I’d just like some feedback if this sort of scenario is a red flag as far as the contractor I hired.
They started working the day after we signed the contract but there’s been a LOT of dead time between then and now because we didn’t have everything ready. We didn’t have a layout for the kitchen ready, cabinets selected, flooring selected etc This is the first time we’ve done any sort of remodeling so we sort of expected the contractor to help us get things in order so that we wouldn’t be doing stop and go work.
While it seems like a good thing to have a contractor that can get started right away, I feel like we’ve basically been without a kitchen for a month when in reality we probably could have shaved 2 weeks off of that since i think there were more days where there was no work being done versus work being done.
And now I had the county building inspector show up and issue a stop notice because there were no permits issued. I asked the contractor about this 2 weeks ago and he said he was pulling permits. But the county building dept has no record of a permit request.
I’m surprised by this because this contractor has excellent reviews every where i looked. Overwhelming positive on Angie’s list, top %1 on this site, diamond certified. I haven’t found any complaints about them anywhere.
Having a fully demo’ed kitchen sitting dormant for around 2 weeks out of the last 4 was annoying enough. But now it’s going to be dormant for another week or two at least while the issue with the permit is fixed.
Bad business:::: Even if he screwed up the permit issue it sounds like he flat out lied to you, to cover that lie guess what will happen, another lie to cover it up.
But on the flip side, we may be profesionals but we are human, mistakes are inevitable.
Starting a project before pulling a permit is not uncommon. Continuing without a permit for any significant length of time is. If your contractor has great reviews then he is more than likely good at his job and very busy. I would give him the benefit of the doubt on the permit issue. The codes department will fine him double or triple the cost of the permit. As far as the design issues. If you assumed he would help you along in the process, you might have assumed wrong. Generally, there is an architect involved on your end or at the least a kitchen designer. As an electrical contractor, I get asked to design lighting and power a lot but this is known upfront and there is an extra charge for this.
I would have a sit down over some coffee or something with the contractor and express your concerns and any confusion or misconception. The sooner you do, the sooner things will get back on track.
I’m sorry to say, but all should be in the contract. My contracts are over 20 pages…everything is spelled out, total protection of my clients. In view of the 2 wk. down time, if a plumber or Electrical contractor is needed to perform before other progress, and rough inspection. Two weeks is about normal. My subs I notify as soon as contract, and give them a window…I tend to keep the job rolling and as to perfection. My subs do not just sit around and wait for jobs, they are good subs, they are booked in advance…getting on their schedule is not always easy… Job scope has a lot to do with it.
It all depends on your kitchen remodel. Too many unknowns… to properly answer. If your contractor was supposed to pull a permit, sorry to say, here in Fla., the owner is responsible to see if completed…Many contractors have good names, but perform work on the “edge”, chance getting caught…All contractor referral sites are not perfect, I as a CBC, just worked with a company with good ratings, doing “no-No’s”, I did not allow to permit furtherance, being informed is the best protection you can have. In this day and age, research who you do business with…Referral sites only collect info, if no complaints , lawsuits, and have some referrals.
I’m going to be optimistic here and think that the contractor had every intention of getting a permit and started work thinking that he would have it before it was time for an inspection. I have very good working relationships with the city inspectors I work with and I do this all the time. However, he should have had it taken care of before hand for sure.
As for the timeliness of the work there’s really no excuse for that. Every good contractor knows that having all the details and decisions covered before you start makes a job efficient. It also sounds like he did not set the proper expectations with you prior to starting. If there were decisions that needed to be made to complete the work he should have let you know how that would affect the time line.
Take a deep breath and communicate your concerns with your contractor. If he is a good contractor he will hopefully clear things up for you. Ask him/her what to expect in the coming days/weeks and hold him accountable. Some contractors aren’t the best at communicating and you have to pull it out of them.
