Unique Remodeling & Customer Homes

I am rejecting this response because: It is not true. The business is aware that I became so upset and emotional because of the numerous issues that had to be resolved in the kitchen remodel. The issues with the cabinets - patches of nail holes, adding additional boards to cover holes and cutting holes in a brand new cabinet because the cabinetmaker changed the measurements and deleted a set of drawers, make them practically seconds and they were custom made. We still have drawers that will not remain closed and need constant adjustment. The electrical outlets are not uniform and are very obvious with the white subway tile. The tile is popped out from the wall over the stove and near the pot filler, the pocket door is unstable and the attached lock catches because of this and light shows through from the other room, there are unnecessary holes in the walls behind the appliances and in the over the sink cabinet because of omissions and or lack of coordination and attention to the details of the job. I expressed to the owner that I was upset that, I paid the price and was not happy with what was going on and at one point asked her not to return. However, I did call her out to adjust cabinets and to deliver the custom sink cutting boards that she had made to compensate for the sink not being installed flush with the granite. This and the repainting of the kitchen are the only compensation and acknowledgement of error and visible errors are still present. The kitchen speaks for itself. I wanted to address it with the owner before I called a realtor to place my home on the market. I am embarrassed to show family, neighbors and friends my kitchen because the poor quality is so obvious.

The first part of this response will be to address the contractor’s response directly and the second will address the contractor’s attachments and why the contractor thinks she paid for something she did not.
When we left the *** home, we were told everything was Okay. On May the 15th, 2018 they even did the Blessing of our new Store in Odem, Tx
1. The Statement is not true because we never told the contractor we were satisfied. The contractor knew that we were not satisfied, she took the sink custom fit undermount sink fit cutting boards with her on June 20, 2018 – the day she got her final check. They were being remade because the granite had not been cut to the specifications of the template provided, which was for a flush mount. Contractor was aware of this as all appliances were purchased before the contractor was chosen for the job and were in our garage. The contractor and sub-contractors were all given access to get their specifications. *** cut the check because we just wanted the contractor gone from our home because we were frustrated that we were not being heard and we had to keep pointing out the problems because there was no process in place to ensure quality or customer satisfaction. We could no longer trust ourselves to respond in ways that honored and glorified God. Yes, I blessed the contractor’s business and continue to pray that God will bless them. They just did not deliver the promised quality that we paid for.
2. We never said that the contractor was dismissive or that the contractor avoided us. Our concerns were listened to, but all of them were not addressed as some things require being ripped out and completely redone to provide the quality promised. Some examples:
a. the flush mount of the undermount sink would require new granite to be installed
b. the pocket door that shows the end of the door when closed requires that it be reinstalled
c. the aligning the electrical outlets on the sink wall and the light switch at the back door would require that tile and sheet rock be redone
d. the electrical outlet in the broom closet is too close to the corner of the cabinet and the light plate cannot be installed causing a safety concern – this can only be addressed with cutting into the cabinet and moving the outlet over
e. several tiles over the cooktop have popped away from the wall and are visibly noticeable

I had hoped to improve the value of my home. Now I have a kitchen that I am embarrassed to show my neighbors. I purchased more than $10,000 in appliances before the contractor even began the job and I paid the contractor $28,305.54 and I don’t have the quality that I paid for. The contractor is responsible not paying attention to the details of the job to assure a quality product for the customer. I have attached a list with a grade for each of the jobs and my husband added his thoughts with a pen.

3. I never complained about putty. My complaint was about the visible nails protruding into the cabinets not the cosmetic repairs the contractor is referring to. The number of these errors was excessive and at least three of them presented safety concerns and nails had to be cut off because putty alone was inappropriate. This is another example of the inability to examine the work for quality assurance. Yes, all the issues concerning the protruding nails were addressed but they also minimized the quality of the custom cabinets.
4. A closer look at my copy of shows and I remember that I would loose the cabinet/drawers on the left side of the dishwasher to provide more length for bar stools to be placed and leg room under the bar. This still supports the change when the contractor added 5 inches to the cabinet/drawers on the right side of the sink making it necessary to cut a hole in the drawer cabinet to fit the sink drain hole.

Point of personal pride – I designed the kitchen and measured it more than 6 times and took my design to Surplus Warehouse and then to Lowes to have it drawn and to get quotes for cabinets. The space for the sink was dedicated and protected so that it would remain in alignment with existing plumbing.

5. As for the 2 electrical outlets, this occurred more than two weeks after June 20th. ***’s concern was not just cosmetic, i.e. the tile, in relation to the alignment of the outlets, but also the lack of an electrician to move the outlets. Remember at this point we had been told that none of her sub-contractors would return to our home. So, no electrician and no tile professional. – These issues are visible, and the contractor did not do a final inspection of the job and the contractor never offered to address them until after we brought them to her attention.

6. Yes, the same day as mentioned above, the cabinets were adjusted, and they are the only reason I allowed the contractor to return to my home as I had already planned to have her mail the cutting boards. We were referred to the internet to get instructions on future adjustments. The contractor had been paid more than two weeks earlier.

7. Yes, the contractor did pay to have the kitchen repainted as she did not notice the mistakes in the job and the painters also used rollers with a thick nap creating some texture and we wanted smooth walls.

Yes, the contractor did pay to have 2 custom cutting blocks made to fit our sinks after she did not communicate and coordinate with the granite sub-contractor our desire for a flush mount sink and our plans to use the cutting boards when we staged our home for resale. – Again, the sinks had been purchased before the contractor was chosen and the granite sub-contractor took the templates for both the bar and double sink with her.

