Creative Custom Remodeling

Mike Sohre and the CCR crew completed a gut remodel of our master bathroom. A quoted 2-3 week project took 6 weeks to complete, and the final results were less than expected. The first time they stated they were finished, we were appalled at the sloppiness of the workmanship. The paint job was inadequate (only one coat applied in some areas), the tile work appeared unprofessional, and the finishing work was subpar as well. It had the look of a “Do It Yourself” job rather than that of a licensed and bonded contractor. We provided Mike a list of 21 punch list items that required attention. He sent the crew back and they made a less than energetic attempt to fix some of the items. It was at that point we realized they were not going to make things right. Below are some of the items that were never resolved to our satisfaction:

1. The repaired grout color did not match the original grout.
2. They installed a cracked bathroom light fixture and when we pointed it out, they flipped the fixture to hide the crack against a wall and never replaced.
3. It appears another coat of paint was applied to one side of the new door (bathroom side) but not on the bedroom side. It is evident that another coat is needed on the bedroom side.
4. The new marble vanity top is scratched. It was not properly covered when the guys put their tools on it.
5. The depth needed for the new vanity top was not properly measured. This caused them to cut a small notch into the door trim in order to install the vanity top.
6. The tiled shower curb had misaligned tile and their attempted fix still left it unlevel. They also failed to use spacers, which created uneven grout lines.
7. The subway tiles in the shower did not have clean cuts, the bull nose trim was uneven and again no spacers were used, causing inconsistent grout lines.
8. The 2x2 shower floor tiles do not line up in some areas, and the caulking along the shower edges is sloppy.
9. There are still areas on the walls and ceiling that were not addressed with respect to painting and/or mudding.

After the initial punch list given and the less than successful attempts to remedy some of those items, we felt that some of the finished work did not meet a standard that warranted full contract price. We attempted to negotiate an amenable final price taking into account monies already paid and the work that did not meet our expectations. Mike came by, took pictures to document the final product, and then proceeded to pull out State of Minnesota statutes pertaining to general contractors. He explained that taking him to court would never be successful based on what the state considers “acceptable” work. He also stated that his business partner is an attorney so he would have no legal fees. We were completely blindsided by this as there was no prior discussion or intention of taking him to court prior to this meeting. We simply expressed our dissatisfaction with the work and proposed a lower final price. He then told us if we didn’t pay him the remaining balance (now), he would charge us a higher price (that was never agreed upon) since he gave us a break on some of the additional work performed. After letting him know how disappointed we were with both his workmanship and business practices, we paid him the remaining balance.

Once we started to use the shower, we noticed that our new high efficiency exhaust fan would drip condensation back through the fan opening and on to the floor. We connected with Mike and explained the situation. He sent a crew member out twice, once to check the duct work and the other to add insulation around the unit. These remedies did not solve the problem, as we ran into the same issue with dripping after they were finished. They ultimately blamed the problem on the fan but did not offer to return it. Mike did offer to replace it with a different fan, but it would be at our cost. It’s important to note that while we did pick out the fan (based on the nearly 5 star reviews online), we didn't buy the fan—Mike did with his contractor account. It is puzzling why he didn’t just return it and exchange with another fan. Sadly, we have spent more time on the phone with the manufacturer than the person who purchased and installed it. The process left us no options other than to move on with a different contractor, which is something we should have done from the beginning.

Needless to say, we were extremely disappointed with the entire process and outcome of the bathroom renovation. We felt it was our duty to provide an honest review of our situation and allows potential customers a constructive viewpoint from our experience.

Lastly, I agree with the prior reviewer on the one true positive: two of the workmen were polite, seemed honest and very knowledgeable. The rest was a complete disaster.