Our dealings with Rachael Kaiser taught us a harsh lesson: never trust a "professional"…read morerecommendation without heavy skepticism and digging into past customers' experiences, especially after we relied on her sister's construction company for our home renovation. We met Rachael while she was handling a listing for a neighboring property, where she eagerly pitched her sister as an "outstanding" general contractor. Although we were not yet formal clients of Rachael, she knew we intended to list our 2,900sf home with her once the renovation was complete. Based on her glowing endorsement and that understanding, we hired her sister's construction company--only to feel misled from the start.
The renovation quickly spiraled into a disaster, with the paint job exposing the company's deceit from the outset. Rachael's sister personally assured us they'd use premium, high-quality paints, proudly presenting several small cans of top-tier paint and meticulously applying color samples to our walls, saying, "This is the paint we'll use." Early on, everything looked and seemed great--we had no clue, initially, of the trouble brewing beneath the surface. Wisely, we kept those cans, a decision that paid off when we later used their printed store labels to pull purchase records tied to our home's address and project name from the store where the cans were purchased. Those records revealed a damning truth the company tried to bury: they omitted them entirely from their CSLB arbitration submissions, likely because they shredded their flimsy defense. Their defense was that they never specified what type of paint would be used--shameful. They also claimed to have applied 115 gallons of low-quality exterior paint, an absurd amount that could coat two homes our size, yet our 2,900sf home ended up with just a single pitiful, thin layer that started peeling and fading within months. The receipts told the real story: of that supposed 115 gallons, 40 gallons were untinted base paint, which any contractor knows is returnable for a full refund, unlike custom-tinted paint. Even worse, their first paint purchase didn't happen until seven days after they began painting our house--a glaring red flag proving they started the job with a stockpile of cheap, low-grade paint they already had on hand, costing a fraction of premium paint. This was a clear move to pad their profits at our expense. It's no stretch to imagine those untinted gallons were cashed in or stashed for their next ploy. Meanwhile, the construction company charged us a jaw-dropping $36K for this painting work, every cent squandered since the entire job had to be completely redone. This wasn't just incompetence; it was, in our opinion, a masterfully orchestrated dodge of quality, crafted with precision from day one.
Rachael Kaiser, who hyped her sister like a used car salesman trying to offload a lemon, pulled a vanishing act when the job went south, and we severed ties with the company. Despite knowing our clear plan to list our home with her post-renovation, she offered no support--not a call, not a text, not even a whisper to mediate or hear our side. We were forced to pursue state arbitration through the CSLB, a grueling process we chose over a lawsuit that would have taken years and cost tens of thousands more. We won, bolstered by receipts the company had conveniently omitted, which exposed their misleading practices. A construction consultant also inspected the company's work, delivering a damning report: "The company failed to meet an acceptable quality of workmanship" and "failed to obtain a permit before commencing work," confirming the poor, shoddy, performance we observed firsthand.
Her role in this debacle is undeniable. Rachael Kaiser's highly enthusiastic endorsement, paired with her awareness of our intent to list with her, directly led us into this costly mess. Yet, when the project unraveled, she disappeared, seemingly untroubled by the financial and emotional toll we endured. Our budget was significant, reflecting our commitment to quality, and our timeline was flexible--there was no rush or pressure to complete the work hastily. She still flippantly promotes the company despite this. Disclosure: This experience concluded 18 months ago, but the damage and emotional toll remain with us to this day. This review is not about vindictiveness; it's about sharing our story to prevent others from facing the same outcome. We placed our trust in the reputation of the real estate company Rachael represented, assuming an agent from such a well-known firm wouldn't steer us toward a contractor capable of delivering shady, substandard work. That trust was misplaced--and expensive. We fell for a dazzling pitch and got burned--don't let a polished nameplate blind you to the truth. Check every contractor yourself, or you'll pay dearly for someone else's empty promises.
