"The parties were able to reach an agreement to settle their differences about the project."read more

When we started our goal was to give a 4 or 5 star rating, but Chuck made the already difficult…read moreprocess of building a house ex​cru​ci​at​ing. There is a very, very long list of examples recorded in the copious notes we took, including repeated attempts to violate contractual terms. However, in these tumultuous times we decided to take the higher road and keep it simple. Save yourself the aggravation of working with Chuck and find someone else to build your house.

I wish that this posting on YELP would be a glowing review of the builder that we selected to build…read moreour dream retirement home, but unfortunately it is about a builder that walked away from their numerous responsibilities and have turned what was to be our dream home into a living nightmare. To be clear about which company that I am reviewing, it is Clarity Home Design Inc. out of Pittsboro, NC with the officers and operational owners of Allison and Will King. North Carolina contractor license number 80509. The issues that we had with them can broadly be stated as numerous non-structural, cosmetic quality issues, breach of contract including numerous downgrades from the original plans submitted to the Architectural Review Board (ARB) for approval without the use of a required change order, the unauthorized discharge of collected storm water onto our property, providing final plat layout plans within the contract that were not accurate and eliminated our ability to build the intended stand-alone outbuilding in the area communicated to the builder, and their refusal to accept their many responsibilities and work in good faith to provide an equitable and fair solution to these many issues. I will easily admit that I made a critical error in placing my trust in this builder, thinking naively that he would have our mutual interest in mind when building this house. He took that trust and used it repeatedly to benefit himself financially by building a far inferior house from the plans that he submitted to the ARB for approval. In the rush to secure this house on our trip down to NC to find a new home, I failed in securing the detailed specifications of the house that was being built. We had traveled to NC during the height of COVID and were determined to find a new house during that trip. Due to COVID, we were limited to traveling down one other time to check on the progress of the property. After signing the contract, I had requested that I be given the specifications to which Will King responded that there were no specifications and because this was a "SPEC" home, he had the right to change anything that he wanted to. The contract did not indicate this, but rather that the builder had design rights that restricted our selection of the finish surfaces and selections of colors. The builder made numerous downgrades on our house that took away thousands of dollars in cost to the builder. In asking my realtor if I could get out of the contract, I was told that I would lose my 10% down payment. At that time, I again made the error of trusting the builder that he would build us a beautiful home and did not end the contract. My BIG mistake. The builder was contractually obligated to provide a copy of the ARB house plan approval document which would have contained the specifications of the house build that I had requested in August. This approval document was to have been completed prior to start of construction, sometime around April of 2020, but was not presented to the ARB until a month after we had signed the contract in August 2020 and had walked through a partially enclosed house. The builder never did provide us with those specifications, and they turned out to be in fact much nicer than the house that we had received. How the ARB allowed the builder to proceed with building this house prior to construction still is a mystery to us. Especially since this was the first house the builder had ever built under the name of Clarity Design Build and likewise was also the first house that they had built in this community. We had initiated a lawsuit against Clarity Design Build on January 4, 2023, in Chatham County, case 23-CVS-6 and reluctantly dismissed the case due to financial and emotional cost on March 6, 2024. Prior to the filing of the lawsuit, we had secured the assistance of the Better Business Bureau to provide for an unbiased arbitrator to end this dispute in 2022. Clarity Home Design's officers ignored that offer and other later offers for arbitration. We made numerous attempts to receive assistance from the Architectural Review Board, which was controlled by the developer, and the selling realtor, to resolve our differences. These requests were mostly ignored by both parties to help in holding the builder accountable for his actions. We were shocked by the amount of coordination that took place between these three parties to stop any type of equitable solution to our problems. An example of how he saved money on our house is the carpeting that was installed in our house. The carpeting fell apart within 6 months as he paid a total of $1.34 per square foot for this carpet that I would not have used in my hunting shack. I'm currently replacing the standard sized front entrance metal door with the wooden 42" custom door that was to have been installed on our house. After we signed the contract, he framed up the door with 2 by 4's to save thousands of dollars

Breezeworks installed 2 Mr. Cool outdoor units and 4 indoor wall units for me. They were thorough…read moreand careful with the job and it all looks great. Even better, the units work really well last week was hot and humid. They cooled the rooms down very well. This week is cool and dry and the units are heating very well. Very quiet operation both indoors and out. All through the job Breezeworks kept me aware of the construction schedule. I highly recommend them. Thank you Breezeworks.

From the owner: At BreezeWorks, we specialize in providing hassle-free, high-quality mini split installations with…read morea focus on MRCOOL DIY systems. What sets us apart is our streamlined process, transparent pricing, and commitment to making HVAC solutions more accessible for homeowners and small businesses alike. We’re not just another HVAC company—we’re a modern service built for modern customers. From the first point of contact to the final walkthrough, our goal is to make your experience easy, honest, and efficient. We offer both virtual and in-person consultations, flexible scheduling, and financing options to meet your needs. Unlike many contractors, we break down all labor and material costs clearly, so you know exactly what you’re paying for. Our team includes vetted installers, a dedicated appointment setter, and a materials coordinator to ensure every job runs smoothly and on schedule. We prioritize communication, reliability, and doing things right the first time. Whether you’re upgrading your garage, improving your home comfort, or going all-in on energy-efficient heating and cooling, BreezeWorks delivers quality work with no surprises. We believe in running a business built on trust, professionalism, and real results—and our growing list of satisfied clients proves it. BreezeWorks is HVAC done differently.

