Dewayne and his team at Renovate Memphis promised a "turn-key service" on their website, but our experience has been far from that. We engaged them for a major project and, unfortunately, we've faced a series of issues and frustrations.
Communication: One of the biggest problems has been the lack of communication. We were assured of regular updates, but these were sporadic at best, leaving us in the dark about the progress of our project for extended periods.
Work Delays: Our project was initially projected to take around 16-20 weeks. Unfortunately, it's now over 39 weeks and counting. Not only is this a significant delay, but it's deeply frustrating as our home has been turned into a construction site for much longer than we anticipated.
Inadequate planning: Part of the work delays were a result of permeating issues. We were never included in communication between the city and Renovate Memphis. After week's of delay - we called the city ourselves and were able to resolve all the issues and get approval in 30 minuets. Other planning issues include: leaving things off the budget like a toilet, severally underestimating the amount of drywall needed, being surprised we had a gas dryer when all client supplied materials and appliances were shared months prior with links to manuals and installation instructions.
Contract Discrepancies: There have been several discrepancies between what was agreed upon in our contract and the work that has been done. Notably, there were issues with materials like siding and crown molding that didn't match the original plans. Other contract discrepancies include having to pay extra to repair and replace wood rot when the contracted stated that all wood rot would be repaired, replaced and readied to be painted.
Quality Control: Multiple quality control issues arose throughout the project. From tile grout to flooring placement, insulation, and even small details like window's being sealed, we had to constantly identify and request corrections. We have a run of molding outside that does not match any of the other molding. The floors were installed incorrectly per manufacturer's instructions - we had to point this out and now have yet another delays as we wait for them to install them correctly. This has been a source of ongoing frustration.
Payment and Change Orders: There have been numerous instances where change orders were initiated without prior approval, and without clear disclosure of additional costs. We incurred unexpected expenses that were not part of the original scope of work, leading to budget discrepancies. Examples include: gutters removed and replaced and a portion of the roof replaced. There were additional cost that were promised to be covered, but then reneged. Other cost were never mentioned until a bill was sent - for example, when walking though with the project manager, he asked where we wanted outlets placed - it was only after the fact did we get a bill for all the outlets. He told us to add as many as we wanted that since everything was open and being rewired to add as many as we could possibly need.
Encouragement to Others: We urge others who have experienced or are experiencing similar issues with their renovation projects to review and report their experiences as well. It's important to hold contractors accountable for the promises they make and to share your experiences to help fellow homeowners make informed decisions.
Update: We've tried to work through these issues with Dewayne and Renovate Memphis, but there are still unresolved matters. We'll update our review upon satisfactory completion of the outstanding work and resolution of financial discrepancies.
-Ethan and Wyly Pairs read more
