Katheryn Robertson, Ltd.

Review: I signed a contract with Katheryn Robertson on November 14, 2015 to plan a kitchen remodel and moving a bathroom. The agreed budget was $125,000, which the company confirmed they could confidently hit for the scope of work. I paid a $5,000 fee and we worked together from that point to fine-tune a plan and started to source materials.

On 1/6/16 I received a proposal for the project that explicitly listed the labor and total job cost as $96,779.97. I was told that numbers needed to be double confirmed with sub-contractors but at no point was I told that the labor was not included in the proposal. This was especially clear as I was given this proposal to use as a point of reference for myself when comparing costs with other subcontractors to execute on the plans. Note that this proposal also included the cost of our appliances.

I received the final proposal on 1/26/16 that listed the labor and total job cost as $169,997, significantly over budget. Note that this final proposal did not include our appliances - which were approximately $15k - which effectively brings the total proposal to $185k, 48% over our initial budget. When asked as to how I could reduce the budget as this was significantly over what was discussed, I was only told I could remove the automatic hot water heater, which was $400. There was no other suggestion or offering on how to reduce the budget.

This left us 2.5 months in planning a renovation which we were essentially told we could not at all complete within our budget, which set us back in housing costs for that period of time as well as the deposit of $5,000 we paid to Katheryn Robertson.Desired Settlement: A significant portion of the $5,000 fee to be refunded as the scope and feasibility of the proposal was 48% over the firm budget, without being given any notice of the budget going to be exceeded at all over the 2.5 month planning phase.

Business

Response:

Dear Ms. [redacted]: We are in receipt of the complaint letter dated 6/23/16, regarding the above referenced case #. [redacted], CKD, CBD a designer with Katheryn Robertson, Ltd. met with Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] in November 2014. The complainants requested design and construction documents for the following: total kitchen renovation including new hardwood flooring, demolition of two sets of stairs and the addition of a new set of basement stairs in a new location, demolition of an existing bathroom, the addition of a new powder room in a new location without existing plumbing, and the demolition of four walls, three of which were load bearing. The home is historic and the electrical in all of the walls to be removed is Joop and tube wiring, so all of it would have to be upgraded. At the first meeting, the complainants requested a 'ball park figure' and Ms. [redacted] said it looked like the project would be at least $125,000.00 for the kitchen and $25,000 for the powder room, but that she could not confirm sa.id numbers until drawings were produced and a11 work was properly quoted. The [redacted]'s agreed not to hold that figure as set in stone and understood at the time, the cost of the project would probably exceed $150,000. They agreed to proceed with design work for the design fee of $5,000.00. Ms. [redacted] graciously waved the $2,500.00 design fee for the powder room, since it was a design she had produced many times for a bathroom under a staircase. The [redacted]'s requested the material schedule listing the costs of the materials selected (cabinets, countertops, tile etc), even though they knew the proposal was incomplete. They wanted to obtain other bids and now they had a scope of work and designs they could provide other contractors, produced by Ms. [redacted]. Ms. [redacted] agreed to provide this unfinished proposal with the understanding she was still attaining quotes on labor. Again, the homeowners grasped the fact that labor had not been included and those figures would increase the cost of the final proposal. There are many emails reflecting their understanding of the increase in costs associated with the addition of labor. The final proposal meeting revealed their total job to be approximately $169,997. At the time, the homeowners asked of the next step and Ms. mshop told them a deposit would be required to move forward. They did inquire if there was a way to get their costs lowered and Ms. [redacted] told them to choose another exhaust hood, change out their cabinet hardware, delete the hotwater dispenser at the main sink and purchase their appliances on th.eir own at an appliance company and use a less expensive brand. They had originally chosen a Subzero/Wolf package, so deleting that package and purchasing on their own would save them $30,000.00. The [redacted]'s decided they would hire a different contractor than Katheryn Robertson, Ltd. Therefore, according to our contract they signed, we do not refund the design fee. The couple also wanted to remain in their apartment until construction was complete. Ms. [redacted] also recommended they take residence in the new house and have Katheryn Robertson, Ltd. set up a temporary kitchen elsewhere in the house to save them their renta fees; however, they declined this idea. Finally, between the documentation of many meetings and many emails, Katheryn Robertson, Ltd. regrets the [redacted]'s are disappointed; however, they did in fact receive everythinp; outlined in their sip;ne.d contract, includinr; but not limited to four sets of completed construction documents reflecting four different designs. The contract clearly states should the homeowner choose to purchase their materials and construction through Katheryn Robertson, ltd., their design fees are refunded It is the position of Katheryn Robertson, Ltd. we satisfied the expectations outlined in our contract and there will be no refund of our design fee. Mx. [redacted] has spoken with both Mr. and Mrs. [redacted], separately several months ago and reiterated the above information, pointing out the email exchange, so this complaint is somewhat surprising. We hope the [redacted]'s will be very happy in their new space. Best, [redacted] B[redacted], CKD, CBD

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

The statements made by [redacted] at Katheryn Robinson are incorrect and no attempt at reconciliation was made by the company.