Hired Chuck to do three separate jobs; Install an underdeck ceiling, install new electrical boxes for ceiling fans and install the fans, and to install a 108 inch sliding glass door. I will rate each job individually.
Underdeck Ceiling: 2/5 stars. Ceiling came out with large gaps between the ceiling and the new gutter he installed. I had to tell him to fix it, as well as suggest ideas on how to make it look better. He later told me he had accidently skipped a step in the instructions. After the gaps were mostly fixed, the ceiling and gutter have visible waves in them. I never received the store receipt for the purchase of the materials, as I had requested. Materials were paid for in addition to the labor.
Electrical/Ceiling Fans: 2/5 stars. He did a good job installing the electric. However, he installed outlet cover boxes that are off-white and are not paintable. So I am stuck with boxes that do not match my wall. After he installed the ceiling fans (2 ea.) I had to go behind him and tighten down screws in one of them to stop it from wobbling. He ran the electric through raceways (as agreed upon), but instead of buying all of the correct parts required, he cut the raceways he had and caulked them together. I never received the store receipts for the purchase of the materials, as I had requested. Materials were paid for in addition to the labor.
Sliding Glass Door Ordering/Installation: 1/5 stars. Chuck gave me a bid of $350 to install the door and an additional $1000 if a new header was going to need to be installed. I had Chuck order the door through a local distributer. He told me the door was going to cost $2400 and I would need to pay for it upfront. So I wrote him a check for $2400. I never received the store receipts for the purchase of the materials, as I had requested. Materials were paid for in addition to the labor.
The door was delivered to the distributer in about three weeks. The door then sat there for an additional 2 1/2 weeks before Chuck could get to it. It was then delivered to my house. Chuck then cut a 112 inch wide hole in my house for where the door was to go. He then unpacked the door and installed it. It was not until then that he finally realized that it was not the correct door. He admitted that he usually checks the doors himself as soon as they are delivered to the distributer, but this one time he did not. So, we ordered a new door, that was delivered to the distributer 5 weeks later. It arrived on a Friday, and Chuck arrived at my house the following Thursday to install it. Upon his arrival with the new door, he then realized that again it was not the door I had wanted. So, I guess he does not always check the door as soon as it is delivered to the distributer as he had told me. This was the second time in a row that he showed up with the wrong door. As to who's fault it was that the wrong door was sent, I can not say for sure. I believe that the first door was not his fault, but I think he messed up the order on the second. I asked Chuck for a partial refund of $500, as I was going to end up paying for a door I didn't want. He replied that I could take it out of the $350 for the door install and the $1000 for the header. Only problem there is that he did not install a header, as there was an existing one there to begin with. After much arguing, he finally agreed to install it for free ($350 value) and refund me $150.
The distributer called me later that day, because he was concerned about the situation. During the conversation we had, I learned that the door only cost $2000, not $2400. I asked Chuck about the discrepancy and he said the additional $400 I paid, was "his cut". It was then that I understood why I never received any receipts for the thousands ($3K-4K) in materials he charged me for.
On a positive note, he did do a nice job installing the door once I was willing to accept the incorrect door, he did a good job installing it.
I would not recommend him. read more