UPDATE: After reaching out privately to find a solution, the owner's response was completely…read moreunprofessional. Despite the fact that I paid him over $11,000, did 90% of the demolition work myself to save his crew labor, and voluntarily handed him an extra $267 out of my own pocket just to cover his PayPal business fees, he had the nerve to lash out. Even though I kept my communication strictly professional and never once resorted to name-calling, he insulted me by calling me "selfish" and "entitled," and accused me of "blackmail" for simply expecting a finished job.
When confronted with federal and Louisiana state building codes requiring a standard 18"x24" utility access door, he literally told me to "keep citing building code all you want" and claimed a door is a "waste of money." His brilliant solution for me or an emergency plumber to get under the house? He told me to just go outside and manually rip the skirting panels off the house whenever I need access.
He has now refused to finish the job, refused to haul away the pile of old debris his crew abandoned in my yard, and told me to never contact him again. If you want a contractor who respects the law, respects customers, cleans up after himself, and doesn't throw a tantrum when called out on a shortcut, look elsewhere.
Original Comment:
I paid this contractor $11,434 to replace the skirting and repair the decks on my manufactured home, and the experience ended up being a nightmare of code violations, and outright insults.
As a retired client, I went completely out of my way to be an accommodating customer. I did 90% of the demolition work myself so his crew could hit the ground running. Furthermore, when PayPal charged him a merchant transaction fee, I voluntarily paid an extra $267 out of my own pocket to ensure he received his full asking price.
In return for my money and labor, he left the job completely unfinished:
Code Violations: He completely sealed the underside of my home and refused to install a standard utility access door. When I pointed out that federal HUD guidelines (24 CFR Section 3285.505) and Louisiana State Law (Title 55) legally mandate a structured 18x24-inch access panel for safety and utility maintenance, he told me to "keep citing building code all you want" and claimed a door was a "waste of money." His official solution was for me or an emergency plumber to manually rip the skirting panels off the house whenever we need to crawl underneath.
Abandoned Debris: Despite explicitly asking his crew to haul away the old materials, they left a massive pile of demolished skirting and trash abandoned on my property.
Poor Workmanship: The back corner of the skirting by my side porch was left completely out of alignment.
When I reached out via email to ask him to make this right by hauling away the trash and installing the required door without demanding an additional $350 upcharge, he completely blew up. He insulted me by calling me "selfish" and "entitled," accused me of "blackmail" and "extortion" for leaving an honest online review, and told me to lose his number.
This company is unprofessional, ungrateful, and openly admits to ignoring state and federal building safety codes. I am currently filing a formal complaint with the Louisiana Manufactured Housing Commission under the Office of State Fire Marshal. Save your money and find a contractor who actually takes pride in a complete, legal job and respects their customers.
