burned by a contractor

So the wife and I are moving into a new house soon and we're doing some major remodeling in the new place.

New hardwood floors throughout the main living area and in the master bedroom, a brand new kitchen, new carpets in the guest bedrooms, new paint, etc.

We hired a guy to do the floors and carpets, and he also did some painting in 2 of the bedrooms, and he scrapped our popcorn ceilings. This guy came recommended from a neighbor, and we checked his work there and everything seemed fine.

We haven't been too happy with this floor guy so far but the crap really hit the fan tonight. Up until now his work wasn't horrible necessarily, but he just kept missing deadlines and was hard to get in touch with sometimes. So we stopped in to check out the floors tonight and they looked horrible, just pathetic. I swear a monkey could have done a better job. Blotches everywhere. Obviously he did a piss poor job with the sanding and every blemish is showing, big time.

So we're into this project pretty deep and I could just throw up after seeing the total amateur job he did with the hardwoods. Luckily, the contractor we have doing the kitchen remodel is a real professional and a great guy, I only wish we would have just hired him to do the whole house. He's calling his guy that does floors to come out and see if he can salvage the damage that's already been done. Best case he can sand them properly and stain them again, worst case we might have to rip up the floors and start over.

We feel like we've been kicked in the gut. We're just thankful the contractor who is doing the kitchen is a real pro who can help us out. Hell, he even flat out old told the floor guy he did a shit job right to his face!

I guess the lesson here is to really do your homework when hiring a contractor for a major job, and get more than just a neighbor's recommendation. I think this contractor was just a small time guy who bit off more than he could chew, and unfortunately we're the ones that have to deal with cleaning up his mess.

You didn't pay his ass all upfront did you? If there's a lot of money involved you should take pictures of the job he did and take his ass to small claims court. Trust but verify brother. Walk softly but carry a big stick...you got to watch these guys like a hawk and not be afraid to crack the whip during the initial stages of a job.

Is he a licensed contractor? If so I would try to get his license # and report him. If you paid him upfront for anything more than materials it was a HUGE mistake. Check with your local BBB. I have dealt with the BBB here in MD and they were more helpful than you might think.

We still owe him some money. But I'm going to get an estimate for how much it's going to cost to fix his mess and take that off the top from what we owe him.

We're also going to look into filing a complaint with the BBB or with the state.

We still owe him some money. But I'm going to get an estimate for how much it's going to cost to fix his mess and take that off the top from what we owe him.

We're also going to look into filing a complaint with the BBB or with the state.

Take LOTS of pictures you will need them if this goes to court. Finished work is always up for interpution, what you might think is bad another person may think is acceptable.

I hate contractors and I try to use Lowes or a licensed person so at least I now they have done it before and they stand behind their work.

BTW- IF this a single guy doing some side work the BBB is not going to do you much help, small claims court is where yo uare headed.

Yeah we plan on taking tons of pictures. There's no doubt the work is shoddy, we've had a couple of other contractors look at it and the consensus seems to be it's some of the worst work they've seen.

If he is licensed, contact the licensing authority. Usually there is a fund set aside that homeowners can access if a contractor screws up the job.

Yeah, there's a transaction recovery fund in VA, so I'm sure there's one in NY. The bbb is bullshit. Its a club that wants money from businesses in order to reccomend them. The bbb has a positive review for Sun Circulation Co Inc., a traveling magazine sales scam company I worked for @ 19. I've even reported them and 2 of their "employees" have been charged with rape and murder while on the job, but the bbb says they're cool!

Anyway best of luck. I went into business this year with my cousin and we have an electrical contracting company. Kinda fell into it, and I'm amazed at how many shitty contractors are out there. I've seen some pretty lazy/dangerous things done by previous electricians in homes I've worked on.

Did the guy do the hard wood floors for your neighbor who recomended him?

Did the guy do the hard wood floors for your neighbor who recomended him?

Yes he did.

Well guys it's about to get even more interesting. I just talked to the joke who did the floors and we're meeting up at noon to "settle up". I can't wait to see his face when I say he's not getting another cent out of us and on top of that we're going to take him to small claims court to try to recoup another $5k.

Wish me luck. I'm ready to rumble!