INITIAL DISCUSSIONS (FEB 22, 2024)
We asked Keith if…read moreremoving the flooring would speed up the project but eventually kept tile. HandyWorks would demo and install the new tile. We also discussed painting cabinets, eyeing a mid-March start.
PRICING & COMMUNICATION (FEB 26-27)
We received only a "line item overview," no per-task costs. Repeated requests for a true breakdown were never fulfilled. Sue, the project manager, offered no real help with fixture selection (e.g., she told us to "use the filters" on a website we'd already tried).
TIMELINE DISCONNECT (FEB 28)
Keith disclosed late that the countertop needed a 10-business-day lead time and that subsequent tasks would push the project to around three weeks--far beyond our hoped-for one-week timeframe.
CONTRACT & SCOPE OMISSIONS (MAR 12-21)
After I canceled a meeting, Keith declined to email the contract, insisting on another in-person appointment. We finally reviewed it on March 15 but discovered the trashcan insert was omitted. Keith apologized yet still never provided a detailed cost breakdown.
TILE PROBLEMS (SPRING 2024-MAY 2025)
Several tiles were laid out improperly, and two had extra-wide grout lines. Keith's crew returned weeks later, but he sent a finish carpenter, not a tiler, leaving flaws. They redid those tiles again in May 2025 without Keith supervising. The tiler also used floor leveler to raise part of our century-old floor several inches--without our consent--then tried to charge extra and later failed to remove it from the invoice promptly.
COUNTERTOP & BACKSPLASH ISSUES (FEB-MAY 2025)
Small items rolled off the countertop's edge. By April, the section over the dishwasher sagged, leaving a gap. Keith finally added a bracket in May, admitting it should have been done initially. For the backsplash, his crew broke the grey-white marble pattern without asking, substituting grey for white near the edge. Keith insisted the white pieces were "too small" to cut, which felt untrue, and he never consulted us.
OTHER UNPROFESSIONAL INCIDENTS
Keith brought up politics (specifically, Trump) during contract signing, which felt inappropriate. One day, his workers cut quartz with our windows open, blanketing our downstairs in dust, for which he offered $200. A worker also smoked in our backyard after we explicitly said no.
FINAL INVOICE & REFUND DISPUTE (SEPT 2024-MAR 2025)
Keith apologized for including the unapproved floor-leveler charge on our final bill. We requested about a 10% refund due to recurring problems and incomplete fixes. He verbally agreed in March 2025 but later avoided the subject. We still haven't received any compensation. BBB complaint pending.