If I could leave zero stars, I would. Three years after hiring General Lumber, we're still dealing with the consequences of their poor workmanship and lack of accountability.
We selected General Lumber after comparing several companies, trusting Robert--our main point of contact--who repeatedly assured us, "We're local and not going anywhere." That promise quickly unraveled. We hired them to order Marvin windows and manage installation for 17 windows across two units in our building. They were not the cheapest, but we chose them based on their claim of experience and quality.
During installation, Robert and his contractor decided to alter the placement of the windows without understanding the original design intent or performing any verification. They admitted they "didn't understand" why our previous windows were placed where they were--but moved forward anyway. We trusted them as the supposed experts. That was a costly mistake.
Shortly after installation, water began leaking into both units and the shared lobby during rainstorms. These areas had never experienced water intrusion in the five years prior to the install. We raised the issue immediately in September 2021. Robert visited once, performed a cursory visual inspection, and began a months-long pattern of excuse-making and blame-shifting. He variously blamed a "once-in-a-lifetime storm," the cornice, and our roof--none of which stood up to basic scrutiny or third-party inspections.
Instead of acknowledging the problem or investigating further, Robert and General Lumber resorted to misinformation and deflection. At one point, they claimed water wasn't entering "through or around" their installation--ignoring the fact that they had changed the physical placement of the windows, which compromised drainage and blocked weep holes. Our own hose testing demonstrated conclusively that water was entering above the windows--exactly where they sealed over a critical drainage gap.
General Lumber refused to take accountability, perform any real diagnostics, or even revisit the job site for follow-up testing. When we withheld the final payment due to unresolved issues, they threatened us with legal action and filed a lien against our property.
We went to arbitration. My husband, with no legal training, meticulously presented our evidence. Robert and his legal team were unprepared. Their entire defense relied on vague references to extreme weather and unverified claims--while we provided photographic evidence, water test results, contractor correspondence, and expert confirmations. The arbitrator ruled in our favor.
The outcome? We still have 12 faulty windows that will need to be completely redone at a cost of $12,000 or more--on top of the $28,000 we already paid General Lumber. Robert and his team never stood by their work, never offered a solution, and used legal threats to try and silence us.
This has been a nightmare of wasted time, money, and stress. If you're considering General Lumber--especially if you're trusting Robert to stand by his word--proceed with caution. They talk a good game about being "local" and reputable. But when things go wrong, they disappear, deflect, and leave you to pick up the pieces. read more
