Robert Klob Designs

Robert Klob Designs is terrible! We paid him
over $24,for custom home plans and, after 2+ years, he NEVER provided us with complete plans that were ever approved for permit My husband has been working to make the corrections, copies, etc himself in order to get our permitHe would take weeks to respond to e-mails and rarely if ever returned phone callsHe made promises that he never kept, and always had excuses! He is a JOKE...and I'm going to spend the summer trying to get retributionThis review is just the start! Stay away from Robert K***!

After taking a deposit and being provided all the design requirements, a rough design, and a complete site survey, Robert K*** could not even provide an acceptable house layout in monthsHe failed to answer calls or e-mails for months or meet any deadlines, including those that he setUnfortunately, I have received calls from others that have had similar experiencesPlease avoid the problems and seek a licensed architect

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the 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.
It has been
a challenge working with [redacted] Designs further referenced as Mr. [redacted]. Since
signing the contract, Mr. [redacted] rarely answers his phone or responds to voice
mail messages. As a result, the majority of our communication was through
e-mail and is well documented and available for review. Unfortunately, he has
been slow or non-responsive to e-mails as well. The following is a chronological
summary of the events and communication between us and Mr. [redacted]:
 7/7/13 -
First meeting with Mr. [redacted] to discuss our project and his background. Mr. [redacted]
presented himself as an expert in ICF and passive home design, two of our main requirements
for our sustainable home project. We provided Mr. [redacted] with an initial proposed
layout of the home and the following list of design requirements:
 Goal: Make the house as energy efficient and
healthy as possible. Also, the house must be as fireproof as possible given the
location.
 Proposed design:
-         
The house
should be essentially air-tight and follow the European Passive Home standards
-         
16 sided
polygon with 9’ walls (inside measurement)
-         
2 or 3
story with the first story buried, except for emergency egresses
-         
Ceiling
height will be 9’ on each level
-         
Structure
is made from ICFs
-         
Windows
will be casement and picture frame Pella fiberglass Natural Sun windows
designed for passive solar heating, 6’ x 6’
-         
The
interior will be framed with steel to allow for built-in seating, display cases
and cabinets
-         
The
exterior will need a durable facing – we are open to suggestions
-         
We would
also like to build in retractable security window shutters on the outside if
possible.
-         
The floors
on all levels will be stained concrete. Although we hope to use just passive
solar and earth tubes plus a heat exchanger for heat, I would like to run
radiant lines in the floor just in case
-         
For fresh
air, I would like earth tubes with a heat exchanger. We need venting to
distribute the air. Preferably along the outside of the walls or ceiling for
the in-flow and somewhere on the center of the interior for the exhaust. We do
not plan on having a central AC system.
-         
We want as
few walls in the interior as possible to assist with the passive heating and
cooling
-         
If we do a
third story, we want a wrap-around porch around the entire building.
-         
The roof
and porch if applicable will have to be sized to block the sun from late-spring
to mid-fall (likely April to October) for the passive solar effect
-         
The roof
will be unfinished metal (raised seem with 12” seems). The roof will also be a
double-layered roof with a vent around the entire bottom and a ridge cap in the
center to allow for complete airflow. The interior portion of the roof will
feature a radiant barrier with spray foam insulation. Note that the spray foam
will also be used around the windows and doors and possibly other areas of the
house.
-         
The
exterior doors will all be double doors. The exterior set of doors will open
out and the interior doors open in. the doors selected should also provide the
tightest air barrier as possible. We have not selected any particular doors,
but we would prefer that they have some form of clear glass for the west end of
the house and leaded glass for the front of the house.
-         
A pool
house will be attached to the back of the house and connect to the bottom
floor. The construction of this room will be the same as the house.
-         
Above the
pool room, we want a full deck using plastic lumber. Note that the roof of the
pool house will have to account for insulation as well as water and snow
runoff, so it will likely have to be curved or sloped.
-         
Interior
cabinets will likely be custom and made from framing materials, steel and
glass, or both.
-         
We plan on
using on demand water heaters throughout the house.
-         
The bottom
floor will feature two bedrooms, a bathroom, and an open entertainment area (TV
games, etc.)
-         
The main
floor (3 story version) will feature the kitchen, pantry (long and narrow),
den, a half-bath, and possibly another room as a guest or exercise room. The 3rd
story would feature the master bedroom, seating area, and possibly the den (if
not on the main floor). In the two story version this is all on the main floor.
-         
If the
house is three stories, I would like to leave a space for an elevator.
-         
We want to
simplify the interior as much as possible with few walls and I would like the
plumbing from all floors to line up in only one or two walls. All water lines
will be the plastic lines once in the house.
-         
I would
like to use recessed LED lighting whenever possible. Also considering fiber
optic lighting if I can determine how to do it.
-         
The
laundry room will be off the pool area outside the main house.
-         
All
appliances will be as energy efficient as possible, including the use of a
convection range with an induction cooktop.
-         
Room for a
separate refrigerator and freezer would be preferred.
-         
The
kitchen should also feature an open island and bar area
 Note that at
that time we indicated the topology of the land and the design for walk-out
basement design. After this meeting, we also determined that the 3-story design
would be impractical and chose to stick with the two-story concept. We were a
little concerned by the extra fees for engineering services. However, we did
move forward with his recommendation to have a parcel and site survey completed
and even used the surveyor that Mr. [redacted] recommended, while we were evaluating
Mr. [redacted]’s proposal.
 8/7/13 – The
surveyor provided a copy of the survey to both us and Mr. [redacted], even though we
had not completed the contract for design services.
 10/7/13 – We
informed Mr. [redacted] that we were in the process of purchasing more land and were
re-evaluating our design schedule.
 10/8/13 –
Mr. [redacted] indicated that if we did not sign by the end of the year, he would be
raising his rates in January 2014.
12/17/13 –
We met with Mr. [redacted] in our home to kick-off the design process and paid Mr.
[redacted] $4,400.00  in cash. Note that he
offered a cash discount and initialed an unsigned version of the contract as a
receipt.
 12/21/13 –
We requested some modifications to the contract around [redacted] Design’s
right and process to place a lien on our property to ensure that no lien was
placed without notice and unless there were debts outstanding according to the
payment schedule. We also provided Mr. [redacted] with an estimated power usage model
and the following list of design considerations via an Excel spreadsheet:
 Design Goals
 
Energy Efficiency
 
Healthy (No VOCs)
 
Fireproof (as little wood or combustible material as possible)
 
Air-tight (no fireplace!)
 
