Powerbuilt Construction Inc

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/09/08) */
First of all we never conveyed to the client a 3-4 week time schedule, it was 60-90 days give or take (Standard for a bathroom remodel). In the contract our client signed on 12-3-14 there is no completion date or time lines with monitory...

reductions due to not meeting a construction schedule.( Which at this point is his primary complaint.)
Our client had originally asked for a pedestal sink and we scoped out a one sided cabinet in a party wall with the laundry room as requested, and later our client chose to go with a vanity two side cabinet. (Which had to be special ordered & custom made which took 5-6 weeks to receive.) Our client was aware of the cost increase and agreed to it.( Per email confirmation) We had to wait for the vanity to be receive by owner for the color match for the built in. Then once both were received the built in had to be delivered and picked up from the painter.
Our client picked out the tile that was used in his home. That to was special ordered and took time receive. The original proposal that our client signed did not have Wayne's coating in it. He decided to add Wayne's coating knowing there would be an increase in his bill once again.
When the City inspector came out to our client's home, his Electrical meter was not up to code. The city ordered that his meter needed to be moved outside.
Our client then agreed to the moving of meter and a disconnect panel outside. This alone was an expense of $2827.50.
The original proposal did not specify a color of switches so we installed the standard Ivory color. Our client then in turn wanted grey ones. He was made aware that there would be a charge for the upgrade on the switches & GFI. If our client would have stated in the beginning he wanted grey switches we would have installed them at no additional cost to him. We will deduct this charge if needed.
Our client did ask us to have our plumber unclog the laundry room sink so he did as requested by our client. Yes the bathroom sink has a slow drain. Not because of the new sink and trap that was installed. It is solely in part of the preexisting plumbing in the walls & floor. Our client's home is an older with old plumbing. I did give our client the number to our plumber for that draining issue, so they can deal with it directly, to avoid mark ups as a courtesy.
The break down on our client's original proposal is as followed:
$17,078.50
Less -$1,499. Angie's list Big deal
$15,578.50
We received two payments from our client in the amount of $ 14,079.50.
The outstanding balance on the original proposal is $1,339.25
Our client has change orders in the amount of $5,948.48. This would bring his total do to $7,287.73
Our client made the changes and we can provide documentation to back up everything he is referring to in his review..
Our client was not given a completion schedule due to the needed time for special ordered materials and labor issues.
With the down turn in the economy in the recent years past and a lot of artisans leaving their profession to provide for their families, It has been a struggle for not only Powerbuilt Construction but all other professionals we have relationships with on a daily basis. My advice to anyone seeking construction service for the next 3-5 years, # 1 Research your service provider for past results # 2 Be patient, providing you chose the right provider they will stand behind there work & they will do everything they possibly can to make sure at the end of the day that YOU are happy ....Just Be Patient
In closing I do want to refer to a email I received from this client dated on 8/23/15 from our client stating the following "I think the quality of the work you performed was great "
We have also offered our client a 5 % discount and apologized to him numerous times. At this point he doe not want to pay his bill.
We do have all forms that her agreed to all the work and the change orders to back all of this up.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/09/17) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
(1) PowerBuilt did quote me at a 3-4 week timeframe. I never would have even used them if they told me it would take close to 90 days.
(2) The bathroom still isn't even complete. The thermostat for the heated floor unit was missing the temperature knob. They emailed me on 8/24/2015 stating "I will have the knob for you early next week" but I still haven't received it. Yet they still put a lien waiver on my home effective 9/10/2015.
(3) The pedestal sink has nothing to do with the cabinet or with my complaint - I ended up buying my own vanity. The cabinet is on the other side of the bathroom.
(4) The cabinet in the original quote was always double-sided (2 cabinets set up back-to-back): The original proposal includes "Install 48-inch base cabinet in laundry room wall facing bathroom (owner allowance $300)" and "Install 48-inch upper cabinet and Formica top along laundry room wall (owner allowance $200)". They didn't install anything above and beyond that, and I never signed off on anything above and beyond that. Then they attempted to charge me twice for a custom cabinet - once for $1800 and once for $2000. Finally, after I called them out on it, they removed one of the two charges, but they are still trying to charge me an extra $1800 for the exact same thing that was listed in the original proposal by including an unsigned change order with the final bill.
(5) The entire bathroom was styled in shades of gray. Without ever consulting with me, and after installing ivory plates that didn't match anything, I asked them to install gray ones instead, which they said was no problem. At no point did they ever mention it would cost me extra. But again, they are trying to charge me an extra $110 by including an unsigned change order with the final bill.
(6) I have tried several times to reach a fair result. My offers have included: An extra $1000 - they rejected it. Then an extra $3000 - they rejected it. Then I proposed that they send me all of their costs and I would pay them that much plus 15% - they rejected it. I finally proposed that we (quote taken from email on 9/8/15) "get a third party (or multiple) to give an unbiased opinion of a fair value for the work done. I give Bob that much, plus 10%, plus the cost of the city electrical work." - they rejected it. They are obviously not interested in a fair settlement if they won't take 10% over a fair market value (a fair market value for this work is much less than what I've already paid them)! Their only offer was for 5% off of what they consider to be the final bill (which is made up of thousands of dollars worth of unsigned change orders); that comes to $364.39, which is less than 2% of the total cost.
(7) Even though it took 5 times longer than they said it would (and still isn't even complete), I am still willing to pay them significantly more than it's fair market value just to be done with it. PowerBuilt has done nothing but attempt to take advantage of me this entire time - from not showing up for weeks at a time to double-billing me, to finally putting a lien on my home while I tried to negotiate a fair settlement.
Final Consumer Response /* (3000, 13, 2015/10/05) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I have already offered multiple times to pay them significantly more than what any third party would consider a "fair" price (see my previous post). PowerBuilt is not at all interested in a fair resolution, they are only interested in getting the maximum amount of money they can from me. If they were actually interested in being fair then they would entertain an offer to get a third party involved, but they have repeatedly refused that avenue. Their only offer was to take 5% off of the additional charges, most of which I never even authorized in the first place.
As far as PowerBuilt saying "our Customer only wants to pay a small fraction of what he owes PBC" - I have already paid them over 90% of the original agreement, and will happily pay the outstanding 10% in exchange for the final lien waiver.
Please ask PowerBuilt to upload the paper trail - you'll find that the documents either don't exist or are unsigned; I never signed for or authorized most of the additional charges.
Final Business Response /* (1000, 17, 2015/10/23) */
Our customer has been offered a discount to the work that was done at his home at his request. PowerBuilt Construction has the paper trail to back up what our customer owes us. We have graciously offered a discount and he refused it.
The customer has a signed contract with PBC and is failing to pay what he owes. again we have offered him a discount and he feels that we need to discount him more. Again we have the paper trail that prove the customer agreed to the work done to his home and wants us to discount him more and we are unable to do that for the cost of all that we have done.