not only satisfied her needs but her budget as well. Ms. [redacted] closed on her new home on the 14th of July and we juggled our schedule so that we could begin work on the 15th of July to help expedite her being able to settle into her new home as fast as possible. Note: Ms. [redacted] indicated her appreciation at the time and stated that this timeline was one no other contractor she spoke to could meet. Ms. [redacted] paid by check and has proof of all payments via cancelled checks along with the fact that we do send out payment receipts upon request. Ms. [redacted] never made such a request prior to this complaint.

(2) They "made false or misleading statements to induce me to enter" Change Order #2. I was concerned about mold on the 112 sq ft ceiling of my small winterized back porch, due to improperly installed insulation, and my broken gutter. They said they would give me a $1,000 discount if I replaced the drop ceiling with a dry walled ceiling now instead of waiting for a future project. They didn't provide a breakdown of labor and materials costs, as I asked, so I could see if I was getting a fair price. They charged me $7,800 for replacing the small ceiling. I thought this included remediating for mold, but there was no mold! It would have been easy for them to check this before writing the CO. And they simply reduced the scope of work by $1,000 by clipping up the gutter instead of replacing it. The "discount" was bogus. And I think $7.8K for replacing a small ceiling is exorbitant! When I protested, they said "We can't help it; that's the price our computer gave."

a. Costa Response: Ms. [redacted] removed the ceiling work from her original proposal due to her indicating the ceiling work, among other items, would take her over budget. I explained that we could discount the work if it was completed during and in parallel with the original work we were already completing. The porch ceiling had improperly installed insulation which was stapled to the roof rafters and did not allow adequate air circulation which is a known cause of mold problems. The scope of work as clearly identified and explained to Ms. [redacted] was to remove and dispose of the entire existing drop ceiling, remove the improperly installed insulation, repair the roof as required (which would include mold mitigation if required), build an entirely new ceiling joist system, install two new electrical rough in boxes one of which was a completely new light, drywall the ceiling and finish the seams and perimeter, prime the ceiling, paint the ceiling, and install the two new ceiling light fixtures. We never tried to induce Ms. [redacted] into any additional work; we only submitted the change order after Ms. [redacted] requested it and it was only after we worked hard to complete the ceiling and did a beautiful job that she protested the price. I am including a quote from an email Ms. [redacted] wrote me on 7/31/14 at 9:06pm. This was written to me after we completed the ceiling work and she expressed concern about the price. Also note that she did not ask for any price reduction and just mentioned that she thought the price was high all after the work was completed. Ms. [redacted] wrote: “The guys are doing a great job! The kitchen counter looks gorgeous! I really appreciate everyone's efforts. I feel at peace, now, about the price of the porch ceiling if I consider it as a portion of the entire project cost (instead of the price of just a small ceiling). You are giving me top quality work. Thanks!”

(3) They charged me twice for the same tasks (removing basement carpet and patching concrete floor), written in both the Proposal and CO #2. This is blatant dishonesty. They were going to charge me $2,475 for installing future bathroom pipes, but the plumber offered to do it for free, saying it was a simple task. Fortunately I didn't accept this part of the CO. But their dishonesty and intention to cheat and over-charge me has caused me much distress. I blindly trusted their supposedly great reputation and feel hurt, shocked and betrayed. In my online statement I said that on CO #2, CCB was charging me $2,475 for installing future bathroom pipes, which (after I declined that task) the plumber later offered to do for free. What I didn't have space to include was that when I asked CCB why it was so expensive, they told me that the plumber had told them he needed to charge so much because he couldn't get a cement mixer down the basement and would have to mix all the replacement cement by hand, which was a huge amount of labor. I was very surprised when the plumber brought in his small electric cement mixer later. CCB was dishonest with me in many aspects of this part of CO #2: they tried to charge me twice for the same tasks (removing the carpet and replacing the cement), they lied saying the plumber had said something he didn't say, and they tried to way overcharge me for something simple the plumber offered to do for free.

