Joseph Edward Murphy

We hired Joe to build a 3000sq ft custom home with promises of attention to detail, ability to finish in 6 to 9 months, hands on contracting as well as told he would only take on one home at a time. Unfortunately, nothing promised has come true. Joe rarely was onsite and hired subpar contractors. Errors made included wrong framing of a bathroom resulting in having to modify a staircase, a smaller than requested garage, the entire hardwood floor having to be redone, all the cabinets in the kitchen are unlevel with stripped out hinges and crooked doors. He attempted to fix the cabinets over two days and still they are unlevel. Dings were made in our brand new appliances during install. He used the kitchen island as a saw horse for cutting which left marks on the counter top. The master shower floor was not sloped properly toward the drain and puddles. He attempted to do a patch repair on this issue and it still does not drain properly. The house did not pass inspection for multiple reasons. One included the risers on the stairs were not even.
The fix was to pull up the new carpet and slope the landing. Carpet now is full of snags and loose and the landing is sloped. The upper deck he designed and built does not allow for water runoff and water pools on the deck. It also leaks down below and through the electrical. Joe does not communicate. He hides issues and challenges from the customer and is not upfront with budget items. He does not consult with the customer before doing things. He has zero capital which held up the project as he couldn't order supplies necessary to keep the project moving since he doesn't have money or credit. Because he doesn't have credit or capital, he ordered flooring and tile from a different supplier at a much higher cost because they would extend him credit. Repeatedly we asked for timelines and information. He does not respond or does not give an answer to the questions asked. Due to lack of oversight, we have poor drywall, errors made in framing and drywall, no smart wiring and so many more. Lots of photos, emails and texts to back up problems and lack of communication. Mr. Murphy walked off the job in Feb and has yet to complete the house. It has not passed the occupancy inspection.

Updated from our review of April 2019: This contractor has still not completed our build and wants more money although we have already paid the full amount due. Now he has filed bankruptcy and has unpaid debts. The Oregon Contractors Board has suspended his license as well.