Hancock Builders

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• By Justin A.

  January 21, 2023

  Build custom home

  In 2022, my wife and I hired Hancock Builders,LLC of Amelia County, VA to build our retirement home. At issue is whether Hancock's apparent failure to recognize that foundation and crawlspace work done at the Contractor's direction did not conform to state building code requirements constituted "gross negligence" or "continued incompetence" as defined in § 54.1-1118.

  Hancock Builders failed to properly supervise sub-contractors working on the foundation and crawlspace, and this failure resulted in work that did not conform with state building codes: R401.3 "Drainage"; R408.6 "Finished Grade"; and R408.3 "Unvented Crawlspace". Hancock took no action to address the Owner's concerns for more than five months. Extensive remediation work was necessary to bring the foundation & crawlspace into compliance. Note: Prolonged exposure to water evaporating within the crawlspace likely contributed to hardwood flooring "buckling" and mold on substructures. Hancock's failure to recognize and immediately address the issues when first raised could reasonably be viewed as gross negligence or incompetence. (The statements herein are the express opinions of the author and have not been determined as matters of "fact" by competent legal or regulatory authority)

• By Justin A.

  January 8, 2023

  Build a home

  In 2021, we signed a contract with Hancock Builders of Amelia, Virginia to build our ‘retirement home’. Although we were approved for a $500K contraction loan, we communicated to the builder our budget was not to exceed $450,000 to $475,000. His architect drafted a set of plans based on our inputs, and charged us nearly $3,000 for the plans that the builder later confirmed he could not build within our budget. I would have liked him to have had a larger part of that discussion since it was his expertise we were relying on to come up with a home we could love, and afford. However, he really had no input during the planning phase. After a commissioning a second set of house plans, the builder seemed confident he could build version two within our budget.
  Despite a slow start, we were pleased and confident we had found the right builder after an exhaustive 18-month search. Over the coming months, our opinion gradually shifted. We had to repeatedly hound the builder for written estimates for any changes we considered. The builder did not submit written “Change Orders”, as required per contract; they may not have fully complied with the bank's "Draw Schedule", or the contract, both of which required the timely submission of invoices, and the builder missed at least one key deadline--collectively these failures could be seen as a "Material Breach of Contract", according to the contract language.
  The builder failed by every imaginable metric to help us stay on budget. As of closing, the total spent on the project exceeded our initial budget by an estimated $190,000. To be fair, some of those cost overruns we opted for, however, had the builder provided us with written "Change Orders" as required in the contract, we would have made changes fully aware of their impact on our construction budget, or opted not to make them. By not responding to repeated requests for those estimates, the builder failed miserably at helping us control costs. The builder's lack of communication and responsiveness on the project contributed to us being 30 percent over budget. While the builder thankfully did meet the bank's deadline for the project's completion, he failed to submit $43,000 in invoicing, on-time, roughly $28,000 of which was from five months before the deadline. In that period, there were three "Draws" when the builder could have submitted those invoices for payment and did not. During each draw, we found multiple errors in their record keeping as evidenced by wrong or duplicate invoices or invoices for other projects--most were eventually corrected, but the net effect was a lack of transparency, and questionable records management, to say the least. The builder may not have intentionally misled us or the bank, but by missing key deadlines and submitting more than $40,000 worth of invoices AFTER closing, we now find ourselves headed for a protracted legal battle. I found the builder to be down to earth and friendly, however, as a project manager they did NOT: follow the contractual obligations in-place to manage costs and stay on-budget; they did not submit timely invoices, which caused us to exceed the amount the bank approved us for, they did not communicate well--at all, and we believe the builder may not (initially) have followed state building code requirements for the foundation crawlspace, by installing the conditioned crawlspace materiel on top of standing water without gravity or mechanical means of removing water present in the crawlspace. This in turn led to more than $18,000 in remediation work, now being disputed. After closing, the builder refused to complete the “Punch List” items, and went so far as to instruct some subcontractors and suppliers “not to talk with us.” Despite holding some cash back for the Punch List, the builder has made no attempt, to date, to address the issues he was contractually obligated to complete. (as of 90 days of closing still no work done)
  For all of these reasons mentioned, I could not in good faith recommend Hancock Builders. Note: Statements made in this review are the express OPINIONS of the author and are based solely on the author's personal observations. Any inference of possible wrongdoing on the part of Hancock Builders will be a matter to be considered by competent legal authority.

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• By Jeannette W.

  May 16, 2021

  Custom built home

  $450

  We are currently at the framing stage of our custom home. So far, the crew has been respectful, keeps job site neat and great quality and workmanship while being patient with me asking questions. We believe we have the the right home builder for us!