Durability
  Open
design with as few walls as possible (intended for maximum solar gain and cross
ventilation)
 
Size
  Two
levels with the lower level embedded into the slope of the ground
  16
sides forming a polygon, each side will have 10' walls min on all levels as
measures on the interior of the wall
  Each
level will have a minimum 9' ceiling (upper level may be higher due to load
requirements above the windows)
 
Likely an internal center support spanning all levels and anchored below
ground for additional support
 
Structure
  ICF
(will consider double insulation if it makes sense)
  Use
of brick ledge around upper portion of lower level and around lower-level
windows
  Clay
or concrete brick or block tied to but with air gap outside of above ground
solution or other suitable Vernier
 
Thermal breaks whenever possible, such as between pad and walls, and pad
and ground
 
Insulation and radiant barrier below pad
 
Concrete floors on all levels (need some form of suspension/bracing for
second level and all floor needs to be stressed to prevent cracking)
 
Roof
 
Single truss structure that is banded on the center support is one
option
 
Overhang on roof to support passive solar heating and cooling
(estimating 4.5' or more depending on the lower height of the windows)
 
Double-layer roof separated by 2x2s or 2x4s providing a complete air gap
and a ridge vent at the center of the house
 
Metal roof - unfinished 12” standing seam with all soffits wrapped
(except for integrated soffit vents)
  Deck
over pool house
 
Front doors
  Two
sets of doors
 
Outer door - Pella double-seal, multi-point locking, outswing fiberglass
doors with leaded glass inserts is one option
  ~4'
mud/coat entry way
 
Inner doors - Inside swing fiberglass double-seal Pella glass doors with
multipoint locking is an option
 
Other exterior doors
 
Inner doors - Inside swing fiberglass double-seal Pella glass doors with
multipoint locking (same as front interior door) as an option, but all exterior
doors will be in dual sets.
 
Windows
 
Cross ventilation is critical (south-to-north and east-west)
 
Combination of venting and non-venting (picture frame) Pella Impervia
fiberglass natural sun (low-U and high SHGC) casement and awning windows with
expanded foam insulation
 
Minimum 3'x4' Awning windows on basement bedrooms (if this meets egress)
 
6'x6' windows throughout the main and upper floors (Double windows with
two 6'x3' panes, likely with only one side opening on a few select windows)
 
Possibly small awning windows for cross ventilation in den and pantry
  Use
of pressure treated wood bucks with sealant and expanded foam insulation unless
we can find a better alternative to wood
  Look
at motorized solutions with thermostats for automatically opening some of the
windows (http://www.fenestration.net/motorized_operators.html)
 
Electrical
  200A
service (wire already at the site, but boxes will need to be switched)
 
Mostly driven by solar
 
Energy efficient appliances (all AC)
   
Induction range (like the GE but need to check because they change each
season)
   
Bosch EnergyStar dishwasher (check)
   
Energy efficient refrigerator and freezer
   
Possibly a gas cooktop as a back-up (could also be on the outside patio)
  All
electrical lines run through EMT or flexible conduit (fire safety)
 
Water heating
 
Solar system augmented with on-demand electric water heaters.
 
Ventilation (because the house is intended
to be airtight)
 
Earth tubes running along the foundation
    At
least 100' in length
    6”
to 12” in diameter
   
sloped with drain point for condensation
   
connected line for cleaning
   
outside air vent on far end
   
connected through an air exchanger (ERV for both heat and cool air
recovery)
   
Vents on exterior walls along ceiling line (likely drop-down soffits
(could also be used for recessed lighting)
    Return
vents in the center of each floor in the dead spaces with plenty of airflow
from the living spaces (also close to range for heat disposal)
   
use of time or solar controlled fan (need something very energy
efficient)
 
Dryer vented to outside because of location in outer room
  No
range or bathroom vents (use the returns for the earth tube system to vent,
could be set to automatically turn on and off with lights and/or on timer)
 
Auxiliary heating
  Heat
recover system from appliance and/or solar system (could use electric or
geothermal, but want to keep the system as simple as possible)
 
Floors
 
Polished and stained concrete on all levels (considering other options
for upper floor if cost or design become an issue, but still must be a thermal
mass)
 
Possibly stamped on entry and other areas
 
Lighting
  Use
of LED whenever possible
 
Non-direct whenever possible
 
Prefer not to use recessed (can) lighting
 
Light in kitchen and built-in display cabinets
 
Lighting in non-living spaces will be on motion sensors (closets,
bathrooms, pantry, etc.)
 
Interior framing
 
Metal framing used for interior features, such as bench seating under
windows in living areas and master suite, built-in display cases between
windows with lighting, bookshelves in den, closets and desks in bedrooms and
cases in bathrooms
 
Countertops
 
Natural stone or concrete
 
Kitchen cabinets
 
Combination of metal framing, metal, glass, and other natural decretive
materials
 
Plumbing
 
Limited to a very small area to combine vents on sewage lines
  Use
of grey and black water solutions (grey will be filter and recirculated for
toilets, will be plumbed but may have to be added later due to stringent state
requirements)
  Use
of gravity flow on sewage lines only (septic tank is ~250' away and on a lower
slope than the house, will only sink the house enough to avoid using a sump
pump)
 
