This is going to be long, but it needs to be, because the experience unfolded slowly and then all…read moreat once.
I hired Ted because he seemed professional at first: reasonable quote (not the cheapest), clear scope of work, and a stated one-year warranty. I waited about a week for him to come out.
The first red flag was timing. He said he'd arrive between 9:30 and 10:30. At 9:50 he texted that he was "wrapping up his morning job" and needed to get fuel, with no ETA. He arrived at 11.
When he came in, he put foot covers on his shoes -- and then immediately stepped outside and back into my house, tracking dirt onto my carpet. He didn't have enough material to protect the floors where he'd be working, so I laid down plastic myself. He didn't seem particularly concerned about keeping the space clean.
As the work began, things went downhill quickly. Ted started cutting into my walls and ceiling far more than expected. What should have been a relatively contained wiring job turned into multiple drywall openings -- including a long, thin strip cut from the power box toward the bathroom. As I write this, I have a drywall professional repairing all of these cuts.
Once I realized how much drywall he was removing, I asked him to stop cutting and to check with me before making any more openings. I also asked how much he would charge to repair the drywall. He responded defensively, saying, "I didn't agree to that -- check your texts," as if I were asking him to fix it for free. He even threatened to leave. I clarified several times that I was simply asking for a quote. He never gave one, and instead just continued working.
The long strip he cut was supposedly needed to run a new power wire. Ted initially insisted the wire would need to run under the ceiling joists -- essentially beneath the drywall -- and that I'd "just mud and tape it." I've done enough drywall work myself to know that this is incorrect. I used a flashlight to show him existing wiring running properly over the joists. He eventually conceded that it might be possible.
Later, he called me to say he'd need to extend the strip further because he didn't have a straight pole to fish the wire. I paused, thought about it, and realized I owned steel fish tape -- the correct tool for exactly this purpose. When I showed it to him, he glanced at it and said, dismissively, "That's for conduit," and turned away. I explained that fish tape is used for precisely this situation. He repeated, "It's for conduit," several times. When I tried to demonstrate its flexibility, he raised his voice and said, "Look, I don't want to get lectured, okay?"
At that point, I had to tell him not to raise his voice at me in my own home. Eventually I suggested he just try the tool, and if he needed help I'd assist. He asked if we could "do it together," which struck me as odd. I declined. Later, I found the wire successfully run over the joists -- using the fish tape.
After calling me again about needing yet another cut, I asked him to leave.
By that point, the house was extremely dirty. Drywall dust was everywhere, and the carpet was full of debris. Ted insisted on vacuuming before leaving, despite the job being unfinished and the walls and ceiling being full of holes. I told him it was fine and that he could go. He kept insisting. At one point I looked down and noticed he was standing on my carpet without foot covers, after removing the plastic I'd put down. I finally had to tell him to leave very directly.
The next day, a licensed electrician came to finish and clean up the work. He installed the remaining fan with zero additional cuts except for the one required to vent it outside -- not the cuts Ted said were necessary. We actually laughed together at how bad the previous work was. He also confirmed that the new circuit Ted had run was unnecessary. After checking the fan's power requirements, he simply removed the cable Ted installed and powered the fan from the existing circuit. I'm now having him come back later this week to fix a mistake Ted made on the fan he did install.
One final detail: Ted left for about two and a half hours mid-job, and when he returned, he immediately smoked a cigarette in front of my house.
I'm honestly baffled by how this person has positive reviews. I regret hiring him, waiting for him, and not ending the job sooner. Ted started out sounding professional, but that professionalism did not extend to his workmanship, communication, or conduct in my home.
Edit: I see this guy replied to my review! I'm disappointed to see this response mischaracterizes both my expectations and my conduct. At no point did I ask for free drywall repair, nor did I yell at or curse at anyone.
The core facts remain unchanged: unnecessary drywall cuts were made, the work was left unfinished, and a licensed electrician later confirmed much of the work was unnecessary and corrected it.
I've shared my experience so others can make an informed decision.
