I was in need of a contractor and reached out to this company. I was assisted by Efrain, and so far it's been great. Efrain arrived promptly, was thorough in his explanation and fair in his estimation of my project. Although I haven't settled on him as a contractor, I've been impressed with his professionalism. Personal character is vital when working with a contractor. Efrain and GEA definitely stand out!
--------- Post contract and work ----------
It's with mixed feelings I provide this review. In July I met with the owner and operator of GEA painting and remodeling, Efrain Contreras. I was provided an estimate for a bathroom remodel and eventually decided to move forward with the work. He talked a good game before and at the start of work but things became shady shortly after. This will be a longer review so for clarity I have numbered the events that took place.
1. We agreed on services and a price. He promised a written agreement and then started to make excuses about providing the document. I decided to draft a document outlining all the proposed work and had him sign it to receive the deposit.
2. He and the team were a no-show, no call the start of work. He states he had a family emergency and had no way to contact me. I'm an understanding person, so I let it go.
3. Workers showed the 2nd week. One good thing I could say is that they were prompt. However, they never stayed the allotted time. For example, Efrain would say we'll be there Saturday and Sunday. But then they would not show on Sunday, which prolonged the project.
4. They wet my basement bathroom twice. Yes, twice! I won't use the term flood but the basement bathroom was so wet I had to use my wet vacuum and fan for days to dry it. I asked Efrain, was the guy working on my house a plumber? He response was I'm a plumber, I do this for a living. ( But he wasn't there nor supervising. His license is in electric. I was very wary of my decision and the quality of work.) It turned out the guy was not a plumber and then I had to put my foot down about the subcontractors selected to work on my house.
5. His employee's do not speak English. I was under the impression he would be present during the day. Efrain stopped by in the mornings and was gone the rest of the day. Basically, he showed when I had a concern, problem or to collect his money. A lot of issues could have been avoided with communication but he was never around.
6. We agreed he would purchase the necessary items and I would reimburse him based on the receipts. He kept purchasing the wrong supplies. Then he said he purchased $270 of supplies but never provided the receipts. RED FLAG... That didn't fly!
7. Often they used my supplies and did not clean them. For example my wet vac. They used it and never emptied it out. They broke a glass mirror and threw it in my trash with no bag. He said they would remove debris after work, they never did. Buckets and trash were left around my house.
8. Lastly, he never returned to complete the final touch-ups. Shady business practices. Sub-par work and execution. He'll promise you the world, but after the money exchange, shady work is all that's left.
I will say my bathroom looks 100% better than its former 1970's look. But I feel the company is unreliable, unprofessional and unlicensed for some of the work they claim to be able to carry out. All in all, I'd rate this business 2 stars. One for the unguided workers trying to make a living and two for the improved look of my old bathroom. I pray my bathroom holds up.
Beware of this company, its owner, and his shady practices!!! read more