Contractor woes. What would you do?

[Amy loves Bud]

So we had a water leak in the kitchen and insurance is covering the damage. They connected us with a contractor that they partner (which is a very hard thing to do with our insurance co.) with and I have been very pleased with the company until now. The original adjustor came and got the claim in in a very timely manner.

 

Since the damage is extensive, we are going to go ahead and change some things about the kitchen rather than rebuild one that doesn't function as efficiently as it could. So they sent out their "renovations" guy.

 

He was great. He spent about an hour with us and talked us through a lot of issues. I was very excited when he left. Two weeks ago. I knew it would take a while to come up with numbers and all, so I gave him time.

 

I called the office on Thursday and left a message for him. No call back. Then on Friday I called the office, and the girl who answered the phone recognized me from the day before and gave me his cell phone. I LM Friday and no call back. On Monday I LM on his cell again and no call back.

 

Today I emailed him and said I was concerned at the lack of response and worried what would happen when my family is without a kitchen and I need to reach him. No response.

 

Would you call a higher up at the construction co, or call the insurance co and ask for a referral to a different contractor?

[Harriet Vane]

Cut your losses now and get a different contractor. If he cannot manage a phone call now, he'll be even more unreliable when you've actually committed to the job and cannot get out as easily.

[Twinmom]

Oh, yeah. Get another contractor referral ASAP or insist that the company allow you to find your own. With this guy, you are likely to be without a kitchen for a very, very long time.

 

Ask me how I know. :toetap05:

[missplacedalaskan]

I agree. This guy is not going to be reliable.

Contact the insurance company, explain the situation and request another contractor.

[Tammyla]

Oh you can bet I'd be calling. :grouphug:

[elegantlion]

As the wife of a contractor I agree, get a different contractor. My dh has his cell phone on him 24/7, takes his own calls and would never leave a customer hanging for weeks on an estimate.

 

A couple of things run through my mind.

 

1. He's waiting to hear from the adjuster to see how much the insurance will pay and base his estimate around those numbers. In that case a phone call to you would have been appropriate.

 

2. He's super busy and truly hasn't made the time to call. This means he won't be able to get to your project soon.

 

3. He's unreliable and if so you don't want him doing the job.

[Crissy]

I would find a new contractor immediately.

 

If he won't take the time to return your call before he gets the job, he isn't likely to work in a timely manner, either.

 

Your kitchen is too important a room to allow someone like this to string you along.

[Donna T.]

I could have written this post! Or, atleast I could I have written about our very similiar experience. We had water damage due to an upstairs bathroom. The water leaked downstairs and damaged an interior wall and the flooring. Long story. Anyways, we spent months trying to find a contractor that would follow through on phone calls. We had people make appts. with us and not even show up nor even call us to reshedule. We had over $10,000 sitting in the bank with someone's name on it and no one seemed to want to do the job. My husband got so outdone that he just jumped in and started doing the work himself. So far, he's done a really good job and we are just taking it one day at a time. We didn't want to do it this way, but we just could not find people who wanted to work or who would follow through on the things they said they could or would do. The contractor we eventually settled on (with high hopes) was supposed to call us in two weeks and it's been two months. He doesn't return calls either. So, we had to get this job going ourselves.

 

I don't have any advice. But, thanks for letting me unload!

 

We want to do the kitchen also, but I really dread how that is going to go. We can't even get people to show up to hang tile for us! It's been awful.

[Amy loves Bud]

I could have written this post! Or, atleast I could I have written about our very similiar experience. We had water damage due to an upstairs bathroom. The water leaked downstairs and damaged an interior wall and the flooring. Long story. Anyways, we spent months trying to find a contractor that would follow through on phone calls. We had people make appts. with us and not even show up nor even call us to reshedule. We had over $10,000 sitting in the bank with someone's name on it and no one seemed to want to do the job. My husband got so outdone that he just jumped in and started doing the work himself. So far, he's done a really good job and we are just taking it one day at a time. We didn't want to do it this way, but we just could not find people who wanted to work or who would follow through on the things they said they could or would do. The contractor we eventually settled on (with high hopes) was supposed to call us in two weeks and it's been two months. He doesn't return calls either. So, we had to get this job going ourselves.

 

I don't have any advice. But, thanks for letting me unload!

 

We want to do the kitchen also, but I really dread how that is going to go. We can't even get people to show up to hang tile for us! It's been awful.

 

 

Believe me, I know! We've been trying to get some work done in the back yard for months (roof extension for shade). Either they wouldn't call us back, or they would show up, act all excited about the job, then blow us off. Finally we hired a guy who is pretty inexperienced but all over it. He calls every day - I haven't had to call him once. I *heart* him. The backyard work should be done next week. I didn't want to hire him originally because the kitchen is such a big job and he is inexperienced, but I'm leaning that way now.

 

Good luck with your work!