If he did not want to install your equipment I wouldn’t have a problem with that at all. As long as he installs your wire correctly you will be fine. You can actually install the equipment yourself if you like which isn't that hard to do at all. There are many tutorials and videos online to show you how to do it correctly. For keypads you would just be punching down some cat and speaker wires (positive and negative) are self-explanatory. HTD is a great source of showing you how and what to do. If that isn't something you want to do you can easily find someone who can come in and install them for you once you move in with no problem. If you are building I can already tell you that builders like to charge a premium for this as they have access to the house while the walls are open and it’s so much easier to run wires. Not sure what it cost in your area looking back at my paperwork our charged $340 for one room of prewire. This consisted of (1) cat5e & (1) 16/4 homerun from each keypad back to the main hub area and (2) 16/2 speaker wire runs from the keypad up to the ceiling area. This is the preferred method of wiring as it will offer you the options in the future to change zones/sub-zone around or choose an amplified or a-bus system. I personally am not a fan of a-bus and will be going with the HTD mid-level system as well. The keypad areas have blank plates you can remove and pull the wire thru at a later date. The speaker wires were ran to the ceiling area where each speaker would be and connect to ceiling joist with a twist tie behind the drywall (I would not have speakers wires pulled to a box in the ceiling because I didn't want blank plates on my ceiling before I installed the speakers). This would allow you to pull the speaker wire anytime you were ready to install speakers and not have speaker wires dangling from your ceiling. After he finishes wiring the house it will be very important for you to go in and takes lots of pictures and video would be great as well. This way you will know where everything is behind the walls and avoid poking holes in drywall looking for wire. I had planned for 12 zone of whole house audio (6 zones and 6 sub zones). A sub zone is a zone that piggy backs off a main zone and have to play what the main zone is playing. A sub zone is controlled by a volume control. Therefore my charge would have been from the builder $4,000 plus not including any equipment just to wire my house. That was absolutely crazy to me and something I was not willing to pay for. Not sure if you will have the option or even wanted to but I ended up pre-wiring my own house. I spent about $1,000 worth of wire (cat5e, 16/4 speaker wire, 16/2 speaker wire, 12 gauge wire, RG6QC wire, misc. item) and over three days with my nephew’s help was able to finish. I would also suggest while the walls are open you go ahead and decide if you want to run 5.1 or 7.1 for surround sound speakers and have those wires run as well. I would also have them run hdmi cables as well (I didn't and ended up having to climb in the attic as my equipment is across the room from my TV). Now if you don't have the option to run your own wire and are looking for ways to save some money here are a few options: 1. Use cat5e instead of cat6. I won't get into the debate of which catxx cable is better but do your research and you will see cat5e will suffice for whole house audio and any data you need in your house as well. 2. Look to see what type of attic access you have. If you have a two story house some rooms will be virtually impossible to get to without tearing out drywall, etc. So if you want whole audio in those rooms, I would make them a priority on the 1st floor to get pre-wired. If you do have attic access and are handy those rooms whether on 1st of 2nd floor can be done at a later date (don't forget your patio also :) 3. For areas over fireplaces or where TV’s will go have them run conduit(flex tubing) so if technology changes you can run your new wire thru the conduit. 4. If you haven't thought about it I would also run future tubes from basement to 1st floor or if no basement from 1st floor to 2nd floor so that you can have the option of running wires later. Most builders are going to recommend high end systems like Russound, Nuvo, etc. For my needs HTD and Monoprice speakers will fit our needs. It all basically depends on how handy you are and what your budget is. As I'm sure you are aware now the pre-wiring can add up quickly so prioritize your needs versus wants and go from there. Did I need 12 zones of audio? NO, but that is what I wanted and luckily I was able to run it myself. If I didn’t have that option all of the rooms on the 1st floor I didn’t have access to from the attic and I wanted audio would have definitely got pre-wired and the 2nd floor would have waited. Hope it helps, Chris

I decided to paint some old boards over old colors that are light and neutral with the Aura Satin paint I have here in the quart and the BM Regal Pearl Finish paint in the SW Antique White color (not for the color but for the finish/shine). I really like painting with the Pearl Finish paint and the VOC count and drying time is so much less than the old formula. I know I will not be doing the painting but it is such a nice paint and really covers well. The Aura Paint I can not paint well with and I know a painter would have to be very skilled to paint with it. I will see how I feel when both boards dry but so far my feeling is that despite wanting to go lower VOC, I may just stay with the BM Regal Paint in the Pearl Finish since it is so nice and rich on the walls without too much of a shine. The Satin is definitely shinier than the Pearl. I do not like Eggshell or flat paint so I have decided to not try out the Aura Eggshell finish. I am going to have to air out the room due to my preference for finish over VOC count. If I would like an eggshell finish, I would go with the Natura.

Thanks folks! I really appreciate your support, kind words, and suggestions through this ordeal. I'm still trying to clear this guy completely out of my system. I still get an odd pang of wanting to call him up and yell at HIM! It'll pass. I'll be sure to file a complaint with the BBB and the Attorney General's office. The letter I wrote to my credit union to dispute the credit card charge (using a c.c. through this reno JUST for this purpose!) will work nicely for these complaints. Ironcook--Interesting thought on his bring his son. He did know DH would be there. Probably knew DH would be p!ssed at the way he treated me. Chris--I expect there will be troubles during this process as I've never had any GC experience. Even if we have to pay the reframing costs, which I'm sure we will, I'd rather do that and be rid of this guy. We're still saving 10's of 1000's of $ with me being the GC. And I was trying to jolly this guy along. It didn't work. If he had been half-way courteous to me I would have tried to work with him. Rhome--Having a security guard makes it sound like I live in a fancy development. I certainly don't. Most of houses are plain 70's builds with little charm, but we are built around a small, private, non-motorized lake. The neighborhood board must have decided decades ago that it was worth paying someone a little salary to monitor the lake and the rest of the parks here to keep non-residents, who don't pay to maintain the facilities, out. Food poisoning has thankfully passed. We had the only other Napoleon dealer (an HVAC) company come to give us an estimate on the same fireplac last night. DH went to meet him as I was not in the mood. Funny, this HVAC guy actually apologized to DH for the way Mr. Jerk treated me!! Can you believe that??!!?

This has been a nightmare. I didn't even mention the splintered outlet hole in an obvious location they accidentally cut in our floor-to-ceiling pantry cabinet with pullouts that they tried to cover by gluing over a skin, which unglued almost right away and is flopping loose inside. I know it would have cost them, but those kind of mistakes should require a rebuild of the box, no? Ugh.