Review: Hunter Kitchen and Bath
I'm sad to review this contractor with a one star review.
I met with Chad Hunter (owner of Hunter kitchen and bath, Bryn Mawr PA) to renovate my small 6-by-9-foot bathroom.
No plumbing had to be relocated, no shower door (I was ok with a shower curtain), same existing window... but yes new tiles, certainly upgraded electrics and lighting, and a heated floor.
We met a couple of times and he mentioned a $60k figure. It was considerably more than I had budgeted ($40,000) - but I'd consider it if it was the total all-in price. I don't really have a handle on construction costs but it's a tiny space, and I do have a handle on sixty thousand dollars: it's a lot of money.
I paid him a $1,500 up-front deposit for renderings and to quote. I met with him and his designer a couple of times.
After a few months he set a meeting in his office to present the renderings and the quote. He showed me a computer rendering then placed a contract in front of me to sign. It was for $90,000, plus an additional 10% to 15% allowance for cost overruns. I guess he saw me gasp when he showed me that figure.
He said I had selected additional items over standard. Really? Thirty thousand dollars over his list price in cost overruns... for such a small space: a 6 foot by 9 foot bathroom. A hundred thousand dollar bathroom?
OK, yes, I wanted a handheld shower head in addition to an overhead shower head. And yes, I wanted a walk-in shower with a linear drain. But a $30,000 plus-plus increase in cost? I lost all faith in him and refused to sign his proposal. I said I'd take the renderings as I paid for them and would leave. He told me they were his propriety property, I could only get a credit for the deposit if he got the contract. Or, I could look at them if I came back to his storefront. Right.
So if I didn't pay for or receive the computer renderings - I asked for my deposit back. He said non-refundable. So I guess I paid one thousand five hundred dollars for the privilege of having him quote. I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed but that doesn't sound like something I'd agreed to. I'm almost 80 years old and maybe he just takes advantage of older people.
3 days later he tried to apply damage control and mailed over a quote for $60,000 which I never looked-at having lost all confidence and trust in him. He mentioned he could do the renovation for $60 thousand dollars but it wouldn't be what I wanted. I already have something I don't want; and I really don't want to spend $60 thousand dollars and have something else I don't want.
And now, I don't want the drawings - I just want my deposit back. I'm really glad I didn't use Hunter Kitchen and Bath as I'm afraid something awful would occur once the construction started and the price would escalate - that could have been so much worse, and could have potentially been much much more costly - with no way out. One star. Based on my own experience I can't recommend this firm. read more