a. Costa Response: We were contracted to change the clogged sewer pipe under the original proposal. This included removing the carpet and removing the portion of the concrete floor only as required to replace the sewer pipe which is approximately a 12” – 24” wide area parallel to the pipe. Ms. [redacted] is twisting the facts because after she requested a price to rough in plumbing for a future bathroom on the far RH side of her basement, approximately 20’ from the area of the sewer pipe replacement, I did in fact explain the concrete and carpet would need removed and replaced along with drains and water supply lines being placed for the future shower, vanity and toilet. Our plumber simply installed a “Y” fitting in line with the sewer line replacement which he did offer to do for free. This “Y” fitting install is a completely simple task and by no means is even close to the amount of work that the complete bathroom rough in would require and this complete bathroom rough in is what Ms. [redacted] was given a price for on Change Order #2.

For me this dishonesty is really serious. It has caused me to completely distrust this company. I realize that this is my word against theirs (although my neighbor heard part of my conversation with the plumber). If anyone wants to phone me about this, please feel free: [redacted]. I want to handle my end of things with integrity, honesty and fairness.

Costa Response: I would encourage anyone to carefully read the complaints and statements we made in rebuttal as we are never dishonest with our customers and we always go above and beyond to make them satisfied. I would also encourage anybody to ask Ms. [redacted] about the level of service she received and the quality of the work that we completed.

Costa Response: I would like to add that in addition to the scope of work we were contracted to do we completed the additional list of work at no additional charge which would shock and surprise most customers. We did this in order to help a customer out. I found this complaint was emailed to me and I have made several attempts to contact Ms. [redacted] and she has not been responsive. Ms. [redacted] has an unpaid balance on her job and has indicated that she is unwilling to pay the final bill. After she reads this we can only hope that she does realize how fair we were and the great quality of work she received at a fair price. The list of additional work we did not charge for is as follows:

· Painted additional exterior trim, fascia, and shutters

· Painted HVAC Registers

· Removed exterior bird feeder

· Moved and setup the entire upper level of furniture in the home

· Repaired electrical problem and installed rough boxes and light fixtures in rear porch ceiling (this problem also caused additional ceiling patching and painting)

· Sanded, prepped, primed and painted the entire set of kitchen cabinets twice due to Ms. [redacted] not liking the original color

· Installed an over the range microwave

· Repaired a light on the kitchen backsplash area

· Replaced plumbing under the kitchen sink that the steel ones were rotted

· Installed new hardware on all the kitchen cabinets

· Installed smoke alarms

· Installed new window blinds

· Installed 2 new light fixtures in bedroom #2

· Moved an entire section of wall in the bathroom along with drywall finishing, priming, painting and replacing two electrical switches to help create more space for a storage cabinet

· Removed 2 existing bedroom #2 doors, filled hinge and lockset strike holes, primed and painted

· Furnished and installed additional structural support beams to the underneath of the rear porch

· Removed and helped dispose on unwanted items and appliances

· Repaired unsafe exposed wiring in the basement ceiling

· Leveled and repaired uneven floor surfaces

· Built a custom wall storage unit per the customers’ requirements and confirmed the design and size by way of a sketch that was completed witness of the customer on their bathroom vanity. Even after this the customer stated the design was not acceptable and even though we did not have to; we credited the entire allowance for the cabinet’s construction and installation and had to eat a custom storage unit.

· Installed a Y fitting during the inside sewer replacement to accommodate a future bathroom expansion

· Moved a hot water tank that did not need to be moved to complete the sewer work

· Removed an electric wall heater and terminated the circuit in the sun porch area

· Patched many nail holes and helped with a great deal of other misc. requested which were not included in our contractual obligation.

Costa Response: Ms. [redacted] still owes us the balance and final payment of $2,350.00

Business

Response:

I truly want [redacted] to be a satisfied customer and I am sorry if she experienced any difficulties with our relationship as I tried my best to make her a happy customer.

The amount owed by [redacted] is a wash after her bathroom cabinet credit and flooring credit. I attached the invoice showing her paid in full after these credits and we consider the job completed and closed out.

Thank you,

Costa Custom Builders, LLC

North Huntingdon, PA 15642

www.costacustombuilders.com