Give him a deadline in writing by which you will have the work done and backcharge him and sue to enforce.

Shouldn't have paid in full untill you were happy with what was done !

I planned to do a hold back, but I was told that one of his sub-contractors was threatening to put a lien on our home since he hadn't been paid. The general told me I had to pay him in full so he would provide me with a lien release.

Why wasn't he paying his subs? What about the other subcontractors? Were they paid in full?

He has now provided me with a letter stating that all subcontractors who worked on my home have been paid in full.

Make a case with your states home improvement corporation - prepare it like you are going to court - photos, documentation, etc. Contractors take these complaints seriously and you can also get financial restitution through them.

Did you get a warranty? What did it say about what is warranted?

He needs to provide you with a lien release stating that all work is paid in full. The subs need to do the same.

I just re-read the contract and it is very generic when it comes to "warranty". It says that all materials are covered by manufacturer warranty, blah, blah, blah. He has verbally told me that the State requires him to make right any issues that come up within a two year time frame, but based on the comments here, I'm seeing I need to get something specific in writing from him immediately including a date when all already identified items will be corrected. Thank you all for your feedback.

"states home improvement corporation"

What corporation is that Phil, never heard of that?

Keep phoning and bugging him that you want the work completed. Don't let time go by, the more time you give him to get the work done, the more time he will take.

Millworkman, for us here in Arizona, it's the Registrar of Contractors. If I don't like what I hear from him this week, that is our next step.

Just tell him you're thinking about filing a claim with state consumer protection.

millworkman; I live in Maryland so "MHIC' stands for "Maryland Home Improvement Commission" and they are a division of "The Department of Labor and Licensing". In Maryland, you can file a claim against a contractor through this agency and get a hearing which will include the contractor at which time you can introduce evidence like photos, etc. It's always a big help if you can find another contractor (or 2 ) that agrees with your assessment of the quality and is willing to testify for you at the hearing. If you don't have a reference document that you can cite that supports your claim, the issue will be decided on whether or not the work met normal "industry standards". Our MHIC telephone support that will help with the necessary forms etc., but not the case specifics. Think of it as the first official legal step against a contractor where the next step (if you don't get satisfaction), is to file a civil lawsuit. I've just been through this recently (from August 2016 to September, 2017 - total of 13 months) and you have to be tenacious - their strategy is to wear you out so that you just give up. If you have a good complaint, the contractor doesn't want it to go to court if there's any chance that they will lose because of the potential for negative publicity and potential loss of business. Joseph Corlett, LLC who posts on this site is a good resource and knows a lot about these things.

Wow Phil Rhudy Sr. thank you for your thorough response! It's so nice to know there are still true professionals out there. I was actually beginning to wonder if there were any true, honest craftsmen left! I'm hoping I get a good response this week and I don't have to go that route, but it's nice to know I have options for recourse if necessary. Thanks again!