[debron911]

I feel compelled to share this after a huge $50,000+ mistake.

My husband and I are savvy researchers who thought we had done our due diligence in sifting through many general contractors. We had experience here with some contractors such as concrete and painters for work under $3,000.

Biggest clue of a contractor with integrity, honesty and a desire to do their best is this:

No money up front!! Even a large addition contract won't want a penny until the first "benchmark" is completed, such as a foundation. Please don't sign a contract for a huge job without it containing the benchmarks, clearly stated, and the percentages. Make sure the last draw is greater than 10% because that is usually their profit and they want that. Also make sure you get release of lien or partial release of lien from each sub-contractor as they finish OR they can come after you, and lien your home EVEN IF you paid the general contractor. Every time you pay a draw you should know in detail what you are paying for.

They should be getting the ARC approval and pulling all necessary permits.

At this point I can't mention the company name as we are awaiting consultation with an attorney specializing in construction law.

We could have had one of the best builders in this area IF we had been more patient to wait for his bid. A builder who can jump right in and start, as robust as the home improvement business is here, BEWARE! Point is: waiting a couple extra weeks to get a bid could save you months of heartache, stress and legal issues.

If this post helps one person, not have to experience what we have and are still in the midst of, then I'm glad I did.

[Epic Home Pros]

Wow, your advise is spot on!!
All homeowners should read this.

[theorem painter]

I personally know Debbie and Ron and the nightmare that they have lived through. We have also been going through an addition and we were lucky enough to hire "one of the best builders" she referred to in her post - Demetri Homes and Remodeling. It was heartbreaking to watch their addition when we were having the opposite experience. Demetri Homes did quality work, with great communication and were finished ahead of schedule. (I will do a separate post about them later.) Debbie is right about a signed contract with the draws spelled out.

[gomsiepop]

Thank you for your advice. My husband and I are in the process of obtaining estimates on an expansion for our home. I will add Demetri Homes and Remodeling as our third contractor to call. We have met with Kevco Contractors already and we were very impressed with the knowledge and advice their representative gave us. Tuesday we have an appointment with Xcel Contractors and after we get all of our information in order we will make a decision on who we will hire. Beware of contractors that peruse Talk of the Villages and respond to posts. Seems to me they are using this site for "free advertising". One of them became very nasty when I questioned them.

[outlaw]

Although I agree with not (USUALLY) paying anything up front, I do believe excellent and reputable companies can get a deposit up front for large jobs. I remember when considering T&D (very good recommendations) for a large ($80-90K) job, they also required a substantial deposit upon contract signing. I may have remembered wrong, so if others have had a different experience with T&D, please respond.

[debron911]

Xcel was one of our bids and they gave us 2 typed pages of over 40 references and many were multiples on the same street. That was a big clue that there work is very good. Beware of red flags like only being offered one or two phone numbers when asking if they can provide references. Excel was prepared and offered them up front. I haven't heard anything negative about them!

[ColdNoMore]

Originally Posted by debron911

I feel compelled to share this after a huge $50,000+ mistake.

My husband and I are savvy researchers who thought we had done our due diligence in sifting through many general contractors. We had experience here with some contractors such as concrete and painters for work under $3,000.

Biggest clue of a contractor with integrity, honesty and a desire to do their best is this:

No money up front!! Even a large addition contract won't want a penny until the first "benchmark" is completed, such as a foundation. Please don't sign a contract for a huge job without it containing the benchmarks, clearly stated, and the percentages. Make sure the last draw is greater than 10% because that is usually their profit and they want that. Also make sure you get release of lien or partial release of lien from each sub-contractor as they finish OR they can come after you, and lien your home EVEN IF you paid the general contractor. Every time you pay a draw you should know in detail what you are paying for.

They should be getting the ARC approval and pulling all necessary permits.

At this point I can't mention the company name as we are awaiting consultation with an attorney specializing in construction law.

We could have had one of the best builders in this area IF we had been more patient to wait for his bid. A builder who can jump right in and start, as robust as the home improvement business is here, BEWARE! Point is: waiting a couple extra weeks to get a bid could save you months of heartache, stress and legal issues.

