Cautionary Warning: Proceed with Extreme Caution Before Signing a Contract with BuildRight!
We found BuildRight through the Houzz website as we were seeking a contractor for a major home renovation project. With limited experience and knowledge about the process, we were drawn to Adeline Johnson, one of the contractors who responded to our inquiry. After meeting with several contractors, we decided to move forward with Adeline for a variety of reasons. She presented herself as highly personable, had an effective marketing strategy, and assured us that her company's motto was "Treat our customers' homes like it's the home our families are living in." Who wouldn't be impressed by that?
Although her pricing was on the lower end compared to other quotes we received, which concerned me a bit, Adeline convinced us that her attention to detail provides an advantage over the others--something that was very important to us. Additionally, I was eager to support a woman-owned business. Looking back, this was a significant mistake.
BuildRight began work on our home in February 2023, but by January 2024, we received an email from Adeline terminating our contract. In the email, she cited delays caused by the city and issues with the plans and measurements as the reason for ending the agreement. The termination email was a devastating blow, especially after we had already been out of our home for nearly a year. At that point, we had paid BuildRight nearly 85% of the total project cost, yet our home was far from completed.
BuildRight made an attempt to quickly finish up the project by closing up the walls and preparing to paint, but when we brought in new contractors, they immediately raised concerns. The house appeared to be only about 50% complete, and we discovered serious issues, including nails through electrical wiring and even a gas pipe! Nail plates, which are required to protect wires and pipes, were missing in many areas. Our new contractor had to spend significant time and resources fixing these problems.
When we reached out to Adeline and her assistant, Meri, to address these issues, they offered to make repairs, but we had no trust left in BuildRight at that point. Why would we want them to correct mistakes they should never have made in the first place? What's even more concerning is that BuildRight's work had passed inspection, despite these major flaws. Thankfully, my husband had taken photos before the walls were closed, allowing our new contractor to identify and fix the issues without needing to tear down the walls again. It was a nightmare.
While we are thrilled with the final outcome of our home, thanks to our new contractors, Oak and Willow, the experience was incredibly stressful, time-consuming, and costly. We still face ongoing issues due to the foundation not being properly leveled, but Oak and Willow did their best to conceal these flaws where possible.
This was one of the worst experiences we've had with a contractor. Despite BuildRight's seemingly high ratings, we strongly urge anyone considering their services to approach with extreme caution. The reality of our experience was far from the polished image they presented. read more