Several years ago, my 81-year-old mother hired Perry's Home Services to demolish and rebuild her…read moreexisting freestanding deck. The project was simple: same size (16' x 20'), pressure-treated lumber, enclosed on three sides with railings, one staircase, and less than 40 inches off the ground. By Perry Schulman's own words, this job was "well below" his skill level.
Before work began, I drove nearly six hours to meet with Perry to ensure we were aligned on expectations. He presented himself as a skilled and experienced contractor who had built many decks. We thoroughly reviewed the scope of work: demo, dumpsters, footings, framing, decking, railings, staircase, schedule, and payment terms. He promised an 8-10 day completion and agreed that once started, he would stay on the job until finished. He also agreed to properly protect my mother's new asphalt driveway from dumpster damage.
What followed was a six-week nightmare.
A fully loaded dumpster sank into the new driveway and blocked garage access for the entire duration of the project. Perry took no responsibility, blaming the dumpster company he hired. During demolition, he was instructed to preserve all electric and coil it for later. Instead, he cut the wiring flush to the foundation, requiring a new line to be run through a finished basement.
The construction deficiencies were extensive and alarming:
* Deck is 4 inches out of square
* Footings approximately 12 inches misaligned (code issue)
* Posts out of plumb by roughly 2 inches over 24 inches (code issue)
* Joists not crowned and spaced inconsistently (16"-21" O.C.), some not even parallel
* No structural connectors (joist hangers, post caps, hurricane ties) (code issue)
* Girders and joists rolling due to lack of hardware and blocking
* No diagonal bracing (code issue)
* Rim joist short by several inches
* Deck boards installed inconsistently despite specific direction
* Staircase... I requested 48" wide, but only 36" clear width was built.
* Stringers improperly attached, severely over-cut, compromising integrity (code issue)
* Stair risers not enclosed (code issue)
* Stair risers vary more than 1/2" per step (code issue)
* Uneven deck board overhang (¼" on one side, 2 1/2" on the other)
* Most Balusters are not plumb
* Very Rough finish cuts
* Inconsistent and unsafe fastener installation (some protruding high enough to create tripping hazards)
Nearly every detail discussed and agreed upon, was ignored. All expectations were documented in the contract and as well in email correspondence, where Perry repeatedly assured us of his competence.
When I finally returned to inspect the deck due to his delays, I was shocked by what I found. I contacted Perry and requested he come see the work. He seemed confused by the concerns but asked for an opportunity to fix the issues. I reluctantly agreed, only to learn my mother had already paid him in full -- despite my prior agreement with him that final payment would not be made until I inspected the project. My leverage was gone.
He made a brief, inadequate attempt at corrections and then disappeared without explanation. He never returned.
Registered letters seeking resolution were returned. Perry only 6 weeks earlier touted his personal accountability, and commitment, to now playing hide & seek after he was paid. At this point, correcting the serious code violations became the priority. Shortly after, my mother experienced health issues, which delayed any legal pursuit.
While legal options may no longer be available, I feel compelled to share this experience to prevent others -- especially elderly homeowners -- from enduring similar hardship.
I have documentation, correspondence, and extensive photos to support every claim made here. I look forward to a challenge about them.
The poor workmanship speaks for itself. But more troubling than the construction failures was the way Perry handled this situation. He took advantage of an elderly client. Homeowners deserve honesty, accountability, and professionalism. Unfortunately, we received none of those. BEWARE
Go to google reviews to see some pictures.