We have not contacted the contractor since the cutting boards were delivered because it has taken us this long to get over the bitterness we felt to make a complaint with civility and grace.

We actually paid for the door over the refrigerator. The door was only necessary because the custom cabinet sub-contractor refused to provide the door when first requested insisting that it was too heavy to be installed. After, I purchased hinges and demonstrated that it was not was the desired door provided. – An explanation of why contractor thinks she paid for the door will be provided below.

Yes, as addressed above, contractor did offer to move the 2-electrical outlets. However, by this time we had no confidence that it could be done tastefully or to our satisfaction.

The contractor is responsible for the leak because the chimney should never have been installed on a weak board and we have been made aware that the project manager was aware of the weak board. One of the reasons the contractor was hired is because she went up into our attic three times to examine things and we specifically asked her if there was any evidence of leaks especially that would account for what looked like repairs around the beam in our living room. We shared our concerns that the insurance adjuster for Hurricane Harvey may have missed something. Contractor stated that she could see no evidence of any leakage. So, imagine our surprise when the first rain since the installation of our new chimney resulted in a leak. Furthermore, the insurance company said that the chimney had been installed on a rotten board which was evidence of a prior issue. The contractor should have been aware of the rotten board as she went into my attic three times and specifically asked about leaks and she stated that she saw no evidence of a leak. There was no insulation in the attic to obstruct her view. My windstorm certification was useless after the repair was made. We have to replace our roof in order to get another windstorm certification.

We will gladly pay for the roof being tarped. We were never billed. the contractor had come out that morning of June 20, 2018 because I reported that we had to delay the installation of the attic insulation because the roof was leaking. It was agreed after I called the insurance company and he said that the adjuster would be out on Monday and requested that we tarp the roof. The contractor agreed to get me a roof estimate on Monday. However, the next day, I was greeted by the contractor’s project manager who had roofers already tearing off the tarp and ripping off a sample of the shingles. When I asked what was going on, the roofers told me they had been given the job for $500. All of this before the insurance adjuster came and this is why she did not get the job for the roof and why I felt the need to ask her not to return to my home.

If the contractor believes that the service we were provided is above and beyond, then she makes our case for us. We are not satisfied customers and did not pretend to be – the fact that the contractor believes this concerning for us and is partly why we are speaking out.

As it relates to advertising:
a. First of all, I learned about the contractor from the pro-desk at Home Depot, who not only referred her to me, but spoke highly of her ability to deliver quality. Secondly, she referred me to her Facebook page and to the Revdex.com. Finally, she gave me her business card which states: “The Bitterness of Poor Quality Remains Long After the Sweetness of Low Price is Forgotten.” I consider all of these are forms of advertisement. Furthermore, during one of my phone conversations when I was so frustrated that I was in tears, I informed the contractor that I had paid the price and was not happy with the way things were going.
b. We did not allow the contractor to repair the damage caused by the AC leak because I had lost confidence in her ability to provide quality service.
c. As I stated earlier the contractor was asked not to return to my home because I was not happy and was too upset to even discuss the issues with her respectfully.

The second part of my response:

1. The contract submitted by the contractor combines information that is on my contract and the accompanying document named the Scope of the Work. I have attached them which I have attached and labeled it *** Contract and Scope of Work - with Personal Notes on Scope of Work.

2. The design with modifications submitted by the contractor has never been seen by me.

3. I attached the designs that I gave to the contractor. They are labeled *** Original Kitchen Plan.

4. I also attached the only modifications that I was aware of which is what helped me remember that we lost inches to leg space for the bar – the writing was done by the project manager and I asked for a copy for my records. It is titled *** Kitchen with Modifications to Sink Wall.

5. I have also attached all payments made to the contractor and they were paid the day they were presented and none of them were late. I have also attached my personal Total Kitchen worksheet where I tracked payments. It is a bit crude but it is accurate. You can see in pencil after the $3,500 pd on 5.22.18 where I deducted one dumpster and the over the refrigerator cabinet door. There is paid and a date by every check except for the final check and that is because we were not initially planning on writing it that day.

There next to the final $3,850 due, I wrote the but never the $400.00 for the Appliance Installation as I had intended.

I tried to explain to the contractor that the appliance installation was a part of the initial contract but could not find it in writing. I had her prepare a separate receipt so that I could provide proof of purchase and proof of installation for the renewal our homeowners warranty so they would not place a restriction on my contract. However, after not the contractor was unable to remember it said that they were not included, we decided to just pay it so that we could fulfill the contract and move on.

I am rejecting this response because the contractor does not accept any responsibility for the poor quality of our kitchen renovation and considers the corrections that were made as some sort of favor they did us. This complaint was made because of their inability to provide the quality we were promised. As the consumer, I should have made sure that everything we discussed was in the contract including the quality and a written guarantee of services provided. I would appreciate a line item breakdown of the cost of my kitchen renovation in addition to the requested price adjustment. My husband may be related to the contractor's husband but that is irrelevant, as is our participation in the blessing of the contractor's grand opening of her business. We are not trying to hurt the contractor's business because we have not taken other measures to resolve our issue. The contractor needs to consider the quality of the work and finished product and the total cost of the job only. We just want what we paid for and since that cannot be accomplished without redoing most of the kitchen, we are asking for compensation for the difference between the quality promised and the quality delivered.