still paying for the mistake of hiring this company years due to the awful work. Unprofessional, poor work, horrible billing process

The team at JER just completed a very budget conscious master bath and shower remodel and CAME IN UNDER BUDGET! Greg, Colin and Troy were professional, respectful and did a beautiful job of updating and enlarging a very small shower that was becoming a safety concern as we get older. Troy is a true craftsman. His attention to detail and his experience resulted in a stunning new bathroom. They were all very considerate of my limited budget and allowed me the opportunity to provide certain materials and sweat equity that saved $$. I will certainly use them again if a need arises and I highly recommend the JER team to anyone looking for a quality contractor. read more

I hired John Erwin Remodeling for a master bathroom remodel that ended up costing significantly more than their original allowed amount. Eventually I was sent a final reconciliation statement for approximately $8500.00 for the amounts that went over the original allowed amounts that they set. When I tried to dispute, a lien was threatened if I did not pay. I asked for written documentation to support how they set the allowed amounts but it was explained that in a lot of cases "best guesses" were used. Tile ($1,156.57 over) and shower/faucet fixtures ($887.59 over) were significantly over the allowed amounts they set even though I did not change my selections after the initial allowances were set. Also, it would be an extra $292 change order to have drawer pulls and knobs installed on the vanity because it was not "written" into the contract. Most shocking was sheet rocking/drywall-allowance was $1750 but ended up being $4357.18! It started and finished on the dates I was given per their schedule and at no time was I notified of any unforeseen issues that caused it to take longer than expected while it was completed. Permit allowance was set at $750 but it ended up being $1,372.20. In many cases, I was never notified that costs exceeded initial allowed amounts until the final reconciliation statement. I met with John to discuss my concerns about the tile work since bumps could be felt in the floor and tiles on the new pony wall (which was built by John Erwin Remodeling) were not flush. He explained that it's an illusion, he was not willing to inspect with his hands, and noted that due to the age of my house (over 50 years old) that that could pose some problems. For the record, the area of the house where I expressed my concern (approx 34 years old) was a new single story bed/bathroom addition in the early 1990's (I have a copy of the permit to prove it). He was quick to explain that the work meets industry standards and left it at that. If considering using John Erwin Remodeling, request a copy of the contract ahead of time and have your own legal expert review and request language be changed (especially relating to "Allowances" and letting them rely on language that allowances could go up or down) or added that releases you from any liability for costs that go over their allowed amounts and "best guesses". (I'm pretty sure the additional legal cost for contract assistance is pretty minimal in the scope of a home improvement project). This could help prevent "surprise" billing issues and give a more accurate cost from the start. I would also request written documentation used to set all initial allowance amounts from all vendors/suppliers (as well as how long the prices are good for) prior to agreeing to any project. If documentation can't be provided, contact the vendors/suppliers directly to confirm allowed amounts. While John Erwin Remodeling was professional early on as anyone would be to get business (did not ask for a large amount of money up front, charts to show the timeline, etc.), in the end my experience was much more in line with the other lower rated reviews-the final cost was much greater than the initial allowance amount they set and when questioning the work, blame was placed on the age of the house (the area in question is about 34 years old and not over 50 years old as John noted). Using John Erwin Remodeling was the worst business transaction I have ever been involved with and I would not use them for future projects. read more

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We did a major entire 2nd story remodel with John Erwin 2018-2019. Not only were there the typical delays and problems with multiple subcontractors, but we are now having to replace the entire roof and attic ventilation, as the ventilation was not installed up to code- 2nd story bathroom vent goes directly to attic rather than the outside, and eave vents are completely blocked. When asked for any assistance, their office flat out refused, citing their 2yr warranty on installation. Buyer beware! read more

Regret hiring this outfit in June 2021 for a full interior remodel. Even though they had us meet with all of their vendors to pick out finishes as homework to get accurate estimates for pricing the contract, we ended up ending the project before completion due to their billing practices. The contract stated that we would pay regular progress billings against the estimated percentage of completion of the project and materials, which we did every 2 weeks. We were given a "reconciliation" invoice in August for $9573, which was explained as costs above what they had estimated. We paid, but asked to be made aware of significant overages BEFORE they were going to occur in the future. They assured us that this one was large because of the unexpected things discovered during demolition. The second overage reconciliation came in a month later for $2157. The third billed overage was 2 months later for $6,187. Again we shared that this was a surprise and too much. Things went fine for the next 3 months, albeit with me onsite correcting issues along the way, but ultimately, their work was satisfactory. In late January 2022, JER surprised us with another reconciliation bill for $59,060!! We stopped work on the project, had them finish a couple of things that were in the middle of completion, and tried to figure out what we would need to do to finish the project. In the meantime, John Erwin and Greg Amendala, the two principals of the business, were demanding to be paid an additional $129K, which we were bullied into paying!! In total, we ended up considerably over budget with an incomplete remodel. There is no comprehensible way to understand their billing. I have since read multiple reviews from other JER customers that have complained of shady billing practices, and massive cost overruns. I would avoid doing business with this company. They have managed to stay in business a long time, and done this to countless people. They have perfected their tactics of overcharging. BEWARE! I filed a complaint with the WA Attorney General, and urge other aggrieved parties with contract/billing complaints to do the same. read more

