Lacked depth of construction knowledge, accounting skills and IT awareness. Quality control monitoring was poor as exhibited by the excessive damage done by workmen to the woodwork, window/door frames and thresholds, marble hearth, and hardwood flooring, much of which could not be completely repaired or concealed. Estimates proved inaccurate and there was little efficiency in the purchasing process. Too many "executive decisions" were made without homeowner approval. Few notes were ever seen taken and there was no system in place to prevent purchasing errors. When asked to submit written purchase orders and change orders for approval the contractor repeatedly failed to comply. Another complication we experienced was his difficulty interpreting the legal contracts and correspondence sent by our attorneys. To our knowledge, Selinger Homes is a one man company.
No indoor/outdoor construction surveillance cameras were used to monitor the property for activity (or lack of) or for security purposes. Builder was not in favor of cameras even though they are inexpensive, easy to install and would have allowed us to remotely view progress, deliveries, tidiness of property and whether there was ongoing activity from our primary located 100+ miles away.
The finished value of our project including the land, was just under $2,000,000. There was NO cost tracking furnished to us whatsoever. NO integrated construction project management software was used, NO alternative manual accounting system for tracking costs was in place, NO centralized data base was available and NO digitalized documentation was being utilized. NO monthly or quarterly updates were furnished nor was a Final Construction Budget Reconciliation ever done at the end of the project. Selinger's official response to our requests was "I didn't sign up for any accounting." Not only an unprofessional response but one which indicated he lacked business acumen given that general contractors legally have "fiduciary responsibility" to their customers. He further indicated that whatever we needed to know we could do ourselves. All he offered us was access to his online checking account (?) and invoices which was of no use whatsoever because as raw data it was incomplete and uncoded. Can you imagine trying to decipher cryptic 15 page supplier statements and code them back to the subcontractor estimates and Construction Budget? That job requires the input of the Project Manager and Purchasing Agent to sensibly pull relevant invoices apart for proper allocation. For instance, not only framers frame out the skeleton of the building, they also install siding, roofs, build decks, windows and doors which are all different category allocations.
This review is intended to give a general idea of what the construction project management experience was like for us, a couple in their 70s, trying to erect a 6,500 sqf. upscale home long distance. Hopefully, it also conveys an idea of what this contractor deemed as acceptable business practice and what it was like to deal with his attitude toward customer service.
If we could do things over we would start by using a different contractor. All approved payments would be disbursed directly to the payees by the construction loan officer and none by the builder (too risky.) We would use our construction attorney to draw up the building contract, hold our deposit in escrow, have him/her review all construction loan draw documents and to negotiate disputes.
(This review represents our personal opinion and was based on an individual experience which may not reflect the quality of service provided to other customers. Users should always conduct their own research before hiring a contractor.) read more
