We signed a contract with Graves to remodel our kitchen and both upstairs bathrooms. We were told…read more(AFTER we signed) that it would take 4-6 weeks for the cabinets to be ready, so this delayed our project until around the holidays. They were gracious enough, however, to replace our stove (which we needed for Thanksgiving) and fixed/patched a hole in the ceiling in advance of the project. So, that was nice.
The problem, though, was that 4-6 weeks turned into FIVE MONTHS. We signed in October, and the project didn't start until March. I think in today's pandemic world, that would have been a lot more understandable given supply chain issues, but we were told this was a personnel issue on the contractor's side.
Okay, whatever, we rolled with it. We lived with the old rooms for several years... what was a few more months?
The remodeling went well, but instead of 6 weeks, it lasted 8 weeks. Again, not really our biggest gripe. We understand timing and how projects can get wonky sometimes. But, the problem here was, there was no communication from their side as to what the delays were and when we could expect work to resume. In fact, every update we received, it was after WE called THEM. We never received a proactive call from the company.
Until... my first Yelp review. It was basically the same as above, with some errant backstory from another vendor that got confused into the mix. Then, we had a call immediately from the owner, within 24 hours of posting the review. So, why did our project manager use this same proactive outreach when working on our project? Why did it take a negative review to stir action?
To their defense, half of the issues we pointed out (missing cabinet posts, leak from the commode, stain in the kitchen ceiling from leak/water damage, loose fixture in the bathroom). The other half (repainting the ceiling, loose bathroom faucet fixtures, loose commode not properly in place, dishwasher not attached to the counter and pulling on the paneling) were never addressed.
Fast forward to today, and we have a leak (again) in the same commode because there is an unsecured PVC ring that was used to raise said commode for apparently no discernable reason. This has lead to a gradual leak that caused yet another hold in our ceiling, not to mention the cost of having the leak identified and resolved by an outside contractor.
At this point, I'm not going to be pressured to recant my review. These are the facts and potential customers should be made aware of our experience. Each of the three remodeled rooms has lingering issues, some more severe than others. Aesthetically, the work was very well done, and we do enjoy the functional and well-working aspects. The parts that need addressing, however, have already cost us additional and unnecessary funds to rectify. This has been an overall unsatisfactory experience.
