1/5
I hired Nick to…read moreinstall landscape lighting and outdoor speakers at my home. I supplied all of the equipment and parts, so I was hiring him primarily for labor and installation.
I initially described the job through Yelp and received a flat-fee estimate of $350, along with an invitation to schedule a consultation. I scheduled the consultation assuming Nick would inspect the job and provide a more accurate estimate.
When he arrived, however, he appeared ready to start working even though we had not signed a contract or finalized the scope and price. After I walked him through everything I needed done, he told me he had thought it was a much smaller job and that it would cost more. We agreed to hold off until he sent me a revised estimate.
He later sent an estimate for $950, which I accepted.
When Nick returned to actually begin the work, I went over the scope with him again--the same work I had explained during his first visit. He then told me he "didn't know what he was thinking" when he quoted $950 because it was much more work than he anticipated. He increased the price again to $1,300. I reluctantly agreed because I needed the job completed.
The first day, he mounted just the transformer and said he needed to return with a helper. On the second day, they mounted the weatherproof box for the speaker amplifier and routed some of the wiring. He then said he couldn't continue until a section of fence was removed because it was blocking access, even though the fence was already there when he originally inspected the job.
He requested 50% payment, which I paid. I told him I would contact him once the fence was removed.
A few days later, Nick contacted me saying he really wanted to finish the job and that I actually didn't need to remove the fence after all. He returned and routed the cables and installed most of the equipment.
However, the job was still not finished. The subwoofer was left unburied, wiring was untidy, the trenches were not backfilled, and he drilled a hole through the middle of my planter to route wiring, which was not something we had discussed or agreed upon. He told me he would return after the fence was removed to finish the remaining work.
At that point, Nick asked me to pay 90% of the $1,300 total. I paid him in good faith based on his representation that he would return and complete the job.
We scheduled a final day for him to come back. He did not show up and did not respond to my calls or texts that day. The following day, he texted me saying he had suffered heat stroke and told me he was not going to finish my job.
I completely understand that a medical issue can happen and that someone's health comes first. My problem is what happened afterward. Since Nick told me himself that he would not complete the job, I asked for a partial refund because I had already paid 90% and, in my opinion, substantially more than 10% of the work remained. My request was essentially blown off, and I was left to find someone else to finish the work I had already paid him to complete.
The entire experience was frustrating. The price went from $350 to $950 after he inspected the job in person, then from $950 to $1,300 when he returned to start the same job. I accepted the increases and paid 90% in good faith, only to be left with unfinished work, open trenches, an unburied subwoofer, an unwanted hole drilled through my planter, and the additional expense and hassle of finding someone else to complete the project.
I do not recommend Nick as he seems untrustworthy and dishonest. If you do choose to work with him, I strongly recommend getting the complete scope of work, final price, payment schedule, and exactly what constitutes a completed job in writing before allowing any work to begin or making substantial payments. I would withhold a significant amount of the final price until the job is completed.
