The worst nightmare ever! I have worked with many contractors for small and large jobs, no one ever come close to this horrible experience. It's an estimated 5-month job for remodeling kitchen (not including kitchen cabinets, done by cabinet company), living room/family room, and full basement. The project had dragged on for more than a year, exhausted 80% of the budget, with the project abandoned less than 50% completed. The total number of days that Josh was actually on-site working is less than 40 days, between May and August, he probably showed up 2 days a month, and I hadn't seen him since August. He never explained why he is not here to work even though he kept promising that he will be showing up on my site to work more often, there is always tomorrow, next week, but when the day comes, he didn't show. He failed to pay subcontractors, including plumber, countertop store. I have paid him early this year after the cabinet was installed to purchase countertop. He lied about having countertop ordered and ready to install. However, when the day comes close to installation, he told me that he did not have the countertop. After that, he went on for more than a month looking for another supplier to purchase, and I had to get it done myself and put down another down payment for the countertop because he said he doesn't have the money to buy. It happened in August, and since then he kind of disappeared claiming he has been sick. leaving the balance of countertop unpaid. I told him that it's okay we can end the contract if he is sick and not able to work, but he insisted that he will finish the job. Now I realized the reason why he can't end the project, because he wouldn't be able to explain to me where all the money went without the project being done. So, he just dragged me on to buy himself time.
Don't be fooled that this is a running construction company, he is a one-man shop, with absolutely no qualified people working for him. He is not qualified as a contractor, because he has no idea how to move the project forward. I had to constantly remind him to order materials, to line up subcontractors to do their parts. The only reason I had a kitchen up and running after 10 months, is because I took it in my own hand and called the plumber and electrician in town, because he simply was absent the whole time. I had couple contractors coming in to bid the job to get my project finish, they were shocked by the quality of his work. One of the contractors even offer to redo all his floor installation without charging extra labor cost, because they simply don't want to build upon what he had done.
He is a dishonest person when it comes to payment, I had paid him 3 payments since June, and he never bought anything since May for my project, nor coming to work. I request him to return the last 3 payments and end this contract on a good term, but he claimed that all the money I paid him has all gone to material, nothing to him. When I question about the only things, he had purchased were the flooring, paint job, and wood panels for the walls, that shouldn't cost even half of what I paid him, he went ghost. He has been stealing here and there through the payments. I just realized that he quotes me $1000 more than the countertop actually cost, so he can pocket the difference. Usually, I don't have problem with a labor and material all included job like this, if the contractor can find a better deal, then good for them, they can pocket the difference. But the bottom line is, you have to get the work done. I am going through the whole process of reporting him to BBB and licensing board, and bond company. Even if it means that I have to file lawsuit, I will do so. Not just to claim my money back, but to stop this kind of behavior for all the consumers out there.
I think pictures say more than thousand words. see what he left behind after a whole year of disaster.