TLDR; Disappointed with the lack of professional standards, unfinished project, and poor quality…read moreexecution.
Photos show the final condition of the walls as Ezekiel left them. He also did not replace any of the outlet covers or switches and kept areas taped.
We started working with Ezekiel in early July for a Level 5 drywall finish and painting project. By the end of October, the project remains incomplete and fell significantly short of industry standards. We paid a fair, standard market rate for professional results, but unfortunately, the craftsmanship and management of the job were highly problematic.
Key areas of concern included:
* Subpar Craftsmanship: The final result was far from a Level 5 finish. The walls were left uneven, rough, dinged, and chipping in many spots, with many pinholes from improper application and drying of joint compound. There was repeated cutting of corners. For example the top side of the trim work was left covered in joint compound and unpainted, and multiple sections of the trim that were included in the paid scope of work were left entirely untouched or were painted in a blotchy manner. We pointed this out multiple times to Ezekiel but he failed to fix it. At one point a subcontractor he hired told us he was instructed by Ezekiel to not rectify these issues. The project was severely delayed because we were constantly noticing and pointing out poor work that had to be redone (in the realm of over 15-20 times). Even when he redid the work it was poor and only led to more problems or redos.
* Poor Paint Application and Multiple Redos that still didn't meet standards: There was an overall lack of proper application and coverage, resulting in noticeable white patches, uneven paint drips, and scarce application throughout for a splotchy, uneven, haphazard finish. It seems as though there was an attempt to stretch paint supplies that overrode standards, and that two coats were not applied even though that was the scope of work. We know this because he repeatedly complained about the cost of primer and paint, even though we had already given him money for supplies and offered to buy it again for him due to all the redoing of work. He also only spent 2.5 hours painting a 2-story hallway and entryway, including all walls and some ceilings, and tried to tell us he applied 2 coats, which is impossible in that time and which I observed was not true as I was working from home and overseeing the work (note: photos are from this area). Additionally, proper drying times were not respected between applications, which left significant flashing across large areas of the walls on multiple occasions, resulting in multiple redos, which were done improperly and continued to lead to ongoing challenges with quality of work due to attempts to cut corners.
* Unreliable Communication & Scheduling: Communication was consistently difficult. He frequently missed scheduled workdays or arrived late without notice, even after schedules were explicitly confirmed. He also sent another subcontractor to work on-site without our prior knowledge or notification; this was very shocking to us to have an unknown man show up at our door with no communication or knowledge of who he was.
* Lack of Professionalism and Poor Work Ethic: Throughout the project, he frequently complained about personal financial hardships and logistics and had many excuses to not work. For example, he sent frequent rambling messages about financial and personal hardships, said he couldn't come to work unless we could personally pick him up in San Jose and drive him to the job site (we did not and told him this was inappropriate), badmouthing the subcontractor he hired in long diatribes over text, etc. While we maintained a high level of patience and empathy for his many cited hardships for nearly four months, his behavior and poor work ethic impacted the progress, professionalism, and completion of the project.
We made every effort to accommodate delays and rectify issues over a nearly four-month period. However, after paying for completed work plus an upfront advancement for supplies for additional rooms and work--which he never started -- he walked away from the remaining work and left what he had started in poor condition.
We are now have to hire a different professional to rectify and finish the job. We unfortunately cannot recommend their services.
Update: After posting this review, Ezekiel started harassing and attacking us over text, to the point I had to tell him we were blocking his number.