I would never recommend working with Sturdevant Construction due to lack of integrity, poor professionalism, and inefficient management. The high level issues are outlined below, in addition to a summary of the issues experienced.
Issues Overview:
Project was delayed one month
Staff as promised was not delivered
Requirements for construction were not delivered on time: permit, dumpster, port-a-john
Unnecessary upsell which was couched as a requirement in order to get the permit approved
Unprofessional and hostile communication, to include lack of communication unless money was required
Issue Summary:
We contacted and hired Sturdevant Construction for an extensive home remodel, which included two bathrooms, master suite, and wall removal. The sales process was impressive, and this is the ONLY positive experience we had with Sturdevant. The owner, Naham, had a vision for the remodel and it aligned with our desired state. Once the contract was signed we did not hear from Sturdevant unless they wanted money.
During the contract signing, we were expressly told the job would start December 2, 2018. We were also told that the job would be performed by Sturdevant employees, not subcontractors. Both of these were false. The job did not officially start until January 2, 2019 and was subbed out. That being said, the subcontractor did an amazing job however we did not appreciate the untruths that were delivered during contract signing.
Not only did the job start a month late, but the dumpster - which is required for demolition - did not arrive until a week later. And the port-a-john did not arrive until January 17th; two weeks after the job actually started. These tasks were the responsibility of Sturdevant and were clearly not executed effectively.
In addition to the delayed start, Sturdevant called on 12/19/18 to tell us we were required to add a deck onto our remodel in order to pass permitting (a triple sliding door was being installed in the bedroom). At no point was it mentioned that a railing would be sufficient to pass inspection, and a $17k change order was submitted as we were led to believe there was no other option. Even when we challenged the requirement. However, after reviewing the permit - once it was received after the holidays - we reviewed the permit and called the permitting office to discuss the decking requirement. The permitting office, and permit officer, informed us that a railing would be sufficient and a deck was not required.
When we contacted Sturdevant about the conversation with the permitting office, the office manager, Crystal Proper, was rude and accused of "going behind her back" instead of calling Sturdevant. When pointedly asked about the requirement of the deck again, Crystal was very unprofessional, turning the conversation into a personal attack rather then a business transaction, and rushed off the phone without an answer. It took a week of ongoing emails and calls to Crystal to receive any communication back from Sturdevant.
The follow-on communication regarding the requirement of the deck was from Naham, who aggressively tried to pressure us into keeping the deck. It was explained to Naham that the initial discussion led us to believe the deck was required, which was why we signed, and once we found out it was no longer required we wanted it removed. In addition to that, as a Federal employee, half of our household was on furlough and the additional expense was not welcome. Naham continued to try to sell the deck, however backed off when we held firm. We were then charged 15% to descope in spite of need for the upsell being unnecessary. At that time we decided not to pursue more aggressive action as we wanted the remodel to be completed.
At no point through the remaining project did Sturdevant reach out to check on progress, unless it was time for a payment. Upon the conclusion of the project a brief conversation with Crystal was laced with passive aggressive tones in an effort to smooth over any ill will. Sturdevant wanted to send their project lead to take final photos and inspect our home; when he had NO involvement in any of the project execution. When we informed Crystal this was not necessary, she immediately became defensive and argumentative; to the point where I felt uncomfortable continuing any dialog.
Clearly the Sturdevant team has no vested interest in their customer's satisfaction, and feels that purposeful omission of information, false promises and complete lack of communication are the modus operandi. I would never recommend their services due to these aforementioned factors. read more