Low-flow water fixtures
 
Dual-flush toilets
  All
vents run through air exchanger so to maintain air-tight seal
  Main
sewage going out north-west side of house
  Laundry
and pool bath sewage may connect to garage sewage off south-west side of house
  Main
water line off south-side of house
  Grey
tank and water would have to be installed on north or north west-side of house
 At this
time, we had already discussed the design with our selected truss company for the
roof trusses. Despite the level of effort and research we had already put into
the home design, we did, however, still have questions about the home design
and materials, such as the room layout, the floor trusses, roof over the
walk-out basement, and different ICF block options. Many of these questions
remain unanswered or have been answered by our own research.
 1/12/14 –
After receiving and reviewing the revised agreement, we returned the formal
agreement. Note that we also discussed and provided feedback on the required
electrical load for the home.
 1/15/14 –
After further review of our own layout design, we provided more feedback and
what we would like in the design to Mr. [redacted]. Mr. [redacted] responded and said that
he was working on sketches for the design.
 5/8/14 –
After several delays by both parties, we finally sat down and discussed the
design again. At this time, Mr. [redacted] had an initial layout, but it did not
reflect our initial requirements. So, we discussed and marked up the designs
during the meeting. Mr. [redacted] had also changed the structure of the house (from
16 sides to 12 sides) without telling us, which caught us by surprise, but we
agreed to consider it. We also notified Mr. [redacted] that we would be traveling
during the month of June and would like to review the design before leaving.
 8/14/14 – We
sent a message to Mr. [redacted] regarding our growing concerns. We had been attempting
to reach Mr. [redacted] for several months requesting a meeting. We did not meet
before our scheduled trip in June, and throughout the better part of the summer
Mr. [redacted]’s voicemail was full and he was not responding to e-mails. In
addition, we had still not seen a layout from Mr. [redacted] that matched our
proposed design. However, we had continued to send design recommendations to
Mr. [redacted]. Mr. [redacted] finally responded the next day and said “I will have
drawings to send to you today.”
 8/18/14 –
Mr. [redacted] finally sent a layout to us and expressed concerns about some of the
room dimensions, but did not provide us with any room dimensions on the layout.
 8/21/14 – We
asked Mr. [redacted] for a copy of the markups we discussed on May 8th,
and indicated that the new layout did not reflect the items we discussed. He
had not made the changes we recommended and made other changes that were not requested.
The following was my response:
 The more we look at these plans, the more
frustrated we are becoming. The following are a list of issues with the plans
you sent over.
- The orientation of the building and the
entrances are different than what we discussed
- The pool house tie-in is different
- There is no entry or exit from the pool
house
- The utility/mud room and pool bathroom are
not in the correct place
- The end of the pool house does not mirror
the shape of the house
- The pool size and orientation is
incorrect, according to our last discussion
- The center wall in the lower level is not
to the orientation we discussed
- There is no mechanical room in the lower
level
- I am concerned about the size of the
overhang for passive solar heating (I'm assuming you are talking about the
overhang when you say deck because there is no "deck")
- The kitchen should not have a double
island
- The kitchen was to be moved to the south
to free up space in the bedroom (it's really hard to judge this without dimensions)
- The entry to the pantry should be on the
end of the pantry, not through the kitchen
- The den should not have doors, the window
is questionable
- The master closet does not need to be the
size of the bathroom
- The entry way was supposed to have an
extension (portico) that extends out the front of the house
 We felt like
he didn’t listen and/or remember what was discussed at the earlier meeting. I
also expressed a concern about the roof overhang because it was a critical component
to the passive home design.
8/25/14 –
Mr. [redacted] provided scanned images of the design changes we discussed in May,
which reflected the comments we sent on 8/21/14.
9/7/14 – We
requested a meeting with Mr. [redacted] over the design because of the issues
mentioned above and because his design change from 16 outside walls to 12 would
not meet the requirements for the passive home design due to the limited number
of windows. In addition, we indicated that we would be willing to alter the
design in other ways, such as increasing the wall length to meet our initial
requirements. As indicated in the information we provided him the first time we
met and when we signed the contract, the energy efficiency of this house was
the most critical requirement.
 11/12/14 –
After several months of requesting a face-to-face meeting on the home design,
we met with Mr. [redacted] at our home. We went over the design of the home again and
he made changes to the outside design and dimensions on his computer during the
meeting and took notes on the internal layout of the rooms. We indicated again
that we desperately needed room dimensions to fully evaluate the layout. We
also had a discussion about different proposed layouts of the downstairs
bathrooms and closets and indicated that we would like to start construction in
spring (March/April timeframe) in 2015, which was five months away for a design
that began more than eleven months earlier, when we signed the contract.
 11/13/14 – We
provided Mr. [redacted] with a drawing of the desired layout of the downstairs
bathrooms and closets based on a discussion the previous day. We also provided
him some of the requested mechanical details of the home, such as the plumbing,
earth tubes, and electrical.
 12/21/14 (one
year from the payment in dispute) – We provided Mr. [redacted] with a design of
another passive ICF home design that was doing many of the things we were
incorporating, so that he had another point of reference. We also indicated
that I would like to know when he would have a design to review so that I can
start getting quotes on the materials, and that we had several suppliers
already lined up to provide quotes for the steel and concrete.
 12/29/14 – We
informed Mr. [redacted] that we had spoken to a contractor he recommended about the helical
piers he had suggested for the foundation of the home. The company had concerns
about the ability to use that technology because of the rockiness of the soil.
As a result, we may have to use a different anchoring method.
 1/10/15 – We
reminded Mr. [redacted] of our desire to break ground in the spring.
 1/19/15 –
Mr. [redacted] indicated that he would have designs ready later that week.
 2/19/15 –
After several requests for a revised layout and an ICF estimate, I sent a
message to Mr. [redacted] indicating my dissatisfaction and concern over our schedule.
Mr. [redacted] responded “I will meet your deadlines” and would have an ICF layout by
Wednesday (2/25/15).
 2/25/15 –
Mr. [redacted] provided an ICF estimate, but did not include many of the requested
design requirements outlined at the beginning of the project. In addition, Mr.
[redacted] indicated that the house layout was still not complete.