If this post helps one person, not have to experience what we have and are still in the midst of, then I'm glad I did.

I noticed that you don't post all that often, but thank you very much for making the effort to give all of us this excellent advice!

Sorry you had to go through this, but huge kudos to you for taking the time to remind all of us what can happen to even those of us who try to do thorough research ahead of time.

Hope everything eventually works out for you.

[gomsiepop]

Thank you very much for your advice ColdNoMore. Talk of the Villages is an invaluable site for information. That being said a homeowner still has to do their due diligence. Some of the posts on this site originate from contractors themselves. As the saying goes "Let The Buyer Beware". I am curious as to who the contractor was that did not fulfill their obligations. Please, please let us know who the company is when you are able to. Thank you again and hope everything works out to your benefit.

[mert1506]

Always get a few estimates & then a time frame for payments. We just used Village Home Professionals for a guest bathroom project.
They arrived early & finished ahead of schedule. Sam was very helpful.

Bob

[Biker Dog]

We used HarbourTown Homes, Rick Anderson. He required NO up front money and billed us weekly with copies of his sub's bills. Did a fabulous job, on time, on price quote, and checked the job daily. We have referred him to many friend that were very satisfied with the finished product.

[jimbo2012]

I agree no money upfront, pay as they complete different parts may be ok, I say may.

Suppose you pay for a part but later find it has issues the contractor can get ahead dollar wise.

Perhaps this idea may work, have a certain amount held back at the end of the job for two contingents.

1. final building dept inspection and approval, it's the yellow card in the papers with the plans 7 permits which must be posted on the job.

2. have someone like Frank DeAngelo do a quick inspection of the finished job.

(Frank's son is joining him he soon so they can handle more work)


then release the final payment.

In fact making these two items mandatory in the contract will keep them on their toes, and earn the home owner respect that they aren't just going to accept any substandard work.


.

[burky]

Debbie & Ron - Thank you for your post. I wish we had seen something like it when we solicited bids last year to build a Lanai addition on our home here. What I felt should have been a 4-6 week job is now stretching into the 8th month and still has a significant way to go before completion. After selecting our contractor and paying 1/3 down, it was then several months before any work actually started.

Once work finally started there was progress for 2-3 weeks and then all workers disappeared, coming back for a day every 2-3 weeks (sometimes 5 weeks between visits). After we threatened legal actions they showed up a few times and promised if we gave them another 1/3 payment they would get things promptly done. BAD MISTAKE (Color me STUPID!) Everyone disappeared again for 6 weeks, Meanwhile the the house remained largely unroofed except for a single layer of tar paper underlayment.

In September this project will have gone on for a year, while all our furniture sits in the yard and is pretty much trashed by now.

Check those references folks, get a clear description of work to be done and an associated schedule. Other than an initial reasonable (10-20% downpayment) do NOT give any "progress" payments until agreed "Description of Work" goals are actually met. Our contractor is one that advertises in TOTV so remember, just because someone runs an ad doesn't mean they are a qualified vendor. Check and double-check to be safe.

Hopefully we might be able to use our Lanai by the time Summer rolls around. Since the grill is one of the things sitting in the yard, it would be nice to enjoy a good steak or Rotisserie chicken again.

[jimbo2012]

Originally Posted by burky

Other than an initial reasonable (10-20% downpayment)

There's only one reason a contractor requires a deposit.

They are undercapitalized.

they don't pay for materiel's for 30 days.

so what's the money for?

[biker1]

Not necessarily true. Custom made products, such as windows, may require advanced payment by the contractor and may be non-refundable. In that case, it would be foolish not to require a deposit. Also, not everyone may work with net 30 days.

Originally Posted by jimbo2012

There's only one reason a contractor requires a deposit.

They are undercapitalized.

they don't pay for materiel's for 30 days.

so what's the money for?

[jimbo2012]

Yes, I agree on custom made, my oversite.

If they are not on 30 day terms then they aren't credit worthy with their vendors.

why should you give them money? because they can't get credit.

How many stories are we all going to read here of folks getting screwed.

See the work before paying