Transformations Design Build

We sought to do a simple and straightforward bump-out on our house. This was not complex. It only involved adding a rectangular add-on to our current home as well as a free-standing garage. So we should have anticipated problems when they were unable to deliver designs in a timely fashion. We began working with them in early 2016. There was always an excuse (emails not working, etc.) for the delays in getting us the designs, for which we paid. Despite this clarion sign of what would come, we went ahead based upon the advice of a contractor with whom we adored but who had retired. The project was well over 7 months late. They finished about 90% of the project but failed to finish it. Much of it had to be redone more than once because the first effort was done with inadequate attention or care. Vexingly, because neither my husband nor I speak "designese;" we failed to catch some serious mistakes in the plans, for which we were charged. For example, they put in a door to our deck that opened literally onto our kitchen island when it clearly should've been a sliding door. I was surprised that the contractor who did the work installed a door that was clearly a mistake. But he did. After complaining, they replaced the door but at cost to us because we did not catch their design error. Women beware: Steve is a lovely person. I'll never hire him again, but he's a terrific person. BUT Several of his contractors were misogynist and had difficulties working with women. While they tended to behave themselves with my husband, they pulled all sorts of stunts with me. Since I (a female) was writing the checks for this project and saved assiduously to make it happen, I was irked at the constant disrespect and shenanigans. Because my husband was away tending to his sick mother, I had to deal with these rubes. It was taxing and infuriating. I complained to Steve about the vulgarians on his payroll to no effect. Because they had purchased their own home in Maine and began work on that project, they just never were able to focus upon ours and finish it. Ultimately, we had to hire another contractor to finish the work they never managed. In the months that have passed, we have learned that some of their work was shoddly forcing us to hire other contractors to fix their bad work such as the shelves they built and the roof that leaked a mere handfull of months after the project was complete. We did not ask them to fix their bad work because we knew it would not happen in a timely fashion or at all. Steve is really a nice guy. But he doesn't seem able to be a general contractor. He has no ability to corral his sub-contractors, many of whom showed up late or not at all on a given scheduled day of work. If you value your time, your dignity and your hard-earned money, look elsewhere...even if you have to pay more. I really regret taking my dream project to them. They failed in most ways that matter.