I hired this contractor for roof, siding, and interior work on my 820 sq ft home in New Orleans. What was originally presented as a roughly two-month, $75,000 project turned into five long, stressful months, with the final cost going over $110,000.
To be fair, had this project only involved the roof and siding, this would likely be a five-star review. That portion of the work was the least of my concerns. The bigger issues came with the interior work, project management, communication, permitting, and how problems were handled once I had already invested a significant amount of money.
During the project, the contractor left for two separate vacations and had his younger brother continue work in his absence. At that point, I felt financially trapped. I had already paid so much into the remodel that I felt like I had no real choice but to keep going, even though I had serious concerns about how the project was being managed.
One of the biggest issues was that required permits were not properly handled at the beginning of the job, which resulted in city violations and fines that I ultimately had to deal with and pay. As the project went on, the price kept increasing due to "unforeseen circumstances," but from my perspective, many of these issues came from poor planning, lack of communication, and work being done before the proper inspection process was followed.
The interior framing, window relocation, closure, floor installation, window installation, drywall, and painting also created additional problems with the city because the work was completed without the proper permit process in place. Instead of taking responsibility, the blame was shifted back onto me, even though I am not a licensed contractor and hired a professional specifically to avoid these kinds of problems.
The interior finishing was also disappointing. Some of the drywall, painting, and flooring work was patchy and rough, and appeared to be completed by family members rather than skilled finishers. After spending this much money, I expected a much more professional finish and a much smoother process.
When I raised concerns, I felt like I was treated as difficult for holding him and his family accountable. Near the end of the project, he came to my house, told me he was not finishing because of comments I had made about his brother's work, and offered me a $100 check to hire someone else to complete the job.
When I objected and explained that this was his contract to finish, communication became worse, and at one point I was blocked. That was incredibly frustrating after investing over $100,000 and trusting this contractor with my home. By the end of the remodel, I was financially drained, the house was still unfinished, and I was left dealing with unresolved issues with the City of New Orleans, which became a major headache.
In the end, the house was about 95% completed, but the process was stressful, expensive, poorly managed, and left me dealing with permit and inspection issues that should have been handled professionally from the beginning.
Based on my experience, I would not hire this contractor again. I would strongly encourage others to get everything in writing, verify that permits are pulled before work begins, confirm who will actually be completing the work, and proceed with extreme caution. read more