John Erwin is a very professional company. Their estimate was fair and in the range of others. Their staff did a pre-inspection before starting and post inspection afterwards to ensure we were satisfied They took care in our surrounding structure and areas. Ryan, the worker, kept us informed as the project went progressed and did a Outstanding Job. John Erwin has Our Most Highly Recommendation. read more

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My old neighbor had these guys out to remodel their home. They were always courteous and never had an issue that typically goes with contractors. They were always mindful of where they parked their trucks and we were never really inconvenienced, even though the remodel was extensive. read more

Excellent work, great contractor to work with. They did 2 jobs for us. A major garage into bedroom remodel 2 years ago and more recently a small mailbox install. Both jobs were smooth, reasonably priced and finished on-time. No hassle, professional service. I definitely would recommend them. I took bids on the garage job and they were the best. And they take small jobs too. You can pick out your own flooring, mailbox, fixtures etc and they work with you. The easiest contractors I've ever hired. read more

Absolutely the worst Contracting experience I have ever endured. He must get some pleasure out of screwing over little old ladies. I hope you can fix your power boat with all the money you overcharged. Note to subcontractors, you might not get paid working with this company. If they don't want to pay a sub they'll tell them to take it from the client read more

Don't choose John Erwin for any remodeling. I had a similar experience as the person that wrote the last review. When concrete deck steps were to be installed to replace old wooden ones, they were going to make the top step smaller to make it fit and that would have made the top step only 3 inches. No foot would fit on a 3 inch step. Complaining this was not right, I was told I would then have to pay for the extra hours it would take to fix it. Really? This was only part of a series of goof ups and extra costs. I disputed the final bill and was yelled at by John Erwin in his office in front of his staff. I regret ever choosing them. It's astonishing that they are still in business. read more

So we just finished up a remodel job with John Erwin Remodeling and my wife and I were very impressed. I wanted to stand up for the contractor that transformed our home into exactly what we designed together. Our experience left us extremely happy with the work we had done. Thank you John and crew for the outstanding craftsmanship and honest approach. read more

Obnoxious customer service. My friend is a friend of John- the owner. Spoke highly of him and his work. So I called this company for a major job that would have been about $65,000 dollars and got a woman on the phone who was utterly obnoxious. She said "Sir" like it was a cuss word, and said, direct quote: "Well you want this done before Christmas unfortunately and we are too busy unfortunately and we already scheduled our important jobs unfortunately so we can't help you SIR" Taken aback, I hung up. Then, I called back since my friend had spoken well of John, and I told the young lady that I was referred by John's friend, it would be a $65000 job, etc... and she basically said she didn't care. I told her that she should be more polite, keep me on the phone, try to get business for the company and not just shut me down, and she said "you can tell that to John" or something to that effect. I am a middle class man spending a nice chunk of money and its not good enough for these people. I guess the economy is good for Mr. Irwin and he doesnt need to worry about the peasants like me. In fact, he doesnt need to worry at all about customers since he puts on this rude and disgruntled person to answer his business calls. I wont trust a major amount of money to a company that is so cavalier about its business. read more

Owner experience based on a $75k + remodel: Do not use this Contractor! They're operating on a reputation derived from times gone past.. They will promise you quality work at competitive prices to get the job, but look out! Their allowances are simply guidelines which inevitably turn out to be way less than the actual cost. John Erwin himself claims to be a Journeyman Plumber, however they managed to totally underestimate the cost for re-plumbing our house. Their contracting methods are downright misleading, and their Management simply "doesn't care" about anything but the bottom line. Much of their work is performed by subcontractors which you can obtain independent w/o the JE 30% m/u. In fact anything they touch gets marked up 30%. Their workmanship is OK, but you will inevitably pay through the nose, and "everything" needs to be documented. Do yourself a favor and go elsewhere. Happiness is John Erwin in my rear view mirror! read more