First General Services Front Range

First General Services (FGS) failed to complete the services listed in our contract. We began working with First General Services in Dec. 2016 to complete restoration after a water leak. Restoration began with asbestos abatement. Once abatement was completed end of February 2017 we signed an inital contract with FGS with the expectation we would be working with a designer on the details of the bathroom remodels and restoration of laundry room & basement. After 2 months working with a production coordinator (not a designer) we were finally given an estimate for the bathroom remodels, laundry room restoration, basement flooring, electrical, lighting and potential updates to kitchen. (FGS was not willing to begin work or complete any contract until we first told them everything we might potentially consider remodeling.) When we received the estimate for the remodel, we decided to have FGS only complete the 2.5 bathrooms, the electrical & lighting in the basement and the restoration of the laundry room. We did this despite concerns over FGS’s competence based on our experiences with them throughout the asbestos testing, abatement and then selections/planning process. The owner of FGS and the project manager assigned to us assured us they had the manpower to begin the job within a week and complete the job successfully within 2-3 weeks. They spoke a good talk. The owner even offered to not accept payement util we were satisfied with the successful completion of the project. We erroneously believed that by having FGS project manage everything related to the bathrooms, laundry room and elecrical that they would be able to seemlessly coordinate the plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and other professionals required for the job. We wanted to believe that once we got through the planning process, the hands on knowleadgeable professionals would become a part of the project. We signed a revised contract in May to remodel 2.5 bathrooms, install lighting and make sure all electrical was working propertly throughout the basement, do drywall repairs and paint as part of the insurance claim in our laundry room. We chose to hire others to do the basement flooring and other projects throughout the house because others seemed more experienced, knowledgeable and capable of offering us the options we wanted. So, while we did extend the scope of the February contract some, we also reduced the insurance scope due to FGS being unable to offer us a flooring option in a light color. We were hesitant about giving FGS the most important tasks including plumbing, electrical & HVAC, yet we were also hesitant about the time it might take to get on the schedule of another contractor or project manage the remodel ourselves. We signed the contract and then watched as very little happened day after day with no one showing up most days and the project manager showing up very infrequently. By the initial anticipated June 2nd completion date, old plumbing was on the floor in the basement stinking up the house. We witnessed leaks from the new plumbig and were told by the plumber that it was a normal part of the process prior to the inspection. The project manager denied it even existed until we sent him pictures of moisture level readings taken by a mold remediation company. The expected completion date was repeatedly revised, and the latest completion date given by the project manager was August 11th. When I went to the home on August 11th the tile was only partially done in two bathrooms as though someone was trying to put a puzzle together. Some of the tile had been installed backwards. The walls were not straight / plumb. The drywall was bumpy & rough under paint. The cutouts were done poorly and too large for fixtures. The electrical was not done. FGS sent out their "best project manager" the following day and he confirmed that all the drywall and tiling needed to be redone. I spoke with the owner on Monday the 14th. He at first seemed willing to correct the issues. Then the next day, Tuesday the 15th of August, he told me he was only willing to “maybe” try to send some people out to begin fixing the drywall issues after work hours. He was unwilling to make any decisions prior to Monday, August 28th, which was the earliest date he was willing to assess the property himself. He wasn't willing to make any plans or put any of his workers on the schedule to begin fixing the drywall issues, the tile, the paint, the electrical, etc. Given that our project at this time had already dragged out two and a half months beyond the original expected scope, I told him I needed to be made a priority in fixing and finishing our remodel that was already supposed to be completed. I was tired of our project being an after hours project with subcontractors subbing out to subcontractors who would show up in the middle of the night… I had a drywaller who was willing to begin fixing the drywall the following day. I had been referred to professional tradespeople who I could get on the schedule to begin redoing the tile, assessing and fixing the electrical, HVAC… He agreed for me to hire my own people to fix and finish the services his company was incapable of performing. On Aug 16, we sent him a written letter discontinuing work with him and asked for an accounting of what he believed we owed him. Over the next few weeks and months as we brought other professionals in we found that not only had the drywall and tile been done incorrectly but also the rough electrical, the HVAC and some of the plumbing. We've had to pay tens of thousands of dollars correcting drywall issues, electrical issues, redoing the HVAC, fixing a leak caused by the roof leaking where FGS had connected a new vent into the roof, fixing drywall form the roof leak, redoing the tile, redoing some of the plumbing & then drywall & tile again, repainting everything... And, now waiting to do mold remediation from mold created by the roof leak..... And, after almost 6 weeks of us diving into fixing and moving towards completing the remodel, the owner of FGS sends us an invoice, certificate of satisfaction & letter of warranty! He started out claiming we owed him for things FGS didn't even do. He visited the property September 28th after we'd already retiled, fixed much of the drywall, fixed much of the rough electrical & claims that we still owe him for drywall & paint despite us having to fix & redo all of it. Despite our electrician pointing out what was done incorrectly he still couldn't see it. Despite our drywaller & contractor explaining to him that correcting drywall is more expensive than hanging it correctly the first time he didn't get it. When I pointed out issues that still needed to be corrected he again said for me to just have my people do itj (uncovering dryer vent, water shutoff valves, air conditioning…that had been drywalled over) Yet, again once it was done he complained that we didn't let FGS do it. He claimed the fixes were easy little fixes. Yet, if they were so little & easy why didn’t FGS offer to do them? When we told him about the HVAC being done incorrectly he refused to believe it. The City Inspector stated FGS didn't have the correct license to pull the HVAC permit in the first place. We had the HVAC redone by a licensed HVAC contractor and had the roof tied in properly to stop the leak... Each step of the way FGS either denies the issues with their work, refuses to fix the problems or tells me to hire someone myself to fix the problems. Yet, in the end they still want to be paid for creating a big mess that has taken months to correct and still isn't completely corrected. We've lost rental income and now are still continuing to fix issues created by FGS. FGS didn't do the job correctly. FGS didn't fix any of the issues they created. Yet FGS still wants us to pay them and fill out forms stating we're satisfied with the work they did and that they fixed any issues we brought up. Since we're not willing to pay them for work we had to redo and we're definitely not willing to lie and sign a certificate of satisfaction they are now threatening to put a lien against our house. In summary, FGS, despite being given ample time and opportunity, was unable to complete the services listed in their contract. On Aug 15th, they agreed that we would hire our own people to fix the problems in the house. We sent them an email and letter August 16th officially discontinuing work with them. We had no further contact from them until Sept. 25. In the 40 days between Aug 16 and Sept 25th, we hired people to complete the repairs. When we met on September 28th at the property, the owner stated he would refund us for work FGS didn’t do & he would credit us for our expenses fixing work incorrectly done by FGS. Now the owner is stating we didn’t give FGS a chance to finish the repairs and that we owe him for the work that was done so poorly it had to be redone.

(1) General Services installed a rain gutter on my house that is unacceptable workmanship, showing holes in the boards to which they attached the gutter and they are unwilling to resolve the issue.
(2) General Services has undermined my insurance claim for replacement of the damaged board by making the false assertion that when a gutter is ripped away from the roof by a hail storm, it does not cause any damage to the roof boards.