 3/6/15 – Mr.
[redacted] provided an updated layout, but once again, it did not capture the changes
we discussed during our meeting in November, complete room dimensions were not
provided, and there were incorrect structural issues. Frustrated with not
having our comments and feedback represented in the layout, we used Adobe
Acrobat to delete almost all of the internal design of the layout and to
reposition the windows and doors to the appropriate locations. We then hand drew
the desired layout to scale to the best of our ability, which we returned to Mr.
[redacted] on 3/14/15.
 3/9/14 – Mr.
[redacted] sent me a 3D layout in a program I do not have, nor that I have the time
to learn.
 3/24/15 – After
several attempts of trying to view the files Mr. [redacted] sent, I again expressed
my frustration. He responded with a recommendation to watch YouTube videos to
learn how to use it. He also expressed concern about the layout relative to the
survey. Finally, he sent me some PDF images from the file.
 4/7/15 – I indicate
that I did not believe that the PDF images were correct because the house should
be positioned farther to the west (he was told from the start that this was
flexible) and that the offset he was using for the main-level floor was
incorrect. Mr. [redacted] was supposed to provide recommendations on the position and
depth of the house to meet our design and passive solar requirements.  I also requested the calculations for the
roof overhang to meet the passive solar requirements, but Mr. [redacted] never
provided any information.
 4/13/15 – I
took a weekend to go to the property, cleared the site of trees and rocks,
smoothed the slope, and re-surveyed the construction site.  I then was able to provide Mr. [redacted] with a
very detailed survey relative to the desired floor height with options for
placing the house, something we were expecting from our designer. Note that
these varied very little from the original survey we completed per his request.
I then provided Mr. [redacted] with other design options that could offset any
concerns.
 5/7/15 – After
missing our projected start date and several requests for at least a working
layout, Mr. [redacted] finally responded that he would have the revised layout to us
on the following Monday (5/11/15).
 5/15/15 –
After not hearing from Mr. [redacted] all week, we finally filed the complaint with
the Revdex.com. It wasn’t until I formally fired Mr. [redacted] the
following week that he finally began responding to me via e-mail. I have since
tried calling Mr. [redacted] to discuss the issue, and like the rest of the time we
have been under contract with him, he refused to answer his phone or call us
back.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------...⇄ /> In summary:
Mr. [redacted] stated that he was not made aware
of “the specific and non-industry
standard design parameters as requested by the client. Furthermore there were
differences in the information I was provided by the client versus what the
design would allow from both a financial aspect but more importantly a
building/life safety aspect.” 
As indicated
in the above chronology, we provided Mr. [redacted] with very detailed design goals
and requirements, including the
required use of European Passive Home standards in July of 2013, five months
before he agreed to the contract. In addition, he was made aware of the
topology of the site and provided with a survey four months before the contract
was signed. Thus, Mr. [redacted] knew in
advance our unique design requirements and still aggressively pursued for our
business. 
 Throughout
this time, we continued to do our own research and suggest solutions to our
questions in the absence of Mr. [redacted]’s recommendations. The only changes we
have made to the design are in reference to the things we did not understand or
features we had not determined before the process and we have provided all that
information to Mr. [redacted] throughout the process.
In regard to
visiting the site, we agreed in the contract that we would cover the cost of
visiting the site. Mr. [redacted] even indicated that he had another client in the
area. We invited him to come see the site anytime and would have preferred he
had done so early in the process to avoid his confusion. However, since signing
the contract, Mr. [redacted] has never requested or attempted to visit the site, even
when he expressed concerns about the elevation.  
With regard to the construction timeline,
Mr. [redacted] was told verbally in July 2013 that we were in no hurry to build right
away and that construction was more than a year in the future. This was also
verbally expressed in December of 2013 when we signed the contract. However, in
November 2014, eleven months after signing the contract, we expressed our
intent to begin construction in the March/April timeframe in 2015.  This was reaffirmed through many e-mail communications
through March of 2015, and agreed to by Mr. [redacted]. 
We have
considered Mr. [redacted]’s proposals on how to end the engagement, but at the time, Mr. [redacted] has not provided the design
expertise that he claimed to have when we entered into the contract and the
only thing we have is an outline of the house with our hand-drawn layout. Despite
having very detailed requirements and a proposed design for our house, we
sought out a professional to assist us with the technical details, layout
considerations, and ensuring that we met all code requirements. After 17 months
under contract, we have received no files from Mr. [redacted] that would be of use to
us or a licensed architect, and Mr. [redacted] has failed to meet all deadlines as
well as his initial contractual requirements:
1>Prepare preliminary design drawings of the building for the owner's approval. Design will be based on comments and examples provided by CLIENT. Modifications as required by Owner, Code or Real Estate Conditions will also be included. (70 hours max. Additional will be billed per standard rates)2>Provide preliminary plans for construction cost estimates by submitting plans to client and/or general contractors for preliminary take-offs. Review construction cost evaluation with Client to confirm plans will work within budget. Make design revisions as required by construction cost evaluation. (16 hours max. Additional will be billed per standard rates)3> Two (2) HOA meeting ...N/A
While it is correct that the contract
calls the funds “non-refundable,” Mr. [redacted] is in breach of the contract for
non-performance. In addition, the process has cost us time in research
we had expected from our designer, redoing the design ourselves by hand, tracking
down Mr. [redacted] for being unresponsive, as well as a lost year of building and
living in our new home. As a result, we have asked that both parties be
returned to the status quo prior to signing the contract. We formally proposed
to Mr. [redacted] the following on 5/22/15:
“If you (Mr. [redacted]) provide the refund and provide the unconditional lien
release, we will withdraw our complaint with the Revdex.com, not provide any other negative
feedback, verbally or digitally, and sign a letter of indemnification.”
 It is with
grief that we are forced to file a grievance with a local small business, but we
do so in good conscious to seek a resolution through the Revdex.com, or other legal
methods if necessary, and to prevent others from dealing with what we consider
unprofessional and unethical business practices.
Regards,
[redacted]

