Should we dump our Kitchen/bath designer/builder?

14 years ago

Newbie here who has really been impressed with the amount of knowledge this site shares. Wondering if I should dump our kitchen/bathroom designer/builder for remodeling our kitchen and bath. We plan on a full gutting, making a kitchen window hugh, opening up part of 1 wall and everything new...floors, appliances, island , cabinets the works in both kitchen and a bath.

Story...contacted a well respected local designer/builder who did a friend's kitchen/bath 10 yrs ago and they HIGHLY recommended him. The guy wins local awards all the time. We started last Sept saying we wanted to start construction at the end of April this year to assure completion prior to fall/winter bad weather. He said no problem. We really picked up the pace...chose granite, cabinets, appliances, making a kitchen window hugh to bring in the outdoors, remove part of a wall etc. Well, we went thru winter then spring. Then he said we would probably be able to start construction in June...still not enough forward movement...got hung up in remeasuring everything again for the cabinets etc. June comes and he says he is ready to put in the cabinet order for pricing and then will have a contract/bid ready for us when we return from a vacation in July, he promises us we are absolutely the next job for his construction crew and will start when we return. We return and no bid. In fact, he never submitted the cabinet order to get a price. Then we find out he has in fact moved his crew to "a new job" after promising we were next and has been working on another design job rather than completing ours!. We try one last time to get it all together to try to start in early Sept but now...he is making up excuses like "we may be having an issue with our supplier for the tiles you wanted" etc and one excuse after another. We have paid for most of the design and have learned a lot of what is out there and this has resulted in us knowing the layout we want for the new kitchen. I just told him as it was now obvious that as we have no bid yet and he has shifted his energy to another job that there is no way to complete the remodel this year as he said it would take 3 months or so and we do not want to go into Thanksgiving and beyond. I just told him to suspend all further design or other work for us. He is saying we can pick it up again this fall and winter and is "promising" again he can start next April. Everyone who has had work completed by this guy/firm ends up loving the quality and final design...but often state it took longer than they expected. I think this guy has ADD(attention deficit disorder) or something. I know he owns the design but I think we can easily guide another firm to what we know we now want re layout etc.

I want to just drop him and move on to another designer/builder in the area who is also supposed to be good and is recommended by other friend's.

I think we have been neglected here several times and no longer trust anything he tells us.

Am I correct to jump ship, dump him and move on?

Thanks in advance to all!

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Comments (8)

worthy
14 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Sounds like those trendy/snooty restaurants that take no reservations, but keep you waiting three hours on line. And while you're making small talk, you notice a local celebrity pops by and is whisked in immediately. Is it really worth it? Only you can decide.

If you're sticking with him, you should have a contract with clear time limits.
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sierraeast
14 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
If you have no contractural obligations and everyone concerned is paid up to this point, FIRE HIM!
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compumom
14 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
We changed 3 times until we found the design and the designer that we wanted. Go with your gut, just make sure that designer #2 has great refs!
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shw001
12 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
If you paid him for developing the design, don't you now own the design?
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eagle_luxury
12 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
I think the decision is pretty obvious. When a business strings you along like that, I say move on. It is not professional. If he was over-booked, he should have just said something in the first place.

I am sure their are many other businesses you can go through. If he can' t even START the project, once he starts it is likely he wont finish.
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hosenemesis
12 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Dump him. He will NEVER finish your project. There are plenty of good people out there who have integrity.
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Beenana
12 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
There are a lot of people out there that looking for job. This guy is too busy. He doesn't respect your project. And that tiles BS! You can get cheaper tiles from internet now you don't need to get it through his supplier.
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audreyamelia
12 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Definitely move on. If he hasn't followed through on his word so far than it's likely he won't going forward..
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Should we dump our Kitchen/bath designer/builder?

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worthy

sierraeast

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compumom

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