TL;DR - The final result was good and the house looks nice, but the contractor left a mess (a fact which they dispute), created an environmental hazard (they also don't agree with this), and getting the job done right required a lot of follow-up on my part (and there is still a small item outstanding). For what I paid, I would have hoped for a less stressful experience. They weren't the lowest estimate I got, but they had such a good review on Angie's list, I went with them anyway. I'm happy my house looks nice, but I would not recommend Superior Pro. If you do hire them, take photos of EVERYTHING before work starts and keep an eye on things.
Some of my specific issues are outlined below:
1. Contractor left environmental hazards. First, be aware that Superior Pro is not a Georgia EPD-Certified renovator in accordance with the Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rules, and you should not hire them to conduct renovations on your home if it was built prior to 1978. . I knew this going in, but assumed it would not be an issue for me. While my house is older, Superior Pro was hired to install siding after hazardous materials (asbestos siding) was removed by another contractor. I assumed lead paint wouldn't factor in at all, so I went ahead and hired them. After the asbestos siding was removed, I learned that what was left underneath was old wood siding with some paper over it. Two things happened. First, as the contractors pulled the old paper away from the wood siding, lots of small chips of old paint fell to the ground. When I pointed this out within the first two hours of them working on the property, and told them they should put poly down (per PRP rule best practices), the project manager shrugged it off and said that it wouldn't be necessary and that they don't do that for siding jobs. Additionally, as they cleaned and prepped the house, old paint on the trim was knocked off as collateral damage. Superior pro disputes that the chips of paint were knocked to the ground during their work, and said that it must have been from another contractor. However, my asbestos contractor had meticulously put down poly and was unbelievably careful in cleaning up any debris. Plus, I watched the bits sprinkle down on that first day (and pointed it out). Superior Pro also denied at one point that it was paint, and then later denied that it was lead. I had them come out and test, and their test was negative. However, I ALSO had Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) come out and test, and their test came up positive for lead. So I am left with conflicting evidence from EPD and from the contractor, but I'm inclined to believe EPD is correct. To their credit, the Superior Pro crew cleaned up a good bit of the paint chips, but it took a lot of back and forth and several weeks to get that done, plus there are still plenty left that I will have to deal with myself. EPD said that the standard should be no visible paint chips on the ground, which is definitely not the condition my property was left in. The Superior Pro project manager was cavalier about the seriousness of paint chips on the ground, and said that it wasn't enough to worry about, but I am not personally so unconcerned.
2. Contractor did not clean property - Apart from the issue with the paint chips, contractor just left a mess for weeks. Most of it was eventually cleaned up, but not all of it. I've found about a dozen nails in the dirt.
3.I had to be very vigilant to ensure issues were resolved. Myriad small issues came up, which required lots and lots of back and forth on my part. Parts not replaced properly, contractors writing on trim that wasn't supposed to be painted, use of bleach in the power washing when they were supposed to use water that leaked under my door....just little stuff. Most, but not all, of the issues were solved, but it required significant follow-up on my part and more back and forth than I thought should have been necessary. I had to take time away from working to check up on the situation every day work was ongoing. One small issue was not solved: one of the gutter straps was not properly replaced. When I mentioned this to the project manager, she promised that she would come back the following day and do it. I was hesitant to provide the final payment without the work being completely finished, but the project manager asked me if I was really going to make her wait on payment for such a small thing, and made a note on my final invoice, so I thought it would be OK, and that withholding payment would be excessive. That was November 29. Since then, I have texted her at least 5 times asking when it would be done. At this point, I don't even want them to do it--I've hired someone else to take care of it. read more