Robert Klob Designs is terrible! We paid him

over $24,000 for custom home plans and, after 2+ years, he NEVER provided us with complete plans that were ever approved for permit. My husband has been working to make the corrections, copies, etc himself in order to get our permit. He would take weeks to respond to e-mails and rarely if ever returned phone calls. He made promises that he never kept, and always had excuses! He is a JOKE...and I'm going to spend the summer trying to get retribution. This review is just the start! Stay away from Robert K[redacted]!

We are under contract to design a home for the [redacted].  We have been working thru some of the very specific and non-industry standard design parameters as requested by the client.    furthermore there were differences in the information I was provided by the client versus what the...

design would allow from both a financial aspect but more importantly a building/life safety aspect.  When this information was discovered, it was brought to the attention of [redacted] immediately.  he stated that he would go to the site & review (since it is over 150 miles from our office and travel expenses were not authorized per our agreement).  I just recently received that very pertinent information.  I have provided numerous design scenarios and modifications over the course of this process - including a 3D design model that was specifically excluded from our agreement.There are numerous emails and also it was stated verbally that they were under "no specific" timeline.  There was no request for a timeline to be included in our service agreement.  Only recently was it noted that they wanted to get started as soon as possible - that is when we discovered the safety & building code issue and we were working on a resolution of it.The client requests that they would like to have their deposit back.  Per our agreement (page 1 attached), all deposits are non-refundable.  we provided substantial time and also work product, therefore we will not refund the deposit.  this was understood and agreed to by them from the beginning.The client had substantial time to review the agreement and request any modifications, additions, deletions before signing it and retaining our services.  they made several changes that were included in the agreement.  there was never a request to remove the non-refundable deposit or add a timeline.In an effort of good faith and to resolve this issue, I provided 3 different scenarios to Jim:1.       If you choose to terminate our agreement, I will accept that as outlined in our agreement.  Items 6 & 7 under General Terms outline this procedure.  Per those terms, I will figure out my time and provide an invoice for any time over the initial payment that may be due.or2.        If you agree to remove the Revdex.com complaint, not provide any other negative feedback, verbally or digitally, and sign a letter of indemnification - and still wish to terminate our agreement, I will be willing to accept the retainer as full payment for services rendered to this point.  I will provide you with all of the CAD files and Sketchup files I have prepared to date.  I will also release my copyright on all concepts to you so that you can use them as you need.  Lastly, I will provide an Unconditional Lien Release for your property.  This will allow you to proceed with no encumbrances.or3.       Continue with our agreement/design as planned.  I would need you to allow a maximum of 1 week from today for me to continue to work out the remaining structural, geographical and code requirements of your design.  In recognition of this, and some of the delays, I will reduce my total fee by 10% (an additional $1500).  Once the design is finalized and approved by you, no additional changes will be allowed & final plans will be prepared within approximately 30 days.  Upon design approval and subsequent scheduling with any consulting engineers needed for the project – I will provide a date of delivery, with a $100/day penalty for each business day after that date.While none of these options are required by our agreement, I feel that these 3 options are very fair and amicable and offer a path to proceed for both parties without any lingering and unresolved challenges.

I have reviewed the 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.
It has been

a challenge working with [redacted] Designs further referenced as Mr. [redacted]. Since

signing the contract, Mr. [redacted] rarely answers his phone or responds to voice

mail messages. As a result, the majority of our communication was through

e-mail and is well documented and available for review. Unfortunately, he has

been slow or non-responsive to e-mails as well. The following is a chronological

summary of the events and communication between us and Mr. [redacted]:
 7/7/13 -

First meeting with Mr. [redacted] to discuss our project and his background. Mr. [redacted]

presented himself as an expert in ICF and passive home design, two of our main requirements

for our sustainable home project. We provided Mr. [redacted] with an initial proposed

layout of the home and the following list of design requirements:

 Goal: Make the house as energy efficient and

healthy as possible. Also, the house must be as fireproof as possible given the

location.

 Proposed design:

-         

The house

should be essentially air-tight and follow the European Passive Home standards

-         

16 sided

polygon with 9’ walls (inside measurement)

-         

2 or 3

story with the first story buried, except for emergency egresses

-         

Ceiling

height will be 9’ on each level

-         

Structure

is made from ICFs

-         

Windows

will be casement and picture frame Pella fiberglass Natural Sun windows

designed for passive solar heating, 6’ x 6’

-         

The

interior will be framed with steel to allow for built-in seating, display cases

and cabinets

-         

The

exterior will need a durable facing – we are open to suggestions

-         

We would

also like to build in retractable security window shutters on the outside if

possible.

-         

The floors

on all levels will be stained concrete. Although we hope to use just passive

solar and earth tubes plus a heat exchanger for heat, I would like to run

radiant lines in the floor just in case

-         

For fresh

air, I would like earth tubes with a heat exchanger. We need venting to

distribute the air. Preferably along the outside of the walls or ceiling for

the in-flow and somewhere on the center of the interior for the exhaust. We do

not plan on having a central AC system.

-         

We want as

few walls in the interior as possible to assist with the passive heating and

cooling

-         

If we do a

third story, we want a wrap-around porch around the entire building.

-         

The roof

and porch if applicable will have to be sized to block the sun from late-spring

to mid-fall (likely April to October) for the passive solar effect

-         

The roof

will be unfinished metal (raised seem with 12” seems). The roof will also be a

double-layered roof with a vent around the entire bottom and a ridge cap in the

center to allow for complete airflow. The interior portion of the roof will

feature a radiant barrier with spray foam insulation. Note that the spray foam

will also be used around the windows and doors and possibly other areas of the

house.

-         

The

exterior doors will all be double doors. The exterior set of doors will open

out and the interior doors open in. the doors selected should also provide the

tightest air barrier as possible. We have not selected any particular doors,

but we would prefer that they have some form of clear glass for the west end of

the house and leaded glass for the front of the house.

-         

A pool

house will be attached to the back of the house and connect to the bottom

floor. The construction of this room will be the same as the house.

-         

Above the

pool room, we want a full deck using plastic lumber. Note that the roof of the

pool house will have to account for insulation as well as water and snow

runoff, so it will likely have to be curved or sloped.

-         

Interior

cabinets will likely be custom and made from framing materials, steel and

glass, or both.

-         

We plan on

using on demand water heaters throughout the house.

-         

The bottom

floor will feature two bedrooms, a bathroom, and an open entertainment area (TV

games, etc.)

-         

The main

floor (3 story version) will feature the kitchen, pantry (long and narrow),

den, a half-bath, and possibly another room as a guest or exercise room. The 3rd

story would feature the master bedroom, seating area, and possibly the den (if

not on the main floor). In the two story version this is all on the main floor.

-         

If the

house is three stories, I would like to leave a space for an elevator.

-         

We want to

simplify the interior as much as possible with few walls and I would like the

plumbing from all floors to line up in only one or two walls. All water lines

will be the plastic lines once in the house.

-         

I would

like to use recessed LED lighting whenever possible. Also considering fiber

optic lighting if I can determine how to do it.

-         

The

laundry room will be off the pool area outside the main house.

-         

All

appliances will be as energy efficient as possible, including the use of a

convection range with an induction cooktop.

-         

Room for a

separate refrigerator and freezer would be preferred.

