We hired Idea Design/Build to completely gut and remodel the first floor of our tri-level. As I was expecting to start my third round of chemotherapy in about 3 months, we made it very clear in the first meeting that we would not undertake the project if the timeline was expected to exceed 3 months. In fact, the remodel was not completed for over 7 months for the following reasons:
* The owners of Idea Design/Build represented themselves as general contractors; however, we saw little evidence that they performed this role. Following demolition, Idea Design/Build did little to manage, monitor, or expedite the project. Since my husband was at home, it fell to him to interact with the sub-contractors and raise a red flag when no work was being completed.
* The sub-contractors were individual tradesmen, not crews of workers. Therefore, we had one carpenter perform the entire demolition, structural work, flooring, cabinetry, etc. with the occasional help from his unqualified son; when he was called to another commitment, nothing was done at our house. The entire project was stopped for 3 weeks, because the plumber was on vacation and would not send a subordinate. You can imagine the feeling of terror when the entire first floor is gutted and discarded, nearly half the money has been paid, and no work is done for 3 weeks!
Although the project was eventually completed to our satisfaction, anyone who is considering hiring this company should ensure that a firm end date is included in the contract. read more