I found this cry for help from a retired police officer posted on the website of Professional Remodeler, a contractor magazine. I need HELP! I had my Ranch Home renovated in Sept. 2006 by a Contractor from HELL! He has started many jobs and finished NONE. My home is a wreck! I added on 18…
I hope I don’t hear this story again — that someone hired a contractor they later found out was unlicensed, or whose license had expired or been suspended. Instead of that, we should all do a little exercise together: Check on a contractor’s license number. Just for fun. Just for giggles. Just for kicks. (For…
It was just after the demolition phase of his kitchen remodel that Ian Denchasy realized he was in way over his head. It was a simple mistake. He started out with a plan to replace some cabinets and got carried away. By the time the entire kitchen was gutted, and the ceiling punched up to…
Ever wonder about the durability of bamboo floors? The benefits of thicker insulation? The rebates available for adding solar power? The cost vs. value of new windows? Dennis Allen, a nationally recognized green builder in Santa Barbara, is on hand today and tomorrow, the 29th and 30th, to answer your online green remodeling questions. Topics…
Ever wish you could ask a licensed contractor some remodeling questions with no hint of pressure to sign a contract? Here is your chance. This week’s guest expert, contractor Alon Toker, will be answering your remodeling questions online through Sunday. Here are the facts: Name: Alon Toker Title: President Company: Mega Builders, Chatsworth Contractor’s License…
Everybody knows there are problems in the remodeling industry — shady contractors, shoddy work, sloppy business practices. But the thing is, are you going to spend all your energy focusing on the negative? Or will you spend at least equal time seeking out the awesome, ethical, exceptional standouts in the industry? If you understand the…
The fact that Judy and Roy Uehara’s dingy, cramped 27-year-old kitchen and adjacent family room were transformed into a luminous, elegant, granite- and maple-infused great room is a triumph of sorts (as, indeed, are most remodels). The first hurdle was the sensitive timing of the renovation, which, for financial reasons, had to be done after…
Have you used a Southern California remodeling contractor who deserves a shout-out, someone you would recommend to your neighbors? If so, please post a comment. Tell us: — What is the name and city of the contractor who did your remodel? — What kind of job did the contractor do for you? Kitchen? Bath? Etc.…
Perhaps you’ve heard this quip when a spacecraft is launched: “There goes the lowest bid.” In my mind, trying to get the lowest bid for a remodeling project is just as foolish. And a lot of contractors agree with me. Gayler Construction explains very clearly how buying remodeling services is not even remotely like buying…
I’ve been writing about remodeling for 17 years, and so you can imagine the contractor horror stories I’ve heard. But I’m interested in what happened before the contractor was hired. Were there no warnings? No indications? No red flags? I’m convinced that there were, and that those signs were ignored, glossed over, excused. Maybe you…