This is not the review I expected to write when we first started working with Shorebreak Construction and Chris Galikesis last year in October 2019. My husband and I interviewed several general contractors and selected Chris based upon his professionalism and attention to detail that the other contractors lacked. We were excited to start our 6 month renovation project which would update all electrical, plumbing (upgrade to PEX), HVAC (asbestos remediation), windows, flooring, kitchen, 3 bathrooms as well as change the roof line of the home to construct a 24ft sliding glass window wall. In other words, it was a major remodel, and we believe, the most significant in scope for Chris and Shorebreak Construction.
Having completed a number of large renovations in the past, it became apparent 2 months into the project, that we would have to be very involved in the project based upon Chris's lack of presence and his reliance on Mike, his supervisor and office manager, Robin, when Chris should have been onsite to provide guidance and oversight.
Another client that Shorebreak had taken on at the beginning of our project began to add to their project scope and then threaten to sue if work was not completed asap. This took the Shorebreak team off our project and started to impact our timeline. The threat of a lawsuit took precedence over being a good client, paying on time and being reasonable in our change requests. We were continually being told that we were "their favorite client" but that did not translate into work being done in our home.
By January, the project was running into several delays and we were getting very concerned. Then in March, COVID hit and things really changed; it was like Chris vanished. Our last on-site meeting with Chris was on March 2, 2020. He did not step foot into our home for the last 3 months of the project. He called maybe 3 times and left all of the work to his team. We have now been living in our home for the past 6 months, fixing Shorebreak issues and Chris has never stopped by. So, the largest project Chris and Shorebreak have ever completed and he has not been on job site in the past 9 months.
I had to be at the house every day and usually most of the day, to ensure that the subcontractors and Shorebreak team were completing the work correctly and what took priority each day. At one point, I had to physically help install light fixtures and ceiling fan since there was no one else to help. I would also like to point out that ALL of the subcontractors came to work, took all the necessary safety precautions and completed our project. We could not understand why Chris could not do the same.
Since we moved into the home, we have discovered a number of items that are not working properly or were not installed correctly to begin with. The mere fact that we did not pass our final electrical inspection due to very basic items required by city code (smoke detector placement, GFIC outlet requirements to name a few) has been disappointing and added loss of use, time, and cost for us to fix.
Usually one has a final punch list after you moved in of items that need to be addressed. We had no confidence in Shorebreak to fix these items and thought it would be better to have other contractors correct (at additional expense to us).
Then 112 days after we moved in, and with almost no contact with Shorebreak or Chris Galikesis, he sent a final bill to us for $18,500. We challenged him on this invoice, and he withdrew the charges.
Our biggest issue with Chris and our reason for writing this review is that we never felt like a priority to Chris, even though we were the biggest client he has ever had. Chris dropped the ball when it came to communicating with us. He should have been more present for such a large, expensive, and detailed project.
We appreciate that Chris is a small business owner, trying to handle the challenges the pandemic has caused. All the more reason he should have stayed close to biggest client who continued to pay on time during the renovation.
Please note that any response from Chris regarding our review, is not directed at us. We have said this to him and much more. Any response he makes is for eyes of future potential clients. This could and should have been a wonderful experience. For the reasons I have described above and many that I have not, it was the worst renovation we have ever done. read more