-         

The

kitchen should also feature an open island and bar area
 Note that at

that time we indicated the topology of the land and the design for walk-out

basement design. After this meeting, we also determined that the 3-story design

would be impractical and chose to stick with the two-story concept. We were a

little concerned by the extra fees for engineering services. However, we did

move forward with his recommendation to have a parcel and site survey completed

and even used the surveyor that Mr. [redacted] recommended, while we were evaluating

Mr. [redacted]’s proposal.
 8/7/13 – The

surveyor provided a copy of the survey to both us and Mr. [redacted], even though we

had not completed the contract for design services.
 10/7/13 – We

informed Mr. [redacted] that we were in the process of purchasing more land and were

re-evaluating our design schedule.
 10/8/13 –

Mr. [redacted] indicated that if we did not sign by the end of the year, he would be

raising his rates in January 2014.

12/17/13 –

We met with Mr. [redacted] in our home to kick-off the design process and paid Mr.

[redacted] $4,400.00  in cash. Note that he

offered a cash discount and initialed an unsigned version of the contract as a

receipt.
 12/21/13 –

We requested some modifications to the contract around [redacted] Design’s

right and process to place a lien on our property to ensure that no lien was

placed without notice and unless there were debts outstanding according to the

payment schedule. We also provided Mr. [redacted] with an estimated power usage model

and the following list of design considerations via an Excel spreadsheet:

 Design Goals

 

Energy Efficiency

 

Healthy (No VOCs)

 

Fireproof (as little wood or combustible material as possible)

 

Air-tight (no fireplace!)

 

Durability

  Open

design with as few walls as possible (intended for maximum solar gain and cross

ventilation)

 

Size

  Two

levels with the lower level embedded into the slope of the ground

  16

sides forming a polygon, each side will have 10' walls min on all levels as

measures on the interior of the wall

  Each

level will have a minimum 9' ceiling (upper level may be higher due to load

requirements above the windows)

 

Likely an internal center support spanning all levels and anchored below

ground for additional support

 

Structure

  ICF

(will consider double insulation if it makes sense)

  Use

of brick ledge around upper portion of lower level and around lower-level

windows

  Clay

or concrete brick or block tied to but with air gap outside of above ground

solution or other suitable Vernier

 

Thermal breaks whenever possible, such as between pad and walls, and pad

and ground

 

Insulation and radiant barrier below pad

 

Concrete floors on all levels (need some form of suspension/bracing for

second level and all floor needs to be stressed to prevent cracking)

 

Roof

 

Single truss structure that is banded on the center support is one

option

 

Overhang on roof to support passive solar heating and cooling

(estimating 4.5' or more depending on the lower height of the windows)

 

Double-layer roof separated by 2x2s or 2x4s providing a complete air gap

and a ridge vent at the center of the house

 

Metal roof - unfinished 12” standing seam with all soffits wrapped

(except for integrated soffit vents)

  Deck

over pool house

 

Front doors

  Two

sets of doors

 

Outer door - Pella double-seal, multi-point locking, outswing fiberglass

doors with leaded glass inserts is one option

  ~4'

mud/coat entry way

 

Inner doors - Inside swing fiberglass double-seal Pella glass doors with

multipoint locking is an option

 

Other exterior doors

 

Inner doors - Inside swing fiberglass double-seal Pella glass doors with

multipoint locking (same as front interior door) as an option, but all exterior

doors will be in dual sets.

 

Windows

 

Cross ventilation is critical (south-to-north and east-west)

 

Combination of venting and non-venting (picture frame) Pella Impervia

fiberglass natural sun (low-U and high SHGC) casement and awning windows with

expanded foam insulation

 

Minimum 3'x4' Awning windows on basement bedrooms (if this meets egress)

 

6'x6' windows throughout the main and upper floors (Double windows with

two 6'x3' panes, likely with only one side opening on a few select windows)

 

Possibly small awning windows for cross ventilation in den and pantry

  Use

of pressure treated wood bucks with sealant and expanded foam insulation unless

we can find a better alternative to wood

  Look

at motorized solutions with thermostats for automatically opening some of the

windows (http://www.fenestration.net/motorized_operators.html)

 

Electrical

  200A

service (wire already at the site, but boxes will need to be switched)

 

Mostly driven by solar

 

Energy efficient appliances (all AC)

   

Induction range (like the GE but need to check because they change each

season)

   

Bosch EnergyStar dishwasher (check)

   

Energy efficient refrigerator and freezer

   

Possibly a gas cooktop as a back-up (could also be on the outside patio)

  All

electrical lines run through EMT or flexible conduit (fire safety)

 

Water heating

 

Solar system augmented with on-demand electric water heaters.

 

Ventilation (because the house is intended

to be airtight)

 

Earth tubes running along the foundation

    At

least 100' in length

    6”

to 12” in diameter

   

sloped with drain point for condensation

   

connected line for cleaning

   

outside air vent on far end

   

connected through an air exchanger (ERV for both heat and cool air

recovery)

   

Vents on exterior walls along ceiling line (likely drop-down soffits

(could also be used for recessed lighting)

    Return

vents in the center of each floor in the dead spaces with plenty of airflow

from the living spaces (also close to range for heat disposal)

   

use of time or solar controlled fan (need something very energy

efficient)

 

Dryer vented to outside because of location in outer room

  No

range or bathroom vents (use the returns for the earth tube system to vent,

could be set to automatically turn on and off with lights and/or on timer)

 

Auxiliary heating

  Heat

recover system from appliance and/or solar system (could use electric or

geothermal, but want to keep the system as simple as possible)

 

Floors

 

Polished and stained concrete on all levels (considering other options

for upper floor if cost or design become an issue, but still must be a thermal

mass)

 

Possibly stamped on entry and other areas

 

Lighting

  Use

of LED whenever possible

 

Non-direct whenever possible

 

Prefer not to use recessed (can) lighting

 

Light in kitchen and built-in display cabinets

 

Lighting in non-living spaces will be on motion sensors (closets,

bathrooms, pantry, etc.)

