I was searching for the contractor for a bathroom addition and picked Prime Building Construction based on: a) their low initial estimate (to their credit, the estimate was mostly accurate), b) some other contractors were not sure how to make a roof junction with the main house the way I envisioned, whereas these guys said that there was no problem (and really, their architect did a great job), c) they did not charge extra for the blueprints. I suppose, the reason for their low prices is that this company mostly uses job force that is just a small step above the home improvement center parking lot skills level. However, I must say that their tile guy did a great job (I guess, he was just subcontracted buy the company for this project). Other that the tile job, the rest of the construction was of subpar quality. Here is the itemized list of issues:
1) I noticed that they were trying to install drywall under the tile walls all over the bathroom. I insisted on installing Hardie board and they agreed reluctantly, ending up installing it only around the bathtub and installing the drywall everywhere else.
2) 2-3 weeks after the construction was finished, the tile floor became bouncy. After multiple calls to the company they sent a person who confirmed the problem. Then, the crew came, crawled in the crawl space and (I guess) put shims under the subfloor. The main floor tile was fine after that, but the joint all around the tub developed a crack that I had to take care of myself.
3) They used green studs and when they were drying up and settling in places, every night they were making loud cracking sounds for over a year. Using green studs over kiln dried saved them, maybe, $100 but would solve these issues.
4) During the first year post-construction, a number of hairline cracks developed in the stucco (around the windows, at the joint with the old stucco and at random places.
5) Cracks developed along every corner of the tiled bathroom walls (including the corners between walls and ceiling). Had to use caulk to cover them.
6) Cracks developed around the window inside the bathroom.
7) Substantial cracks developed around the doors in the interior walls facing the adjacent bedrooms. Was it the foundation settling issues? Anyway, don't think it's normal.
8) Installed a piece of black pipe as a tub spout nipple. I complained multiple times that rusted water was coming out every time I opened the faucet, but the company said it was normal and should flush away soon. The tub was badly stained and I had to clean the rust stains weekly. Finally, several months later, the company sent a person who acknowledged their mistake and replaced the black pipe with the galvanized one. He was nice enough to offer help with cleaning the stain.
9) The electrician the company contracted was a real clown. First, he installed the electrical outlet box behind the sink about 6 inches above the vanity top. That's where most people have mirrors. I complained and he replaced it to the side of the sink, but still too high so it interfered with the installation of a wall cabinet. Then, he installed a box for the bathroom light at about 5 feet height. Yes, the electrician was around 5 feet tall and it would work for him. But I am over 6 ft tall... Complained and the box was moved up. But overall the electrical work took over 2 weeks. On a different note, I was doing some electrical work in the garage at the same time and occasionally had tools laying around. After the last electrician visit, my needle nose pliers were gone. Probably, just a coincidence...
10) Whoever did the plumbing, installed a brand new faucet cartridge in a wrong way. As a result, the cartridge was damaged and developed a leak. Fortunately, Moen was nice enough to send me a new one free of charge. But I had to spend my time and re-install it.
11) Right after installation, the water leaked around the rim of the bathtub to the outside and made the corner between the tub and the wall wet. I tried to find a source for the leak, but ended up re-caulking the entire tub and shower doors.
12) Just over 2 years after construction the bath tub became unstable and started to rock back-to-front about 1/8th of an inch. The caulking around the tub cracked. I called Premiere, but they said that the job is warranted for 1 year and it will cost me $500 if I want them to re-grout the tub. I will do it myself, but the tubs in general are not supposed to become rocky if installed correctly.
Overall, you can use this company at your own risk. But remember that they provide a 1 year warranty on their job. Kind of below the industry standard, in my opinion. And considering a large number of issues that already manifested themselves, who knows what else has been done half-arsed and what problems might develop later. For the record, I did a complete renovation of my other bathroom 6 years ago (tore everything to the studs) and since then had no issues whatsoever. read more