Do not trust this contractor under any circumstances. I initially reached out to him for a quote on a large patio cover. He provided what seemed like a fair price, which I appreciated as a disabled veteran. About a week and a half before the project was scheduled to begin, he came by to collect a deposit that was supposed to cover materials, permitting, and inspection fees. Shortly after, he claimed he needed an additional $800 because he didn't have enough to purchase the necessary materials. I provided the additional funds at that time.
Four days before the scheduled start date, I contacted him to confirm we were still on track. He came by to "go over a few things" and then asked for another $800 for permitting and inspection fees--costs he had already claimed were covered in the original deposit. At that point, I informed him we could not provide any more money and canceled the project that evening.
He offered to pay the remaining costs out of pocket, but the following morning, I confirmed my cancellation and requested a full refund of the deposit. I had to follow up with him daily for three days before he finally dropped off a check--only to find it was a partial refund. When I asked why, he claimed there was a cancellation fee.
After reviewing the paperwork I received, there was no mention of a cancellation fee. However, when I checked the documents online, I noticed new wording had been added, stating:
"If cancelled less than 72 hours (3 days) prior to the scheduled start date: A cancellation fee of up to 25% of the total contract amount can be applied."
First, I canceled well before the 72-hour window. Second, how can there even be a legitimate "start date" if no permits or inspections had been secured?
This so-called contractor is dishonest and deceptive. I never received my full deposit back, and based on my experience, I strongly warn others to stay far away from doing business with him. read more