 

Interior framing

 

Metal framing used for interior features, such as bench seating under

windows in living areas and master suite, built-in display cases between

windows with lighting, bookshelves in den, closets and desks in bedrooms and

cases in bathrooms

 

Countertops

 

Natural stone or concrete

 

Kitchen cabinets

 

Combination of metal framing, metal, glass, and other natural decretive

materials

 

Plumbing

 

Limited to a very small area to combine vents on sewage lines

  Use

of grey and black water solutions (grey will be filter and recirculated for

toilets, will be plumbed but may have to be added later due to stringent state

requirements)

  Use

of gravity flow on sewage lines only (septic tank is ~250' away and on a lower

slope than the house, will only sink the house enough to avoid using a sump

pump)

 

Low-flow water fixtures

 

Dual-flush toilets

  All

vents run through air exchanger so to maintain air-tight seal

  Main

sewage going out north-west side of house

  Laundry

and pool bath sewage may connect to garage sewage off south-west side of house

  Main

water line off south-side of house

  Grey

tank and water would have to be installed on north or north west-side of house
 At this

time, we had already discussed the design with our selected truss company for the

roof trusses. Despite the level of effort and research we had already put into

the home design, we did, however, still have questions about the home design

and materials, such as the room layout, the floor trusses, roof over the

walk-out basement, and different ICF block options. Many of these questions

remain unanswered or have been answered by our own research.
 1/12/14 –

After receiving and reviewing the revised agreement, we returned the formal

agreement. Note that we also discussed and provided feedback on the required

electrical load for the home.
 1/15/14 –

After further review of our own layout design, we provided more feedback and

what we would like in the design to Mr. [redacted]. Mr. [redacted] responded and said that

he was working on sketches for the design.
 5/8/14 –

After several delays by both parties, we finally sat down and discussed the

design again. At this time, Mr. [redacted] had an initial layout, but it did not

reflect our initial requirements. So, we discussed and marked up the designs

during the meeting. Mr. [redacted] had also changed the structure of the house (from

16 sides to 12 sides) without telling us, which caught us by surprise, but we

agreed to consider it. We also notified Mr. [redacted] that we would be traveling

during the month of June and would like to review the design before leaving.
 8/14/14 – We

sent a message to Mr. [redacted] regarding our growing concerns. We had been attempting

to reach Mr. [redacted] for several months requesting a meeting. We did not meet

before our scheduled trip in June, and throughout the better part of the summer

Mr. [redacted]’s voicemail was full and he was not responding to e-mails. In

addition, we had still not seen a layout from Mr. [redacted] that matched our

proposed design. However, we had continued to send design recommendations to

Mr. [redacted]. Mr. [redacted] finally responded the next day and said “I will have

drawings to send to you today.”
 8/18/14 –

Mr. [redacted] finally sent a layout to us and expressed concerns about some of the

room dimensions, but did not provide us with any room dimensions on the layout.
 8/21/14 – We

asked Mr. [redacted] for a copy of the markups we discussed on May 8th,

and indicated that the new layout did not reflect the items we discussed. He

had not made the changes we recommended and made other changes that were not requested.

The following was my response:
 The more we look at these plans, the more

frustrated we are becoming. The following are a list of issues with the plans

you sent over.

- The orientation of the building and the

entrances are different than what we discussed

- The pool house tie-in is different

- There is no entry or exit from the pool

house

- The utility/mud room and pool bathroom are

not in the correct place

- The end of the pool house does not mirror

the shape of the house

- The pool size and orientation is

incorrect, according to our last discussion

- The center wall in the lower level is not

to the orientation we discussed

- There is no mechanical room in the lower

level

- I am concerned about the size of the

overhang for passive solar heating (I'm assuming you are talking about the

overhang when you say deck because there is no "deck")

- The kitchen should not have a double

island

- The kitchen was to be moved to the south

to free up space in the bedroom (it's really hard to judge this without dimensions)

- The entry to the pantry should be on the

end of the pantry, not through the kitchen

- The den should not have doors, the window

is questionable

- The master closet does not need to be the

size of the bathroom

- The entry way was supposed to have an

extension (portico) that extends out the front of the house
 We felt like

he didn’t listen and/or remember what was discussed at the earlier meeting. I

also expressed a concern about the roof overhang because it was a critical component

to the passive home design.

8/25/14 –

Mr. [redacted] provided scanned images of the design changes we discussed in May,

which reflected the comments we sent on 8/21/14.

9/7/14 – We

requested a meeting with Mr. [redacted] over the design because of the issues

mentioned above and because his design change from 16 outside walls to 12 would

not meet the requirements for the passive home design due to the limited number

of windows. In addition, we indicated that we would be willing to alter the

design in other ways, such as increasing the wall length to meet our initial

requirements. As indicated in the information we provided him the first time we

met and when we signed the contract, the energy efficiency of this house was

the most critical requirement.
 11/12/14 –

After several months of requesting a face-to-face meeting on the home design,

we met with Mr. [redacted] at our home. We went over the design of the home again and

he made changes to the outside design and dimensions on his computer during the

meeting and took notes on the internal layout of the rooms. We indicated again

that we desperately needed room dimensions to fully evaluate the layout. We

also had a discussion about different proposed layouts of the downstairs

bathrooms and closets and indicated that we would like to start construction in

spring (March/April timeframe) in 2015, which was five months away for a design

that began more than eleven months earlier, when we signed the contract.
 11/13/14 – We

provided Mr. [redacted] with a drawing of the desired layout of the downstairs

bathrooms and closets based on a discussion the previous day. We also provided

him some of the requested mechanical details of the home, such as the plumbing,

earth tubes, and electrical.
 12/21/14 (one

year from the payment in dispute) – We provided Mr. [redacted] with a design of

another passive ICF home design that was doing many of the things we were

incorporating, so that he had another point of reference. We also indicated

that I would like to know when he would have a design to review so that I can

start getting quotes on the materials, and that we had several suppliers

already lined up to provide quotes for the steel and concrete.
 12/29/14 – We

informed Mr. [redacted] that we had spoken to a contractor he recommended about the helical

piers he had suggested for the foundation of the home. The company had concerns

about the ability to use that technology because of the rockiness of the soil.

As a result, we may have to use a different anchoring method.
 1/10/15 – We

reminded Mr. [redacted] of our desire to break ground in the spring.
 1/19/15 –

Mr. [redacted] indicated that he would have designs ready later that week.
 2/19/15 –

After several requests for a revised layout and an ICF estimate, I sent a

message to Mr. [redacted] indicating my dissatisfaction and concern over our schedule.

Mr. [redacted] responded “I will meet your deadlines” and would have an ICF layout by

Wednesday (2/25/15).
 2/25/15 –

Mr. [redacted] provided an ICF estimate, but did not include many of the requested

design requirements outlined at the beginning of the project. In addition, Mr.

[redacted] indicated that the house layout was still not complete.
 3/6/15 – Mr.