Terrible Terrible Terrible! Cackalacky construction is *not* a licensed contractor, they will *not*…read morefinish the job and they *will* extort you for more money. Andy (or Nate - he uses multiple names) signed a contract for a stamped concrete patio and stone firepit install. The contract was for a fixed amount and was based on labeled, measured drawings I provided to him. We both agreed on the size and scope of the patio and I gave him my choice of stone for the firepit. The first issue was the patio color - I wanted gray and evidently the concrete world was all out of gray color for stamped concrete, so I was convinced to do brown instead (to not delay the project). The concrete was poured and stamped, then the stone firepit could get going. The first significant issue we had was that he got the wrong stone and wanted to lay it completely wrong. I specifically requested a "stacked stone" look and he wanted to do irregular stone with wide grout joints - nothing at all like the look I requested. He then told me he got that stone, despite it not being the stone I requested, because they didn't have the stone I wanted at the stone center. It was a 4 week lead time to get that stone at the time (I had sent him my stone selection *over* 4 weeks earlier). He found a similar looking stone that would work and that was in stock so he got that. What he didn't tell me at the time was that the "replacement" stone was over twice as expensive - had he shared that, I would have told him not to proceed. The project got to a point where is was about 2/3 done and he stopped work and told me he needed more money (over 20% of the original budget!) if I wanted him to finish. When we contracted the project, I made it clear that the budget wasn't flexible - I had a fixed amount of money for this project and the scope of the project would be dictated by what he could accomplish with that budget. We agreed on what he could do for that price. What Andy/Nate will do is cut corners to save time, spend all the money (I *stupidly* paid up front) by mis-managing the project and then tell you, when the project is 2/3 done, that he can't continue unless you give him more money. Then he'll walk off the job when you don't give him more money, leaving the job site a complete mess (concrete spilled all over, bits of cut stone all over the yard and an incomplete project). Then he'll stop emailing/texting/answering calls. I got completely ghosted because I wouldn't be extorted for another 20% on top of the contracted price. It took months to get someone to come out and fix the mess. The stamped concrete looks *terrible*. The color is uneven with clear trowel marks everywhere, the stamp lines barely exist in some places and are double-stamped in others. The relief cuts were cut free-hand so they wave all over the place. He did a 4" border around the stamped, but just eyeballed it so it is just as wavy as the grout lines. The patio is an abomination and an embarrassment. He even used part of my backyard as a concrete washout so there's a big pile of gravel in a corner of the yard! If there were negative stars I would give them. I cannot warn you strongly enough to not trust this person. Andy (Nate?) I hope you read this and are ashamed of the state in which you left my home.

Nathan installed a concrete park pad in front of my garage. It rained on it will they were…read morefinishing. The reworked the concrete but most of the "butter" has washed of and the surface is not hardened and is dusting. For over a year he promised he would come fix and finally agreed to this week. But want me to pay for his time and material. It's his responsibility to check the weather when doing concrete work! And not string me along for over a year.

Unfortunately, I didn't read this review written by William M. before hiring Malcolm Duff. I have…read morespent the past two years cleaning up the mess he left behind. This includes having to replace my roof for the second time in two years and repainting/repairing several ceilings that were damaged due to all the leaking that occurred due to the improperly installed roof. He told me the roofer had a roofing business, which of course he didn't, and neither the roofer nor Malcolm Duff, the GC, pulled a roofing permit as required by Chatham County for any roof replacement over 15k. I filed a complaint against Malcolm with the NC Licensing Board and he was reprimanded for not pulling a permit, but I have since filed a second comprehensive and detailed complaint with the Licensing Board regarding his conduct and actions. I too initially liked Malcolm, but agree with William M. that do yourself a favor and hire someone who is trustworthy, talented and with good references. My experience with Malcolm was that he didn't guarantee his work nor does he care about his clients. I wouldn't recommend him to anyone if you're wanting quality workmanship from an honest general contractor.

My wife and I hired Malcolm Duff to design and build a significant addition onto our home. Malcolm…read moreclaims to be a designer and builder. As for his design, he has no sense of it whatsoever and has a difficult time understanding his clients wants, even after providing him with books and pictures. Basically, if what you want happens to be on whatever CAD program he is using, your fine. If not, don't count on him to design it. As for the building side of things, Malcolm subcontracts all of the pieces out to other contractors, which he does a very poor job of managing. Shoddy workmanship, inattention to detail and disrespectfulness is what you will find due to his hiring of these contractors and management of them. We hired Malcolm because we liked him. This was a very unfortunate decision on our part. Do yourself a favor and hire someone who is trustworthy, talented, and with good references. Go visit some of their projects, and ask the owners questions about their experiences during the process and after. And don't be disappointed by hiring Malcolm Duff. You'll be saving yourself a lot of grief, nightmares, bad surprises as things surface in the years to come, and the money necessary to correct them. Malcolm claims to have been in business for 47 years. This means he would have opened his business when he was about 15 years old. Even if he had done so, it wouldn't be the same business because he has claimed bankruptcy at least once due to his being sued by a group of his customers. I wonder why?