KB Contractors

Review: We contracted the general contractor to renovate the kitchen in our home. From the onset of the project workmanship, professionalism, communication, and organization was severely lacking. This resulted in several mistakes and longer timelines along with other issues I do not have the room to mention here. He also left in the middle of the job to go on a two week vacation, thus leaving our household without a fully functional, completed kitchen for an extra three weeks, 46 days in total, so far... He has yet to finish the original work but insists I sign an addition work order for more funds which I refused to do since the original work has not been completed. He then sent e-mail stating if I did not pay the rest of the original contract AND the additional money within three days, he would seek legal action. I will attach a copy of the original contract.Desired Settlement: I feel as though I should not have to pay the rest of the money owed due to the poor quality of work that has been completed, he left in the middle of the project for a vacation, the timeline is past and I still do not have a functional kitchen. I am not sure how I should proceed since he threatened legal action. I do not feel comfortable discussing the situation with him as he has shown a lack of professionalism in the past and became agitated and yelled during our last phone conversation.

Business

Response:

This customer will clearly go to any length to avoid paying her bill.

This customer offers no examples for her claim, because she has none. The longer time line was due solely to the horrendous condition of her home prior to our arrival. Rodent infestation caused the insulation to be eaten off the electrical wiring in the walls, creating a major fire hazard. Prior workers had stuffed paper towels in electric boxes, over live, uncapped wires, then covered them with drywall compound in several places. Given the condition of the dilapidated stacked slate footer, undersized and rotting floor joists, ridiculously scabbed wall studs and sill plate, one must wonder if they were not hoping for a fire before it fell down.

Having opened the floor and walls during the renovation and discovered this disaster, I immediately had a discussion with her and her husband as to the additional work to remedy these items, the cost, and incredibly obvious delay to the project. I sent a change order which she avoided signing, although I requested it five times. In good faith, I continued working, having agreed to the understood additional cost involved (a deeply discounted rate), rather than stopping immediately and waiting for a signed changed work order contract. She cried poverty, claiming to have no money (with her new $20,000.00+ kitchen), and I even offered to take payments (which I have never done before for any customer). She suggested five payments of five hundred+ per month. I accepted, and she thanked me.

This customer mentions my going on vacation in the middle of the job. This part is laughable! The original contract was to start 6/10/13 and allow up to three weeks for completion, prior to any knowledge of an upcoming change order. I left 7/8/13 for my vacation, four weeks from start. She neglects to mention that she left on vacation 6/27/13, locking us out till 7/8/13. We never had a chance to finish on time. Not withstanding the change order.

She also neglects to mention the [redacted] insulation she wanted in the crawl space joists (although not included in the contract), which I purchased and installed for free. As well as the window (nearly$200.00) she discussed the altered sizing of with the cabinet manufacturer, and never shared with me. Yet I purchased another window, reframed, re-drywalled, taped and spackled, added additional siding, all at my expense. Then there is the leaking water spigot, leaking into the crawl space where we needed to work. We replaced that at my expense. ETC!

I will forward her email stating we could not return to complete the job. This only entailed connecting her icemaker, and maybe an hour of odds and ends.

These people don't have the money, and they're looking for a way out, after they had the work done!