[redacted] provided an updated layout, but once again, it did not capture the changes

we discussed during our meeting in November, complete room dimensions were not

provided, and there were incorrect structural issues. Frustrated with not

having our comments and feedback represented in the layout, we used Adobe

Acrobat to delete almost all of the internal design of the layout and to

reposition the windows and doors to the appropriate locations. We then hand drew

the desired layout to scale to the best of our ability, which we returned to Mr.

[redacted] on 3/14/15.
 3/9/14 – Mr.

[redacted] sent me a 3D layout in a program I do not have, nor that I have the time

to learn.
 3/24/15 – After

several attempts of trying to view the files Mr. [redacted] sent, I again expressed

my frustration. He responded with a recommendation to watch YouTube videos to

learn how to use it. He also expressed concern about the layout relative to the

survey. Finally, he sent me some PDF images from the file.
 4/7/15 – I indicate

that I did not believe that the PDF images were correct because the house should

be positioned farther to the west (he was told from the start that this was

flexible) and that the offset he was using for the main-level floor was

incorrect. Mr. [redacted] was supposed to provide recommendations on the position and

depth of the house to meet our design and passive solar requirements.  I also requested the calculations for the

roof overhang to meet the passive solar requirements, but Mr. [redacted] never

provided any information.
 4/13/15 – I

took a weekend to go to the property, cleared the site of trees and rocks,

smoothed the slope, and re-surveyed the construction site.  I then was able to provide Mr. [redacted] with a

very detailed survey relative to the desired floor height with options for

placing the house, something we were expecting from our designer. Note that

these varied very little from the original survey we completed per his request.

I then provided Mr. [redacted] with other design options that could offset any

concerns.
 5/7/15 – After

missing our projected start date and several requests for at least a working

layout, Mr. [redacted] finally responded that he would have the revised layout to us

on the following Monday (5/11/15).
 5/15/15 –

After not hearing from Mr. [redacted] all week, we finally filed the complaint with

the Revdex.com. It wasn’t until I formally fired Mr. [redacted] the

following week that he finally began responding to me via e-mail. I have since

tried calling Mr. [redacted] to discuss the issue, and like the rest of the time we

have been under contract with him, he refused to answer his phone or call us

back.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------...⇄ />
In summary:

Mr. [redacted] stated that he was not made aware

of “the specific and non-industry

standard design parameters as requested by the client. Furthermore there were

differences in the information I was provided by the client versus what the

design would allow from both a financial aspect but more importantly a

building/life safety aspect.” 

As indicated

in the above chronology, we provided Mr. [redacted] with very detailed design goals

and requirements, including the

required use of European Passive Home standards in July of 2013, five months

before he agreed to the contract. In addition, he was made aware of the

topology of the site and provided with a survey four months before the contract

was signed. Thus, Mr. [redacted] knew in

advance our unique design requirements and still aggressively pursued for our

business. 
 Throughout

this time, we continued to do our own research and suggest solutions to our

questions in the absence of Mr. [redacted]’s recommendations. The only changes we

have made to the design are in reference to the things we did not understand or

features we had not determined before the process and we have provided all that

information to Mr. [redacted] throughout the process.

In regard to

visiting the site, we agreed in the contract that we would cover the cost of

visiting the site. Mr. [redacted] even indicated that he had another client in the

area. We invited him to come see the site anytime and would have preferred he

had done so early in the process to avoid his confusion. However, since signing

the contract, Mr. [redacted] has never requested or attempted to visit the site, even

when he expressed concerns about the elevation.  

With regard to the construction timeline,

Mr. [redacted] was told verbally in July 2013 that we were in no hurry to build right

away and that construction was more than a year in the future. This was also

verbally expressed in December of 2013 when we signed the contract. However, in

November 2014, eleven months after signing the contract, we expressed our

intent to begin construction in the March/April timeframe in 2015.  This was reaffirmed through many e-mail communications

through March of 2015, and agreed to by Mr. [redacted]. 
We have

considered Mr. [redacted]’s proposals on how to end the engagement, but at the time, Mr. [redacted] has not provided the design

expertise that he claimed to have when we entered into the contract and the

only thing we have is an outline of the house with our hand-drawn layout. Despite

having very detailed requirements and a proposed design for our house, we

sought out a professional to assist us with the technical details, layout

considerations, and ensuring that we met all code requirements. After 17 months

under contract, we have received no files from Mr. [redacted] that would be of use to

us or a licensed architect, and Mr. [redacted] has failed to meet all deadlines as

well as his initial contractual requirements:

1>Prepare preliminary design drawings of the building for the owner's approval. Design will be based on comments and examples provided by CLIENT. Modifications as required by Owner, Code or Real Estate Conditions will also be included. (70 hours max. Additional will be billed per standard rates)2>Provide preliminary plans for construction cost estimates by submitting plans to client and/or general contractors for preliminary take-offs. Review construction cost evaluation with Client to confirm plans will work within budget. Make design revisions as required by construction cost evaluation. (16 hours max. Additional will be billed per standard rates)3> Two (2) HOA meeting ...N/A

While it is correct that the contract

calls the funds “non-refundable,” Mr. [redacted] is in breach of the contract for

non-performance. In addition, the process has cost us time in research

we had expected from our designer, redoing the design ourselves by hand, tracking

down Mr. [redacted] for being unresponsive, as well as a lost year of building and

living in our new home. As a result, we have asked that both parties be

returned to the status quo prior to signing the contract. We formally proposed

to Mr. [redacted] the following on 5/22/15:

“If you (Mr. [redacted]) provide the refund and provide the unconditional lien

release, we will withdraw our complaint with the Revdex.com, not provide any other negative

feedback, verbally or digitally, and sign a letter of indemnification.”

 It is with

grief that we are forced to file a grievance with a local small business, but we

do so in good conscious to seek a resolution through the Revdex.com, or other legal

methods if necessary, and to prevent others from dealing with what we consider

unprofessional and unethical business practices.

Regards,

After taking a deposit and being provided all the design requirements, a rough design, and a complete site survey, Robert K[redacted] could not even provide an acceptable house layout in 18 months. He failed to answer calls or e-mails for months or meet any deadlines, including those that he set. Unfortunately, I have received calls from others that have had similar experiences. Please avoid the problems and seek a licensed architect.