Ok, So What Is Your Worst Renovation Experience With A Contractor?

Question

I run a Contractor Referral Service in Colorado Springs, CO. Our goal is to keep homeowners from making a mistake in hiring a contractor to work on their home. Often, homeoweners are so concerned with getting a "cheap price", they set themselves up to be ripped-off. I would just like to hear stories from others who have been taken-in by unscrupulous or unqualified contractors across America!

Answer 1

What is IRRITATING in a Renovation Experience (and this is why I am doing MY OWN renovations) -- is when the Contractor REFUSES to LISTEN to what the Homeowner wants in a Renovation -- and figures that it won't irritate the homeowner if they do it the way THEY want to do it.

WELL ... I'm a Lefty -- and with that comes a LOT of pain and suffering because everything is BACKWARDS in standard kitchens -- so I WANT my electrical in certain spots, my Sink in this place (instead of there), my Fridge here instead of opposite side ... etc.

They did that -- and I ended up having to CORRECT all the problems MYSELF because the Contractor did NOT want to do things the way I SPECIFIED in the Contract.

Same with Tiling Contractors -- it is much better IF I do the Tiling -- I square-up the room myself, find the EXACT Center of the Room, from there, I do the Laser Lines and markings to align everything properly, clean the base, make sure that the base is LEVEL BEFORE the mortar is EVER put down, and then LEVEL the tiles as I place them - which means that the 1,400 sq ft of tile I LAID MYSELF is DEFINITELY correct -- and the tile contractors I had put in the tiny space of the laundry room is what I am going to have to PULL OUT and REPLACE -- because they did NOT care about doing things correctly -- and the tiles are just not level, they are misaligned, etc. How can you tile a flooring WITHOUT taking off the mouldings in the first place??? YOU HAVE to in order to adjust the placement of the mouldings to the new flooring surface height!